ESPN summoned for violating Trai orders

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New Delhi, Sep 12: Even as sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports continues to bask in the glory of bagging the 10-year T20 Champions league deal, it has been summoned by the court of chief judicial magistrate, Tees Hazari, New Delhi for non-compliance of the broadcast regulator, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (Trai) orders and alleged deviation from mandated rates that should be charged from carriage platforms, particulary Direct to Home (DTH)

operators.

It has also been served a showcause notice by the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry for the same.

Trai had moved court against ESPN last month as the channel’s response to the regulator’s showcause notice had failed to satisfy it.

Trai had asked ESPN to offer the bouquets/channels to the DTH operators at 50% of the rates at which the channel offers its service to non-CAS cable operators (MSOs and LCOs) on non-addressable platforms so that it can conform to Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) norms. Trai had further directed ESPN to offer to DTH service providers the same bouquet, which are being offered to non-CAS cable operators.