In a letter dated February 13, the IBDF also stated that it would make a detailed representation to the parliamentary committee headed by Shiv Sena MP Prataprao Jadhav. It also expressed concern that the report had several inaccuracies, misinterpretations of data, and omissions of crucial information.
“We shall be shortly submitting a detailed representation on the subject matter, which we would respectfully request the Hon’ble Committee to kindly take on record,” IBDF Secretary General Sidharth Jain said in a letter to Jadhav.
“We would be grateful if you could also kindly grant us an opportunity to meet the Hon’ble Committee in person to present our views at your earliest convenience,” Jain added.
The IT committee had invited only the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), and the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) to provide inputs for the report.
The TRAI and MIB regulate TV channel pricing and content, respectively. The IBDF comprises 56 broadcaster members, representing nearly 450 channels. AIDCF represents the cable TV companies.”The exclusion of broadcasters from the deliberations represents a missed opportunity for informed decision-making and risks the adoption of regulatory measures that may have unintended consequences for broadcasting industry stakeholders, especially consumers,” Jain said.The AIDCF has been demanding that TRAI allow its members to pick and choose channels from broadcaster bouquets, something that the TRAI regulation has outlawed.
In its report, the IT committee has favoured allowing cable TV service providers to selectively choose channels from broadcaster bouquets.
The cable TV body claimed that granting distributors the freedom to choose channels from broadcaster bouquets would benefit consumers in the form of a price reduction.
However, the IBDF has countered this argument by contending that the breaking of broadcaster bouquets will allow cable TV companies to misuse this freedom and distort the present regulatory framework.
The AIDCF has blamed price hikes by broadcasters and TRAI regulations for the continuous decline in the cable TV subscriber base.
“As the apex body of broadcasters, our members are directly affected by the subject matter under consideration. We believe our perspectives and insights must be duly considered in the formulation of any regulatory recommendations or decisions,” Jain said.
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