Even as challenges mount for India’s public broadcaster Prasar Bharati ahead of the mid-September launch of its proposed OTT platform, a report in the Storyboard18.com yesterday stated that some broadcasters were also exploring a legal challenge to seek regulatory clarifications on the venture.

The report in Storyboard18, which is part of the Reliance Industries’ media empire, quoted an unnamed industry source as saying, “Broadcasters are prepping their legal arsenals to challenge Prasar Bharati. Complaints, petitions, and a push for stricter separation of public vs. private sector ventures are all on the table.” (https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/broadcasters-prep-legal-arsenals-to-challenge-prasar-bharatis-ott-plans-41670.htm)

Indianbroadcastingworld.com could not independently confirm the options being weighed by private sector broadcasters, most of whom have their own digital businesses and streaming platforms.

Last month, the Prasar Bharati, which manages Doordarshan and Akashvani or All India Radio, had on its website put out a detailed invitation letter with do’s and don’ts, seeking content partnerships with private sector TV channels and content producers on revenue share basis.

What has riled the stakeholders of the Indian M&E industry, including distribution platforms like MSos and DTH firms, is that Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform could upset the market equilibrium; especially as the pubcaster is not governed by the various regulations of regulator TRAI, which have to be followed by the private sector players.

As reported by Indianbroadcastingworld.com last week, a powerful MSOs body, AIDCF, had in a letter to the government criticised Prasar Bharati for inviting private sector satellite TV channels to onboard its proposed OTT platform, saying it would violate the government’s own uplinking and downlinking guidelines.

“Prasar Bharti vide its letter dated 5th Aug 2024, have issued a NIA (Notice Inviting Application) to all the linear satellite TV channels for on-boarding on their OTT platform. The above NIA by Prasar Bharti is promoting broadcasters to violate clause 11(3) (f) of the Uplinking & Downlinking guidelines dated 9th November 2022 and its subsequent amendment dated 24th March 2023,” the AIDCF said in a letter to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Broadcasters are required to adhere to the downlinking guidelines, for the grant of permission to downlink satellite TV channels, irrespective of the distribution platforms, said All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) in its letter. The organisation boasts of member-companies including DEN Network, Hathway, Hinduja Global Solutions’ IMCL and Siti Networks.