Can’t find Zee, Star, Sony channels on Cable TV? Here’s why

Nearly 4.5 crore Cable TV connections have lost feed of leading broadcasters including Zee, Star and Sony. Here’s what happened

4.5 crore families have been impacted after leading broadcasters including Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Sony Pictures Networks India Ltd and Disney Star stopped their feed to cable platforms. The broadcasters have disconnected their feed from cable operators who haven’t signed fresh agreements under the New Tariff Order (NTO) with price increase.

The cable operators have decided against signing the agreement due to the increase of 25-35 percent in cost, All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), top body of digital cable television companies, said. It also said that the agreements would put an extra cost burden on consumers. Platforms are considering legal recourse over the same, AIDCF added.

The broadcasters had earlier issued notices to cable operators/Multi System Operators on February 15 to sign the new Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) for New Tariff Order (NTO) 3.0, which is issued by regulator TRAI. Cable service providers not heeding to the notice has led to disconnection of broadcaster feeds. 

“Disney-Star, Sony and Zee have disconnected services of their channels on the members of AIDCF as well as other cable TV platforms. These cable TV platforms have not executed the revised RIOs with these broadcasters as a mark of protest against the unreasonable pricing by the broadcasters,” an AIDCF statement said. It added that the action has left 4.5 crore cable TV using families across India without these top channels on their television sets.

Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), body representing broadcasters said on being forced to disconnect feed, “Broadcasters had taken a price increase after 4 years post the release of new NTO guidelines by TRAI. Most DTH and Cable operators, whose base adds up to 80% of India’s PayTV customers, have already started implementing the new prices and they have had to increase consumer prices by approx 5 per cent after 4 years. Some cable operators did not sign fresh agreements, thus forcing broadcasters to disconnect their services after serving due notice.”

(This copy was first published by DNA)

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