NEW DELHI: No sooner has cable and broadcast regulator come out with its recommendations on the sector, protests are being made. National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) has said that certain clauses regarding the must provide provision are flawed.
In a letter to the chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, NCTA has said that Promotion of Competition in Distribution of TV channels (clause-6.3) may actually turn tout to be `anti-competitive.
Quoting from the Trai recommendations that broadcasters will not be held to be in violation of the must-provide condition if it is ensured that the signals are provided through a particular designated agent/distributor or any other intermediary and not directly, NCTA has contended that a scenario could not be ruled out that Star or Zee Telefilms, for example, provide exclusive signals to their affiliates (like Hathway and Siti Cable) who could continue the monopolistic trends.
Though this line of argument can be neutralized, a Trai source pointed out that, however, NCTA's viewpoint would be examined.