Pay broadcasters Zee Entertainment, Star India, Viacom18, Eenadu Television Private Limited and Sony Pictures Network Limited have today published new Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) which will be effective 1st February 2020.
It is pertinent to note that these new RIOs have nothing to do with the Tariff Order amendment issued yesterday by the regulator. The new pricing is as per the old order and not the new amendment. The prices will again undergo change in March 2020.
When the new Tariff Order had come into existence last year new RIOs were signed which are to expire on 31st January 2020. With the revised Tariff Order set to go live from 1st March there will be a gap of 1 month left for which the RIO will have to be signed again.
The issuing of new RIOs leaves the existing RIOs published by the broadcasters null forcing the DPOs to sign the new RIO and implement the new pricing from 1st February.
The changes in the new RIO range from new channel launches, reduction and increase in a-la-carte MRP, introduction and discontinuation of existing bouquets and change in MRP of bouquets.
Star India has revised the a-la-carte MRP of around 24 channels along with the launch of new channels and shutdown of 3 channels. It has also introduced around 10 bouquets. The new RIOs can be accessed on the website of the broadcasters. At the time of going to press no other broadcaster had issued a new RIO. It remains to be seen if other broadcasters will also revise their pricing for February.
