Mumbai: The continuing conflict between cable operators and broadcasters was resolved on Thursday when members of the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) reached an agreement with the broadcasters to sign interconnection agreements without prejudice.
The development was confirmed by sources, who added that the three broadcasters - Disney Star India, Zee Entertainment, and Sony TV are expected to resume their channel signals to all cable operators soon.
The interconnection agreements may be revised based on the outcome of the court case, according to the resolution reached by the two parties.
What first seemed to be a dispute about tariffs between cable operators and broadcasters developed into a conflict between two corporate media organisations, with seven MSOS switching sides.
This follows the AIDCF's fourth consecutive day of hearing failure to obtain an interim stay from the Kerala High Court.
On 18 February , Star India, Zee Entertainment, and Sony TV cut their channels to cable operators who declined to abide by the terms of the revised new pricing order (NTO 3.0) announced by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
The NTO 3.0 came into force on February 1 and all the DTH operators and cable operators except 13 MSOS signed interconnection agreements with the broadcasters in order to ensure smooth telecast of all the channels to their subscribers.
The non-compliant MSOS moved to several high courts across the country under the aegis of the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF).
While the high courts denied any interim stay on NTO 3.0, Kerala High Court is hearing the matter on daily basis and MSOS are leaving the battlefield one by one with each passing day.
Apparently the tussle was manufactured by Reliance using its three MSOS to hurt Star India before the IPL season
Kerala Communicators Cable Ltd (KCCL) & KVBL Managing Director Sureshkumar PP further stated that Jio and DTH platforms were taking advantage of this problem and implementing new techniques to grab their precious clients in a letter sent on Wednesday to Manoj Chhangani, Secretary General, AIDCF.
With more than 3.1 million subscribers, KCCL was a significant AIDCF member who on Wednesday switched sides and signed the interconnection agreement in accordance with NTO 3.0.
As a result, Siti Cable, its JV ICNCL, UCN Cable, Thamizhaga Cable TV, Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV, and KAL Cables, who were initially non-compliant, were preceded by KCCL as the seventh MSO to comply with NTO 3.0.
Six MSOS-GTPL Hathway, Hathway Digital, Den, In Cable owned by NXT Digital of Hinduja Group, Fastway Transmissions, and Asianet Digital were left in AIDCF's battle with broadcasters.
Reliance-owned GTPL, Hathway, Hathway Digital, and Den control 1.8 crore homes, or 75% of the homes that do not receive Star India, Zee Entertainment, and Sony channels, out of the 2.5 crore homes that these six MSOS collectively reached.
