(Economic Times via NewsEdge) India's Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) ordered Rupert Murdoch-controlled Star to provide its channels to the DTH platform of Zee-promoted Dish TV within the next 15 days.
The tribunal has also directed Star to provide these services at 50% its existing rates on cable and satellite platforms.
Industry sources said the significance of the TDSAT order lay in the fact that it was applicable to all DTH operators entering into commercial deals with broadcasters.
Additionally, it also sets a mechanism in place to address the controversial issue of content sharing between different operators during the introduction of futuristic technologies such as conditional access system and IPTV.
"We direct the respondent (Star) to make available all the channels to the petitioner at a rate not more than 27 rupees ($0.57) per subscriber, exclusive of taxes," the TDSAT said.
This implies DTH customers will get all 14 channels offered on the Star platform for this tariff, while those who avail the same via cable and satellite will continue to pay 54 rupees ($1.15).
The TDSAT has, however, not laid down individual rate per channel, saying this is the prerogative of the sectoral regulator, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Besides, it has also rejected Star's demand for fixing a minimum number of 500,000 assured subscribers for sharing channels.
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