In a major victory for Zee-promoted DTH provider Dish TV, Telecom Disputes Settlement And Appellate Tribunal ordered Rupert Murdoch-controlled Star on Friday to provide its channels to the platform within the next 15 days.
In another relief to Dish TV, TDSAT said the channels should be provided at a cost, which was 50 per cent of the rates being charged for cable platform.
"We direct the respondent (Star) to make available all the channels to the petitioner at a rate not more than Rs 27 per subscriber exclusive of taxes," the tribunal said.
The tribunal, however, declined to lay down the rate per channel, saying it was the prerogative of sectoral regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. TDSAT also rejected Star's demand for fixing a minimum number of 500,000 assured subscribers for sharing channels.
"The quantum of minimum guarantee sought from the petitioner (ASC Enterprises) by the respondent is much higher than the minimum guarantee sought from Tata Sky," the bench said, observing that "we feel that this term being imposed by the respondent is not justified and neither in accordance with regulation and amounts to denial of request of the petitioner for supply of signals.
"We, therefore, direct that signals be given to petitioner who will pay on the exact number of consumers, list of which will be submitted from the subscriber management system to the respondent every month."
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