TDSAT orders Star to feed channels to Dish TV at half the rate
By Our Convergence Bureau | 14 Jul 2006
The judgement was delivered on a petition filed by ASC, which operates DTH service under the Dish TV brand. According to the order, the petitioner will pay for the exact number of consumers, a list of which will be submitted from the subscriber management system to Star TV every month. This will be applicable to all DTH operators entering into commercial deals with broadcasters. "We have no basis to lay down the actual rates per channel which we feel is the prerogative of the TRAI. However, to begin with we feel that 50 per cent of the rates being charged for cable platform be made applicable to DTH platform," TDAST said.
The TDSAT has accepted the contention of ASE enterprise that Star''s demand for Rs67 for bouquet one and two as against the cable rate of Rs54 was in contravention of the TRAI tariff order. The court also took into account the statement of Star''s James Murdoch that cables under declare and that prices have to be much lower in DTH.
The order clearly states that rates charged for the cable TV platform cannot be applicable to DTH.
Dish TV offers three bouquets - one free-to-air at Rs2 a day; another, which includes channels like ESPN, Sony, Zee, Turner etc at Rs6 a day and; yet another for English movie channels. The subscribers pay Rs 10 a day plus taxes.
Zee Telefilms, however, said there was no scope for negotiations with Star on pricing. Star will have to abide by the order within 15 days. TDSAT had, on July 4, rejected an ASC plea to restrain Star from giving its signals to any other DTH operator. Star, however, had filed an undertaking before TDSAT last month that it would not be sharing its content with any DTH operator till July 3.