TDSAT directs Hathway Cable to pay Rs 37.5 crore to MediaPro

[Basil]

TDSAT directs Hathway Cable to pay Rs 37.5 crore to MediaPro​

MUMBAI: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has directed multi-system operator (MSO) Hathway Cable & Datacom to pay Rs 37.5 crore ( Rs 375 million) as subscription fee dues to content aggregator MediaPro. The MSO has to pay the dues in two tranches. The first payout of Rs 17.5 crore ( Rs 175 million) is to be made before 31 March.

The balance amount of Rs 20 crore ( Rs 200 million) will have to be paid by 10 April. Hathway and MediaPro have been locked in a battle over the quantum of subscription fee dues. While MediaPro argued that the MSO owed Rs 49 crore ( Rs 490 million) in dues, Hathway contended it owed only Rs 25 crore ( Rs 250 million) to the content aggregator. MediaPro issued disconnection notices to Hathway when the two parties failed to reach an agreement on the outstanding dues.

The dues are for a period of three months. Aggrieved by the disconnection notice, the MSO had resorted to the TDSAT and filed eight separate petitions with the tribunal, seeking relief from the disconnection threat issued by MediaPro for non-payment of dues. As reported earlier, the TDSAT had on 21 February directed Hathway to pay Rs 16 crore ( Rs 160 million) as outstanding dues to MediaPro by 28 February.

The tribunal had also directed MediaPro not to give effect to the disconnection notice it issued to Hathway. The two parties were asked to carry out a reconciliation of accounts before 7 March. Apart from the payment, Hathway was also told to submit the monthly subscriber line report to MediaPro by 15 March.

While urging both parties to expedite the reconciliation of accounts, the tribunal said that Hathway will have to make the balance payment on the basis of the reconciliation of accounts either in one or two instalments by 31 March. The two parties agreed on Rs 37.5 crore following the reconciliation of accounts.


Read more at: TDSAT directs Hathway Cable to pay Rs 37.5 crore to MediaPro | TelevisionPost.com | TelevisionPost.com