[cr-india] TRAI's Open House in Chennai

[George Verghese]

 Dear Sajana, 
 Many thanks. Regards, George Verghese

 --- sajan venniyoor <venniyoor at rediffmail.com> wrote:
> Here's a report on TRAI's Open House discussion on
> FM Radio in Chennai, 7 May 2004. (Business Line, 8
> May 2004)
> 
> FM Policy in a month's time? 
> 
> Sajan.
> 
> Broadcasting, TV channels to have separate policies 
> May 08, 04 
> 
> The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI )
> will come out with separate national policies on
> broadcasting and distribution of television channels
> and FM radio in a month's time, according to Mr
> Pradip Baijal, Chairman, TRAI. 
> 
> Mr Baijal said the entry-level price for the FM
> radio operators should be very low only then more
> players would come into this 
> 
> He said that TRAI was working towards this end. 
> 
> Mr Baijal was speaking to newspersons after an open
> house conducted by TRAI to understand the various
> issues relating to broadcasting and distribution of
> television channels. Chennai has been the first in
> line for the open house. 
> 
> This would be followed by Delhi and Mumbai. 
> 
> Earlier the TRAI panel had listened to various views
> from consumers, cable operators, multi-system
> operators and broadcasters. Mr Baijal said the
> growth of the cable TV industry in India was
> typically one of vertical integration with the
> consumer at the end of the ladder. 
> 
> The role of TRAI was to ensure that the consumers'
> interests were not forgotten and at the same time
> make sure that the operators' business is viable. 
> 
> The main points which were posted for discussion was
> how to regulate the industry, what safeguard need to
> be built in to protect the consumers' interests and
> also issues on regulation of advertisement time and
> schedule on FTA and pay channels. 
> 
> At the meeting, the consensus among the consumer
> groups, cable operators and multi system operators
> was that Conditional Access System (CAS) should
> continue. 
> 
> The reason why the consumers present wanted CAS to
> continue was that the price of free-to-air (FTA)
> channels had been fixed at Rs 72. 
> 
> Mr M.B. Nirmal, Chief Adviser, Cable TV Subscribers'
> Associations Greater Chennai, said the basic tier of
> free channels should be regulated through a cap on
> the price. 
> 
> The competition at the local level should be
> mandated and that the price of the channels should
> also be left to market forces to determine. 
> 
> Mr Nirmal said that TRAI should also look at the
> time given to advertisement on pay channels. 
> 
> The other problems raised were of under-declaration
> and the last mile connectivity. However, Mr R.
> Mahesh Kumar, Senior Vice-President, Finance and
> Materials, Asianet Satellite Communications Ltd,
> said that company suffered a loss of Rs 30 crore per
> annum because of the pricing strategies of pay
> channels which is based on the under-declaration
> patterns in other markets. 
> 
> > _______________________________________________
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>  

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