New Delhi, May 1: News Broadcasters Association (NBA), the body of news broadcasters across India, has express "shock and dismay" over the fresh notification by TRAI on digitizing cable distribution.
In a press release, the NBA said the "notification has legitimised the very practice the NBA had hoped would be ended, i.e. the payment of steep "carriage fees" by broadcasters".
"The primary purpose of digitisation was to increase the number of channels broadcasted. The objective was to give consumers greater choice and to eliminate the phenomenon of "carriage fees", which were being charged due to capacity constraints", the release said.
The press release further said, "NBA is distressed and disappointed that TRAI's new notification has actually legalised the practice of "carriage fees" and given distributors the freedom to unilaterally set the amount of "carriage fees" broadcasters must pay.
"This unfairly penalises broadcasters and threatens the very survival of the broadcasting industry."
The NBA has urged the Centre and TRAI to rectify this at the earliest.
In a press release, the NBA said the "notification has legitimised the very practice the NBA had hoped would be ended, i.e. the payment of steep "carriage fees" by broadcasters".
"The primary purpose of digitisation was to increase the number of channels broadcasted. The objective was to give consumers greater choice and to eliminate the phenomenon of "carriage fees", which were being charged due to capacity constraints", the release said.
The press release further said, "NBA is distressed and disappointed that TRAI's new notification has actually legalised the practice of "carriage fees" and given distributors the freedom to unilaterally set the amount of "carriage fees" broadcasters must pay.
"This unfairly penalises broadcasters and threatens the very survival of the broadcasting industry."
The NBA has urged the Centre and TRAI to rectify this at the earliest.
