TDSAT: Four broadcasters asked to work out commercial deals with MSO

TDSAT: Four broadcasters asked to work out commercial deals with MSO

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal today asked four broadcasters to work out commercial terms with M.C. Transmissions towards working out fresh interconnect agreements.

Chairman justice Aftab Alam and member B B Srivastava gave the direction to the broadcasters - Multi Screen Media Pvt. Ltd, Star India, Taj Television, and Indiacast UTV Media Distribution Services Pvt. Ltd – after accepting the supplementary report of the Broadcast Engineering Consultants (India) Ltd about the headend of MC Transmissions. Tbe Tribunal listed the matter for further hearing on 26 April.  

Earlier, the broadcasters had said that despite a BECIL report pointing out some defects, the MSO had not corrected them.  Thereupon, the Tribunal had asked the broadcasters to constitute a joint team or agree upon one of them getting the inspection done by its technical team to examine the headend of M.C. Transmissions for any defects.

However, the broadcasters reported that they were still not satisfied with the headends, following which BECIL was asked to conduct a fresh examination. “In the aforesaid circumstances, there is no other course but to ask the BECIL to make a supplementary report specific to its earlier findings. Since the supplementary report is on a very limited and specific issue, BECIL, as a special case, will waive its fee”, the Tribunal had said, giving BECIL one week for a its report which was presented today.