The Hindu Business Line : Zee-Turner told to share 19 channels with Tata Sky

New Delhi March 31 The Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal on Saturday directed broadcaster Zee-Turner to share signals of 19 of its channels with DTH operator Tata Sky at 50 per cent of its declared cable rates.

Zee-Turner was insisting that the country's second DTH operator after Zee's own Dish TV should carry all of its 32 channels.

The tribunal in its judgment, in favour of Tata Sky, argued that if the DTH operator was forced to take all of the broadcasters channels, and pay for the same, it would but naturally pass on the cost to the consumer. "Competition has to be encouraged because it is in consumer interest," said the tribunal. Tata Sky, represented by Mr Ramji Srinivasan, had sought the Tribunal's intervention having failed to reach an understanding with Zee-Turner over the number of channels it had to carry. While the DTH operator was ready to take 19 of the broadcaster's channels offered in two bouquets at Rs 83.85 per subscriber per month, Zee had argued that Tata Sky could not `pick and choose' and that it had to carry all 32 of them comprising five bouquets at Rs 149.85, excluding taxes.

In its judgment, the bench headed by Mr Justice Arun Kumar stated that even though Zee-Turner currently claims to have 32 channels, it only had 19 when Tata Sky had sought its signals. "If we hold that the petitioner must take all 32 channels, what happens tomorrow if the respondent may acquire 32 more channels," commented the bench, adding that that would "choke" DTH operator's transponder's limited capacity.

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