TRAI releases Consultation paper on Tariff related issues for Broadcasting and Cable services

[Murthi]

Tamilnadu Arasu cable sets ncf as Rs. 35/-.

 

[RLOA]

Tamilnadu Arasu cable sets ncf as Rs. 35/-.

I think they might be diverting funds from TN taxpayers money to run cable operations. Not sure though.

 

[Basil]

Broadcasters and analysts feel that if Trai intervenes in the first two issues — bouquets and cap on discounts within them — then the consequences will be far reaching and many smaller channels and networks will even face an “existential crisis”.

Why Trai’s new consultation paper on broadcast tariff is expected to bring trouble for the industry - ET BrandEquity

 

[Esmail]

TRAI needs to get back the 15% discount cap for broadcaster bouquets and cap the a-la-carte price of channels that are a part of a bouquet to 5rs from current 19rs. Also NCF should be totally scrapped and all free channels should be made mandatory to be given by DTH operators without any monthly payment. Only pay as you go for paid channels and pay for technician visit if there is a technical issue. The free channels pay the DTH and MSO to carry them so as to get more viewership and thus more advertising revenue, this payment is sufficient to offset the NCF.

 

[iDJ]

TRAI needs to get back the 15% discount cap for broadcaster bouquets and cap the a-la-carte price of channels that are a part of a bouquet to 5rs from current 19rs. Also NCF should be totally scrapped and all free channels should be made mandatory to be given by DTH operators without any monthly payment. Only pay as you go for paid channels and pay for technician visit if there is a technical issue. The free channels pay the DTH and MSO to carry them so as to get more viewership and thus more advertising revenue, this payment is sufficient to offset the NCF.

You are being little unrealistic here. If I just want to watch one channel. I'll pay ₹5 and have it. How will cable and DTH companies make profit then?

 

[Esmail]

You are being little unrealistic here. If I just want to watch one channel. I'll pay ₹5 and have it. How will cable and DTH companies make profit then?

The same way as DD free dish is able to operate with profit without having even a single pay channel offered or any NCF charged. You may subscribe to only one channel for 5rs but the additional 250 FTA channels that the operator will give you mandatorily will pay the DTH to carry those channels and without NCF the DTH will definitely get more subscribers and in turn can demand more money from the broadcasters for carrying their FTA channels to give them viewership.
The only place where private operators and DD differs is the maintenance of equipment and technical troubleshooting, for which they can charge the subscriber as and when needed.

 

[Ankush Mehta]

Maybe we should start a campaign on consultations in this forum so that our voices reach the authority

 

[Rajat Basak]

No. It's completely unrealistic. DD only offers free channels. They earn money from broadcaster. Broadcasters earn money from advertisement revenue. They don't have to pay for MSO and LCO. They don't have to pay salary for cable operators. So many people work here, They need to survive. If you pay just for a single pay channel then they have to shutdown their company. Millions of job loss.

 

[Ashok Varma]

The same way as DD free dish is able to operate with profit without having even a single pay channel offered or any NCF charged. You may subscribe to only one channel for 5rs but the additional 250 FTA channels that the operator will give you mandatorily will pay the DTH to carry those channels and without NCF the DTH will definitely get more subscribers and in turn can demand more money from the broadcasters for carrying their FTA channels to give them viewership.
The only place where private operators and DD differs is the maintenance of equipment and technical troubleshooting, for which they can charge the subscriber as and when needed.

Regional FTA channels cannot survive if carriage fee to be paid to all DTH and all MSOs

 

[Esmail]

No. It's completely unrealistic. DD only offers free channels. They earn money from broadcaster. Broadcasters earn money from advertisement revenue. They don't have to pay for MSO and LCO. They don't have to pay salary for cable operators. So many people work here, They need to survive. If you pay just for a single pay channel then they have to shutdown their company. Millions of job loss.

At the current tariffs that are prevalent in the DTH industry, subscribers from metros and tier one cities will move to broadband and streaming on OTT services and subscribers in tier 2 and 3 cities and rural areas will move to DD free dish. Both ways they will disconnect DTH and it will still lead to the same unemployment that you mentioned.