The Bombay High Court has pronounced its judgement in the pleas filed by TV broadcasters against Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) New Tariff Order (NTO) 2.0.
The HC has upheld the NTO 2.0 barring the second proviso of the twin conditions which states that the a-la-carte rates of each pay channel (MRP), forming part of a bouquet, shall in no case exceed three times the average rate of a pay channel of the bouquet of which such pay channel is a part.
The bench of Justices AA Sayed and Anuja Prabhudessai found the second proviso to be arbitrary. The bench has also observed that TRAI will not take any coercive steps for six weeks for implementation of remaining part of NTO-2.0, which has been upheld.
The broadcasters had prayed for striking down the amended tariff order and regulations since they violate Article 14, Article 19(1)(a) and Article 19(1)(g).