Cable TV
TDSAT to hear DEN ADN and Sapphire Media settlement on July 21
Tribunal to record settlement in nearly two-year-old cable distribution dispute.
MUMBAI: It looks like the final channel change in this dispute won’t need a courtroom cliffhanger. The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) is set to hear a settlement between DEN ADN Network Pvt. Ltd. and Sapphire Media Ltd. on 21 July, after both parties informed the tribunal that they had resolved their commercial dispute outside court.
In an order dated 20 July, Deputy Registrar Shashi Kant Sharma recorded the submission made by counsel for DEN ADN Network that the matter had been urgently mentioned before the tribunal as the dispute “stands settled between the parties.”
Following the request, TDSAT directed that the case be listed before the Bench on 21 July for further orders and directions.
The matter relates to Broadcasting Petition No. 238 of 2024, filed by DEN ADN Network Pvt. Ltd. against Sapphire Media Ltd. and others over a commercial dispute in the cable television distribution business.
The petition centred on issues relating to broadcasting carriage and placement agreements, compliance with standard operating procedures applicable to multi-system operators (MSOs), and outstanding commercial dues arising from the parties’ business arrangements.
DEN ADN Network operates as a multi-system operator (MSO) distributing television channels through cable networks, while Sapphire Media is also engaged in the cable television distribution business.
The tribunal admitted the petition on 3 September 2024, when a Bench comprising then Chairperson Justice D.N. Patel and Member Subodh Kumar Gupta observed that the case involved contentious issues and issued notice to the respondents.
Since then, the proceedings have remained pending without a final decision on the merits of the dispute.
The latest development signals that the parties have opted for an out-of-court resolution before the tribunal could adjudicate the matter. When the case comes up on 21 July, TDSAT is expected to formally record the settlement and pass the necessary orders, potentially drawing the nearly two-year-old litigation to a close.
