Leading broadcasters raise TV channel rates after three years

Consumers’ monthly TV subscription bills are likely to rise as major TV broadcasters have increased the channels’ a la carte and bouquet rates. The new price will take effect on February 1 of next year. Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE), Culver Max Entertainment (Sony) and Sun TV Network have submitted their Reference Interconnect Offers (RIOs). These are documents published by a service provider, which specify the terms and conditions under which another service provider may seek interconnection with its network.

Disney Star India and Viacom18 are expected to launch their RIOs soon. TV distribution service providers fear that the broadcasters’ price hikes will affect the pay-TV industry, which is facing stiff competition from DD Free Dish – Prasar’s free direct-to-home (DTH) platform. Bharati- and over-the-top (OTT) platforms.

“We had requested Trai (Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India, which also regulates this sector) that (rates) should not go back to the Rs 19 MRP limit, but the regulator did not listen to us. Trai kept telling the DPOs ( distribution platform operators) that the broadcasters will not increase prices,” said a senior executive of a cable television company. “Now, Sony and Zee have increased the MRP of many channels. The price of certain lines has increased by 10-15%. In some cases, the increase is even higher.” The executive said that Sony had discontinued its base bouquet priced at Rs 31 and replaced it with a new bouquet priced at Rs 43….