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Tdsat rules in favour of Dish TV; MTV has one month to get onto DTH platform
MUMBAI: In the next 30 days, music channel MTV and kids channel Nick may well be available on direct-to-home service provider Dish TV, 20 per cent owned by Zee Telefilms.
This follows a favourable judgment that the country’s as yet only private DTH operator won today from the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (Tdsat). As per Tdsat’s directive, in the next 30 days the two channels from the MTV stable will have to be visible to Dish TV subscribers.
The judgment can well be viewed as a model on the must-provide clause of the interconnect regulation, outlined for the broadcast sector by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).
As per the judgment, Tdsat has made it clear that if MTV Networks still refuses to abide by the ruling, the latter can move Tdsat again.
Commenting on the ruling, MTV Networks India Ltd Sr VP network development and licensing and merchandising Sanjeev Hiremath says: “MTV and Nick are distributed in India through the One Alliance. One alliance is already in talks with ASC Enterprise and as you would have read in the press recently, they are near closure.”
Last year, Dish TV had moved the disputes tribunal seeking legal redressal against, what it says, is MTV’s unwillingness to come on to its DTH platform.
It is interesting to note that the two petitioners, ASC Enterprises Ltd. & Anr and New Era Entertainment Network Ltd. specified, “The channels MTV and Nick are stated to be available on DTH platforms in other countries and as such it is highly inappropriate and discriminatory on the part of the respondent (MTV Networks), not to make available their channels on the petitioner’s Dish TV-DTH platform operating in India.”
What seems to have worked in Dish TV’s favour in this case is that MTV’s English music channel Vh1 is available on Dish by virtue of its being part of the Zee-Turner distribution bouquet. MTV Networks is unique in India in that two of its channels (MTV and Nick) are a part of the One Alliance bouquet while the third (Vh1) is on Zee-Turner.
As per clause 3.1 of the Telecommunication Broadcasting and Cable Services Interconnection Regulation 2004, which cover revenue among service providers for interconnection and revenue share for all Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services throughout the territory of India, “No broadcaster of TV channels shall engage in any practice or activity or enter into any understanding or arrangement, including exclusive contracts with any distributor of TV channels that prevents any other distributor of TV channels from obtaining such TV channels for distribution.”
Clause 3.2 states, “Every broadcaster shall provide on request signals of its TV channels on non-discriminatory terms to all distributors of TV channels, which may include, but be not limited to a cable operator, direct to home operator, multi system operator, head ends in the sky operator; Multi system operators shall also on request re-transmit signals received from a broadcaster, on a non-discriminatory basis to cable operators.”
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
