Broadcast and telecom disputes tribunal TDSAT has directed TRAI to file its affidavit before the next hearing of a petition filed by All Local Cable Operator Association Delhi (ALCOA) challenging the regulator’s November 2022 amended tariff guidelines.

In a directive dated April 19, TDSAT, on a request from the counsel of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) seeking time to file its reply to the petition, said the “same may be filed before the next date of hearing”.

The case now has been posted for a hearing on 26 July 2023.

ALCOA in its petition filed earlier in the year had submitted that there was “no justification for a complete abdication of jurisdiction to regulate broadcasters”.

“Simply because the broadcasters have arbitrarily increased the price of their main channels i.e. driver channels so as to keep the same outside the bouquet price cap of Rs. 12 or Rs. 19 for that matter it does not mean that the respondent (TRAI) gives up on its attempt to protect the interest of the consumers. The abdication of TRAI in face of anti-competitive and perverse price by broadcasters is against the interest of the industry,” the ALCOA petition at TDSAT had said.

“The view taken by the respondent not to regulate the MRP of channels has been nothing but a failure to exercise jurisdiction despite clear evidence that such exercise is imperative to stem decline of the cable television sector.

“The failure to exercise jurisdiction by the Respondent is a violation of the TRAI Act and direction is required to be issued by this Hon’ble Tribunal to the respondent to formulate the MRP of television channels,” the petition had further argued.