Trai Sets August 26 Deadline for Broadcasters to Comply with NTO 2.0

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Tuesday directed the broadcasters to publish the maximum retail prices per month of its channels by August 26, 2020. The authority in its directions said that the broadcasters should publish the new prices reflecting the second amendments issued by Trai to the New Tariff Order (NTO). The second amendment to the NTO dubbed as NTO 2.0 was introduced by Trai in early January. Under the Trai NTO 2.0, the broadcasters are required to revise the prices of its channels as Trai capped the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of the channels available on a-la-carte basis to Rs 12. Further, Trai has also provided directions on the bouquet formation and its pricing under the NTO 2.0.

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Trai Sets Deadline of August 26 for Broadcasters to Comply with NTO 2.0

However, the broadcasters took the issue to the Bombay High Court where the matter is currently being heard with the reports indicating that the final verdict would be delivered on August 24, 2020.

Despite the ongoing battle between the broadcasters and the regulatory body, Trai on July 24, 2020 had directed the broadcasters to publish the pricing under NTO 2.0 by August 10, 2020. The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) along with the broadcasters filed a Writ Petition in the Bombay High Court challenging the directive issued by Trai on July 24. A division bench of the High Court of Bombay passed an order on August 7, 2020 where it again listed the case before the division bench on August 12, 2020.