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Broadcast tribunal TDSAT has disposed of cross petitions filed by Dish TV and IndiaCast after the direct-to-home operator agreed to put channels on pick-and-choose basis and the distribution firm assured to end the ad campaign.
The tribunal in its order said: "Mr Singh (Dish TV counsel) stated that with effect from January 1, 2014, shall take all the 22 channels of the petitioner (IndiaCast) out of its packages and put them on a-la-carte (pick-and choose) basis on its platform."
"Srinivasan (IndiaCast counsel) on instructions from the petitioner, gives an undertaking to the court that the advertisement published by the petitioner against the respondent shall stop forthwith".
The TDSAT bench headed by Chairman Justice Aftab Alam said in its order: "In respect of the remaining 16 channels likewise, the respondent (Dish TV) shall put them on a-la-carte basis on its platform, w.E.F. April 1, 2014 on expiry of the fixed deal agreement."
However, on Dish TV's "on request channels" scheme, TDSAT observed: "No legal objection can be taken to the arrangement proposed to be made by the respondent".
Dish TV had come out with an "on request channels" scheme. Under the scheme, its viewers had the power to remove the channels which they did not want to see and for which the operator was to pay broadcasters accordingly.
IndiaCast had issued ads in leading dailies asking Dish TV subscribers to switch to rival DTH operators as after January 1, 2014 its channels would not be beamed through this platform.
The distributor had contended that it was not in accordance with the reference interconnect offer of Dish TV.
IndiaCast UTV Media Distribution is a joint venture between IndiaCast (TV18 & Viacom 18's multi-platform, global distribution company) and UGBL (a Disney UTV group company).
