MUMBAI: While Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Thursday filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) order on landing pages, the apex court has denied any stay on the order on Friday. The matter has been listed for next hearing on 12 September.

Justice Arun Mishra and Justice MR Shah issued notices to all the parties while hearing the case between TRAI, and Bennett Coleman and Co and others.

The sector regulator’s action comes in the wake of TDSAT, by virtue of its 29 May order, setting aside TRAI’s 3 December directive to broadcasters and distribution platform operators (DPOs) to refrain from placing registered television channel, TV rating is released by BARC India, on the landing page or boot up screen.

According to TRAI, its order was aimed at protecting the interest of service providers and consumers while ensuring orderly growth of the sector. This, however, was successfully challenged by Bennett Coleman & Co and others in TDSAT.

“In our considered view, the impugned directions are beyond the provisions of the act, which empowers TRAI to issue directions. Therefore, the impugned directions must be set aside on this point alone. We order accordingly,” TDSAT chairperson Justice S K Singh and member AK Bhargava said.

A series of controversies have been triggered post the landmark TDSAT order that resulted in disruption in viewership measurement of channels with a relatively smaller audience like English news.