I&B Ministry
I&B Ministry grants registration to 15 MSOs in Jan 2020
MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has published a document listing all the registered multi system operators (MSO) in the country. As per the document, there are 1630 registered MSOs in India as on 31 January 2020.
Fifteen MSOs were granted registration in the month of January 2020. A total of 150 MSOs were granted registration in the year 2019. Surprisingly, just one MSO, Sharma Cable Network, was granted registration in the entire of 2018 as per the document.
All the granted registrations are valid for a period of 10 years. The name of the companies that were added in the registration list in January includes Latiyal TV Club, Vijayendra Cable, Seven Star Digital; Maxnet Communication, AG Digital Communication, Jai Maa Vaishnavi Jai Mata Di Star Cable, Digimedia Cable, Cable Operator Association of Yamunagar N Jagadhari, Siddhi Cable Center, Barale Cable Network, Aryabhatt Digital Network Pvt Ltd, The Nandhyal Communications, Tiranga Networks and DNA Cables.
The ministry has also cancelled the registration of Skyway Digital on 27 january 2020. The total number of MSO registrations cancelled by MIB is 74 till 31 January 2020.
I&B Ministry
AIDCF moves TDSAT over Waves plan to stream linear TV channels
Industry body flags regulatory gap as OTT push sparks broadcast turf war
NEW DELHI: The battle between traditional television distributors and digital platforms has found its way to the courts, with the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) moving the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against Prasar Bharati’s latest OTT play.
At the heart of the dispute is Waves, Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform, which has invited applications to onboard linear satellite TV channels. Aidcf, which represents multi-system operators (msos), argues that this move sidesteps existing broadcasting rules and risks tilting the playing field in favour of digital platforms.
The federation’s petition hinges on a key provision in the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines, 2022. Clause 11(3)(f) allows broadcasters to downlink channels only if they provide signal decoders to recognised distribution platforms such as MSOS, DTH operators, hits operators and iptv platforms. OTT platforms, aidcf points out, do not feature on that list.
In simple terms, AIDCF’s argument is this: if OTT platforms are not officially recognised distributors, they should not be receiving broadcast signals in the first place. By inviting channels onto Waves, the federation claims, Prasar Bharati is opening a backdoor that lets broadcasters bypass long-standing rules.
The concern goes beyond legal interpretation. Aidcf says OTT platforms currently operate without a clear regulatory framework, allowing them to expand into traditional broadcasting territory without the compliance burden that cable and satellite operators must carry. That, it argues, creates an uneven contest.
There is also a warning for broadcasters. If they provide signal decoders to an OTT platform like Waves, they could risk breaching the very conditions under which their downlinking permissions were granted.
For its part, Prasar Bharati’s Waves initiative is positioned as a step towards wider access and digital reach, bringing linear television into the streaming era. But critics say the move blurs the line between regulated broadcasting and largely unregulated streaming.
The matter is expected to come up before tdsat next week. The outcome could do more than settle a single dispute. It may help define how India regulates the fast-merging worlds of television and OTT, where the lines are getting fuzzier by the day and the stakes, sharper than ever.
