Industry Regulator TRAI has unveiled amendments to regulatory framework popularly termed as New Tariff Order (NTO). In its amendment it has restricted independence of Cable Operators altering the LCNs of Channels.
According to the NTO 2.0 introduced by the Authority, it has also considered giving more flexibility to DPOs to place the TV channels on Electronic Programme Guide (EPG). However, TRAI has mandated that channel of a language in a genre will be kept together while placing channels on EPG. Such EPG lay out is to be mandatorily reported to the TRAIand no change in this can be done without prior approval of the Authority.
The practice of prior approval of the Authority before changing the LCN from EPG will restrict the power of MSOs and LCOs from removing the channels from a package offered without prior notice to the channels.
This same will also address the concerns of the broadcasters to a great extent to protect them as it will not allow DPOs to frequently change the LCN of the television channel in case they do not agree to their mandates.
