Hathway pays Rs 26.5 crore to Star India

Hathway pays Rs 26.5 crore to Star India

MUMBAI: On 28 July, the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) had issued an order directing MSO Hathway Cable & Datacom to clear its four month dues of Rs 26.5 crore to Star India. The TDSAT had directed Hathway to make the payment by 30 July to which it obliged.

 

The amount was to be calculated as the sum of Rs 23 per subscriber for Star India’s entertainment channels and RIO for the sports channels. However, a Star official has claimed this to add up to Rs 27 crore.

 

As per the order, the two parties have been asked to settle the quarrel by entering into a cost per subscriber (CPS) deal from August. The MSO will have to pay Rs 27 per subscriber to Star. Hathway is allowed to bundle channels on its own given that at least one Star channel is available in one/any bouquet it offers to subscribers.

 

The interim order was only to settle business issues between the two, even as the case continues and will be heard on 11 August next.

 

The business discussion reached TDSAT when Hathway decided to remove Star Sports channels from its bouquets and offer it separately in a sports pack or as a-la-carte.