TRAI Extends Deadline till 31st March for Customers To Select TV Channels
Moneylife Digital Team 12 February 2019
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has extended till 31 March 2019 its deadline for customer to select TV channels. Earlier, the deadline was 1 February 2019.
 
In a statement, the regulator said existing or old plan of the subscribers will continue till the customer makes a choice of channels before 31st March. "Those subscribers who do not exercise the choice or select TV channels will be migrated to 'Best Fit Plan'," it added.
 
According to TRAI, the 'best fit plan' will be designed based on consumers' usage pattern and language spoken. "It should preferably be a blended combination of  various genres, while making 'best fit plan' for a subscriber, the distribution platform operators (DPOs) should ensure that payout per month of the 'best fit plan' generally does not exceed the payout per month of existing tariff plan of the subscriber," the regulator clarified.
 
The new tariff regime from TRAI allows viewers to select the television channels that they want to watch and pay the maximum retail price (MRP) set by respective broadcasters for each channel or for a bouquet of channels.
 
Viewers now have an option either to watch 100 free-to-air (FTA) channels, or add individual paid channels or bouquet/s offered by broadcasters in the same 100 channels pack. In this a customer can chose to go for 25 mandatory FTA channels from Doordarshan and add own FTA or paid channels.
 
There is one more option. Distributors are allowed by TRAI to offer bouquets as per local demand.
 
According to TRAI, there are about 100 million cable service TV homes and 67 million direct-to-homes (DTH) homes in India. It says, “As on date, about 65% of the subscribers of the cable services and 35% of the DTH subscribers have exercised the option (to select TV channels)….some subscribers were facing difficulties in selected channels or bouquets of their choice. In some cases, local cable operators (LCOs) have not been able to reach out to subscribers to create awareness among them and collect the option.”
Comments
Amitabha Bhattacharjee
7 years ago
We are subscriber of SITI channel in Bansdroni, Kolkata . We have been offered 2 pacjages of Rs 370/ and Rs 475/ = no option for selection of channels. What TRAI can do ?
Sandeep Malik
7 years ago
This is big scam by bjp government in the name of channels of your choice tariff is now more then doubled this is all bullshit
Kamlesh Nair
7 years ago
Such a mess this new regulation is as cable has offered only the best fit package which is absolute crap. I think government is absolute nuts & only good at filling their cronies bank accounts. I wish them goodbye in the next election.
Vijaykumar Kilar
7 years ago
Thanks. Good to know this. Details are not forthcoming from the DTH.
Earlier we were getting courteous service from DTH operators as they wanted our business.
Tata Sky call centre personnel now have been threatening to move our plan to best fit immediately if we don't opt for one without informing about the shifting of the end date to 31st March. They were extremely curt when asked for an email explaining the various options or a brief about the choices available. They had our money valid up to Sept 2019 and hence could take a stand of take it or leave it. Their argument is that everything is in the newspaper, go to our website or it is in channel xxx etc without clearly telling as to what is it that I will get for the money already with them. Most consumers who have paid for the full pack are in the dark. I really don't know whether the consumer has been benefited or the service levels will go down drastically as no one cares to retain a customer with the new norms.
Prem Bajaj
Replied to Vijaykumar Kilar comment 7 years ago
Not very sure what was going though the minds at TRAI, but the overall cost has increased significantly. and worst, there is blatant misleading adverts by every channel. There is no STAR service for only 49/- (package to include Natgeo, Discovery, Sports....) as advertised by Amir Khan. Absolute false advertising.
Kamlesh Nair
Replied to Prem Bajaj comment 7 years ago
You are absolutely right. This is shambolic!
Sameer Mulla
Replied to Kamlesh Nair comment 7 years ago
Absolutely right, this new rules made our tv sets blank.I think Trai is follwing the steps of Modi Government. Modi government 2 years back did the work of currency denomenation as they thought it will work for them but all were gone frustrated and after some times everyone forgetten,but our economy is still effected.The same thingh Trai has done .In villages they use to pay 150 to 200 per month now they have pay double. Trai have answer for this if we ask them for any resolution through mail or call center of Trai they say u have to wait for 7 days. Ab aisa hogaya hai bahar khana khaneke baare sochte the ab apne ghar main tv channels dekne ke liye sochna padhta hai
Trai aur government ka kuch nahi jaaata hai. They think thode din chalega fhir sab shannt hojayenge

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