Broadcasters Urge Prasar Bharati For Level Playing Field In DTH Sector

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology convened a crucial meeting with key players from the Direct-to-Home (DTH) and cable TV sectors, including representatives from Tata Play and Airtel. The focus of the discussion centred on achieving a level playing field in the industry amidst concerns over regulatory disparities.

During the meeting, industry players expressed apprehensions regarding what they perceive as excessive regulation of the DTH sector. Harit Nagpal, Managing Director & CEO of Tata Play emphasised the importance of establishing a consistent licensing framework and ensuring equitable adherence to regulations across all participants, including Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms and DD Free Dish, according to media reports.

A point of contention raised by industry leaders was the perceived inequality in the market. They highlighted that subscribers of Distribution Platform Operators (DPOs) are required to pay for channels that are freely available to DD Free Dish customers. Proposals were put forward suggesting limitations on Prasar Bharati/DD Free Dish's educational outreach to DD channels to address this disparity.

Furthermore, stakeholders urged for the abolition of DTH license fees to promote fairness and called for government intervention to alleviate the tax burden on the DTH business. They emphasised that these regulatory challenges have collectively led to a loss of 3.3 million DTH customers over the past three years, underscoring the urgency for reform.