TRAI’s latest tariff order to jeopardise content creation, hit growth: Broadcasters
PTI, Jan 10, 2020, 2:40 PM IST
Mumbai: Television broadcasters on Friday united against regulator Trai’s recent order capping prices for channels, saying it will “jeopardise” content creation, impact jobs and pull down economic growth.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had last month revisited its tariff order to soften the prices for end consumers through interventions, including reducing the maximum price one has to pay for a channel to Rs 12 from the previous Rs 19.
The broadcasters got together under the aegis of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) to oppose the move in a rare press conference here which had top executives from all the leading networks speaking out.
The grouping’s president and head of Sony Entertainment, N P Singh said there was no need for the new order and the regulator should have had ideally given time for things to settle down after last year’s tariff order.
He claimed the broadcasters, who garner only a fourth of the payments made by end consumers with a bulk 65 per cent going to distributors, had supported the last order despite reservations and invested over Rs 1,000 crore to educate the people on it.
After last year’s order, he said the industry had lost over 12 million subscribers.
Star TV’s Uday Shankar termed the new order as “ludicrous” and said the industry will use all its “constitutional rights” to challenge the order in seeking a rethink.
TV Today’s Aroon Purie said the new order will “strangulate” the industry and added that it is an important sector which the government should encourage and not suppress.
Discovery Networks’ Megha Tata said India is already the cheapest cable market in the world and the future of the sector will be in jeopardy through such regulatory interventions.
Singh said the broadcasters seek a stable regulatory regime and interventions like these are contrary to the Narendra Modi government’s promise to ensure ease of doing business for enterprises.
He said pricing should be left to the market forces and not driven down through regulatory fiats and was unsure if the prices will indeed go down with the TRAI order.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
Patanjali Foods to evaluate proposal to buy Patanjali Ayurved’s non-food business
Nifty, Sensex rally for 6th day running on firm Asian peers; Tech Mahindra jumps over 12%
IndiGo, Air India plan to purchase up to 170 wide-body planes in little over a year
Kotak Mahindra Bank shares tank 13%; mcap erodes by Rs 37,721 crore post RBI action
Four-day market rally makes investors richer by Rs 8.48 lakh crore
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Patanjali Foods to evaluate proposal to buy Patanjali Ayurved’s non-food business
Congress to discuss candidates for Amethi, Raebareli seats on Saturday
BJP’s CT Ravi Booked for Promoting Hatred and Enmity Through Social Media Post
Elections held in 14 LS segments in Karnataka, voter turnout nearly 64 per cent till 5 pm
‘PM is scared, may even shed tears on stage’: Rahul Gandhi’s fresh salvo at Modi