(18 April 2008 6:00 pm)

NEW DELHI: Broadcasters have informed the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) of their bouquet and a la carte prices to cable TV operators in non-Cas (conditional access system) areas .

Trai has made the rates public and put them up on its website, but has said that these should not be taken as approved by the regulator.

DTH (direct-to-home) players must be given these channels at half the prices mentioned for cable operators in non-Cas areas.

Trai has made it clear, however, that these published rates are "only meant to provide a basis for appropriate interconnection agreements on non-discriminatory basis between broadcasters on one hand and MSOs/cable operators on the other."

It says too: "These rates as published in the website of Trai should not be taken as approved by the Trai or as rates applicable at the consumer's end.

"It may also be noted that the channels not mentioned in the list may be considered as Free to Air (FTA) channel for non-Cas areas."

The prevalent bouquets as on the first day of 31 December 2007 are required to be offered by the broadcasters, and additional bouquets of channels can also be offered by the broadcasters, Trai says.

So far, the highest priced bouquet comes from Channel Plus' bouquet VIII of 16 channels, with the top southern channels like Sun, Gemini, Udaya, Udaya Music, Sun News and others, priced at Rs 91.50.

In the bouquet 1 pack, Zee Turner Ltd. comes second, with channels like Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Cartoon Network, Zee Café and Zee Studio, among others, priced at Rs 61.20.

The highest priced single channel is, expectedly, from a sportscaster, and Nimbus has reported its Neo Sports Plus at Rs 34, while ESPN and Star Sports come for Rs 33.13.

The lowest priced single channel is Channel [V], at a mere one rupee.

Trai says that earlier the broadcasters had reported their prices which had been put up on the regulator's website for the benefit of MSOs to work out deals, and adds: "Subsequently, the Authority had extensive interactive discussion with various broadcasters.

"The broadcasters have now voluntarily updated the bouquet rates and a-la-carte rates of their channels for cable TV operation in non-CAS areas."

On the issue of DTH price offers, Trai, in a separate statement, says: "The rates of bouquets and a-la-carte rates of pay channels so offered to the DTH operators will broadly be in consonance with the Tdsat's judgment dated 31 March, 2007", which halves the prices for DTH players.

"All bouquet rates and the a-la-carte rates must satisfy the provisions of the afore-said Interconnection regulations," Trai says.

Click here to see channel rates