Media firms, telecom cos spar over mobile TV

Sharp differences have emerged between the media and the telecom companies over the ownership, usage and foreign investment limit (FDI) for the proposed mobile TV operations that is yet to witness a commercial launch in the country.

Subhash Chandra promoted Zee TV and its direct-to-home (DTH) service Dish TV have pitched for treating mobile TV as a broadcasting service and have sought preferential treatment over the telecom companies.

Responding to the consultation paper on mobile TV brought out by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), Zee TV says that only companies with proven record in the business of broadcasting should be allowed to offer mobile TV. This means that government should not allow telecom players to offer mobile TV services.

However, telecom majors including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) have said that they are automatically eligible for mobile TV operations as they hold the licence for telecom operations. But broadcasters have claimed the eligibility of ownership on mobile TV.

A senior Zee executive said: "Video broadcasting is a one way transmission of video from an operator to many concurrent users while telecommunication is a two way communication between only the users and not the operator. Therefore, mobile TV is clearly a broadcast service and not a telecommunication service."

Both media and telecom companies are also sharply divided on the issue of foreign investments for mobile operators.