• The regulator suggested that suitable amendments should be made in the broadcasting sector guidelines for uplinking and downlinking of television channels to ensure that broadcasters do not provide signals to MSOs whose registration has expired.
New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Thursday recommended that renewal of multi-system operators (MSO) registrations should be done for a period of ten years, and the processing fee should be kept at ₹1 lakh. renewal time.
The regulator also recommended that suitable amendments should be made in the broadcasting sector guidelines for uplinking and downlinking of television channels to ensure that broadcasters do not provide signals to MSOs whose registration has expired.
MSOs are large cable operators that provide cable or direct-broadcast satellite television channels to consumer homes through local cable operators (LCOs).
It added that the window to apply for renewal of registration should open seven months before the date of expiry and not two months before the date of expiry.
The Cable Television Networks Rules of 1994, however, do not mention the provisions for renewal of MSO registration and in view of this, the Authority had received a reference from the Ministry, seeking clarity on the renewal process.
Under the new recommendations, the authority also said that the digitization of the Indian broadcasting sector began in 2012 and was completed in about five years, with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) issuing new registrations to MSOs during the DAS implementation in June 2012. And these were due for renewal in June 2022 this year.
It added that it is recommended that a list of all MSOs whose applications are pending for renewal with the MIB should be available on the portal and if the application of any MSO is under consideration or pending for decision, such MSO will be treated as provisional. Extension till final decision.
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