NEW DELHI: Amid a tussle between the country’s top broadcasters and key cable TV platforms over a new distribution agreement, the hashtag #GreedyBroadcaster has become a top trend on Twitter on Monday. The hashtag has generated more than 10 thousand tweets over the issue and has seen users voicing their opinion over the broadcasters' outrageous pricing, saying it is nothing more than a ''blatant threat'' and ''form of blackmail'' against the consumers.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

Several users have called it unfair and demanded that TRAI should intervene to resolve this matter.


What’s Behind Broadcasters, Cable TV Operators Faceoff? 


It all started after Disney-Star, Sony, and Zee switched off signals of their channels on leading platforms such as Hathway Digital and DEN Networks – the move which left millions of TV households without access to popular channels.


The broadcasters’ move to disconnect TV services from key Distribution Platform Operators on Saturday came after these cable TV platforms also known as Multi-System Operators (MSOs) refused to sign fresh distribution agreements or RIO (reference interconnect offers) under NTO 3.0 (New Tariff Order) notified by TRAI.


In a statement, the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) on Saturday said that its members will now sign the new agreements as a mark of protest against unreasonable pricing by the broadcasters. The industry body also claimed on Saturday that the broadcaster’s move has deprived 45 million TV households of entertainment.


In response to it, the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), the industry body of broadcasters, accused All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), the industry body of digital cable operators, of invoking public sympathy by creating a false narrative.


“The AIDCF’s claim that broadcasters are driving up TV channel prices and that 45 million households have been impacted by channel disruption is completely false. Having not been granted any interim relief in multiple High Courts, the AIDCF is seeking to invoke public sympathy through a false narrative. AIDCF is not only in defiance of the law but is also holding less than 25 million subscribers hostage, solely for its own commercial reasons and circulating misleading information,” the IBDF stated.


IBDF added that more than 90 per cent of the DPOs including DTH service providers have signed the revised interconnect agreement issued by the broadcasters in “compliance with law ensuring that the service is not disrupted for the majority of the subscribers”.


IBDF also pointed out that AIDCF members who have not signed the fresh agreements, for being in the “minority”, are depriving consumers of their favourite channels.


IBDF also claimed that the price hike during implementation is largely due to the demand for the increase in the NCF by the DPOs and not at the back of the channel prices. It also said that AIDCF members have deliberately refused to sign the RIO leaving the broadcasters with no choice but to disconnect TV services from the DPOs that refused to comply with the regulatory framework.


The issue continues to echo on micro-blogging platforms with users expressing their opinion on the matter. 


Take a Look At Some Of Those Reactions:-