Supreme Court rejects Star India's plea against recent Trai tariff order

Experts say the move has far-reaching implications for the broadcast industry, with channel prices to be regulated by an independent body

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the plea filed by Star India against the recent tariff order by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) regarding pricing and packaging of television channels, paving the way for its regulation by the body.

The move has far-reaching implications for the broadcast industry, since the debate about whether the Trai Act of 1997 superseded the Copyright Act of 1957 is now settled, said legal experts tracking the case. Broadcasters in India have used the Copyright Act, 1957, to argue their point that content televised on their channels should be monitored and priced by them.