The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 22nd November 2022, issued the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Eighth) (Addressable Systems) Tariff (Third Amendment) Order, 2022 (4 of 2022) and the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2022 (2 of 2022).
The main features of the amendments are as follows:
- Continuance of forbearance on MRP of TV channels
- Only those channels which are having MRP of Rs.19/- or less will be permitted to be part of a bouquet.
- A broadcaster can offer a maximum discount of 45% while pricing its bouquet of pay channels over the sum of MRPs of all the of pay channels in that bouquet.
- Discount offered as an incentive by a broadcaster on the maximum retail price of a pay channel shall be based on combined subscription of that channel both in a-la-carte as well as in bouquets.
All the broadcasters shall report to the Authority, any change in name, nature, language, MRP per month of channels, and composition and MRP of bouquets of channels, by 16th December 2022, and simultaneously publish such information on their websites. The broadcasters who have already submitted their RIOs in compliance of the New Regulatory Framework 2020 may also revise their RIOs by 16th December 2022.
Further all the distributors of television channels shall report to the Authority, DRP of pay channels and bouquets of pay channels, and composition of bouquets of pay and FTA channels, by 1st January 2023, and simultaneously publish such information on their websites. DPOs who have already submitted their RIOs in compliance of the New Regulatory Framework 2020 may also revise their RIOs by 1st January 2023.
