(7 January 2008 5:25 pm)

NEW DELHI: The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) today defended the broadcasters' stand that they can verify Subscriber Line Reports (SLRs), which are to be manadatorily given by MSOs to broadcasters.

Talking to indiantelevision.com, IBF director (finance) Naresh Chahal said, "We are well within our rights to have the surveys conducted, and that is what the broadcasters have said."

Debunking the allegations by MSO Alliance that the broadcasters have arrogated the role of Trai upon IBF, Chahal said, "This is not true because according to the Interconnect Agreements, the broadcasters can get the SLRs surveyed and verified before accepting them."

Chahal also said that there is no question of taking on the mantle of Trai.

Asked whether IBF has the resources to get surveys done on 65-mn cable homes, Chahal said, "All the major broadcasters are affiliated to us, so there is no funds issue involved. And in any case, we will not do the surveys ourselves but appoint reputed survey agencies."

Asked whether the broadcasters had taken IBF's permission before stating the conditions as part of the à la carte offer, Chahal said since this was a routine part of Interconnect Agreements, there was no need for seeking any prior permission.

Incidentally, the broadcasters had given their offers vis-à-vis Trai's 4 October Tariff Order for the non-Cas areas. The offers laid down several conditions and, according to the MSOs, were violative of the order.

One such condition was that before giving feed on the rates for à la carte, the broadcasters would have the SLRs verified by an independent agency accredited by IBF.