The new regulations announced on Monday by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) could intensify the survival struggle of less-performing or new channels which have been piggy-backing the popular channels in the bouquet offered by the broadcaster.

Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Interconnection (Fourth Amendment) Regulation 2007, coming in force from December 1, allows broadcasters to sell the bouquet only in addition to the a la carte choice of the DTH service providers.

The new regulation aims to resolve the ongoing tussle between the broadcaster and DTH operator where the latter had been protesting against taking less popular channels along with the hit ones in a bouquet. “All broadcasters will compulsorily offer all their channels on a la carte basis to DTH operators,” the new regulation said.

“Additionally, they may also offer bouquets, but they will not compel any DTH operator to include the entire bouquet in any package being offered by DTH operators to their subscribers,” it added.

Fortifying further the a la carte mode of picking up channels, TRAI also ruled that the sum-total rate of pay channels picked by the DTH operators will not exceed 1.5 times the rate of the entire bouquet. Also, no a la carte rate of a pay channel in a bouquet will be more than three times the average pay channel rate of that bouquet.

The broadcasters have also been asked to publish within 90 days Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) for the DTH operators, containing technical and commercial terms for interconnection.

The RIO will be made available on the broadcaster’s website and to the DTH operators. The RIO will clearly indicate rates of channels and bouquets, details of discounts, payment terms, security and anti-piracy requirements, subscriber base reports and audit, tenure and termination of agreement. If a DTH operator makes a request to a broadcaster to enter into an interconnection agreement based on the published RIO, then the broadcaster will be obliged to do so within 45 days of the request.