<p>The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) directed the Prasar Bharati to continue the beaming of channels of Zee Turner and other.<br /><br />Allowing the plea of channels which had approached the tribunal following disconnection of their channels from DD Direct +, the tribunal said the public broadcaster should frame a policy regarding terms and conditions for broadcast of the channels through its DTH platform.<br /><br />The tribunal further said that while disconnecting these channels, Prasar Bharati has neither given 21 days prior notice nor opportunities to the channels to enter into agreement for further broadcasting.<br /><br />"Till such time an appropriate order is passed, the petitioners shall be allowed to continue to broadcast the channel on payment of usual charges, as is payable by others," said a TDSAT bench headed by Chairman Justice S B Sinha.<br /><br />Tribunal's direction came over three petitions filed by the broadcasters challenging disconnection of their channels by Prasar Bharati without complying with the provisions.<br />Taking a serious note, the tribunal wanted to know why Prasar Bharati removed only some of the channels of one broadcasting group.<br /><br />"Why only some of the channels were removed from DD Platform has not been explained.<br />"It has also not been shown as to why despite the fact that a large number of channels, i.e. 36 channels were being aired on DTH Platform and a large number of them would have completed their term by January 2011, only 8 of them were picked up, 3 of them belonging to one group," the tribunal said.<br /><br />The tribunal said that the core committee of the public broadcaster, which was to look into the continuation of the channels, didn't consider the applications of the broadcasters.<br /><br />"It also does not appear from the records that its request for renewal of the agreement has been placed before the Core Committee," the tribunal said.<br /><br />The state owned firm had submitted that the TRP rating of the broadcasters's channels were very low and therefore they are not entitled to renewal of their agreement.<br /><br />It also submitted that they had no legal right to obtain renewal of their agreement. However, the broadcaster on the other hand had said that Prasar Bharati being a state owned firm should formulate certain principles and policy on the basis of which channels distribution agreement should be renewed or discontinued.<br /><br /></p>
<p>The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) directed the Prasar Bharati to continue the beaming of channels of Zee Turner and other.<br /><br />Allowing the plea of channels which had approached the tribunal following disconnection of their channels from DD Direct +, the tribunal said the public broadcaster should frame a policy regarding terms and conditions for broadcast of the channels through its DTH platform.<br /><br />The tribunal further said that while disconnecting these channels, Prasar Bharati has neither given 21 days prior notice nor opportunities to the channels to enter into agreement for further broadcasting.<br /><br />"Till such time an appropriate order is passed, the petitioners shall be allowed to continue to broadcast the channel on payment of usual charges, as is payable by others," said a TDSAT bench headed by Chairman Justice S B Sinha.<br /><br />Tribunal's direction came over three petitions filed by the broadcasters challenging disconnection of their channels by Prasar Bharati without complying with the provisions.<br />Taking a serious note, the tribunal wanted to know why Prasar Bharati removed only some of the channels of one broadcasting group.<br /><br />"Why only some of the channels were removed from DD Platform has not been explained.<br />"It has also not been shown as to why despite the fact that a large number of channels, i.e. 36 channels were being aired on DTH Platform and a large number of them would have completed their term by January 2011, only 8 of them were picked up, 3 of them belonging to one group," the tribunal said.<br /><br />The tribunal said that the core committee of the public broadcaster, which was to look into the continuation of the channels, didn't consider the applications of the broadcasters.<br /><br />"It also does not appear from the records that its request for renewal of the agreement has been placed before the Core Committee," the tribunal said.<br /><br />The state owned firm had submitted that the TRP rating of the broadcasters's channels were very low and therefore they are not entitled to renewal of their agreement.<br /><br />It also submitted that they had no legal right to obtain renewal of their agreement. However, the broadcaster on the other hand had said that Prasar Bharati being a state owned firm should formulate certain principles and policy on the basis of which channels distribution agreement should be renewed or discontinued.<br /><br /></p>