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The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued a warning to 592 MSOs, declared non-compliant on various counts by the government, to adhere to the rules under which they were granted registration as they are still ‘active’.
The deadline is India’s Independence Day or August 15 for the non-compliant MSOs to get compliant by furnishing the various missing details required from time to time by the government, including an independent audit report of the networks.
“It has been observed that despite being in operations and having executed interconnection agreements with broadcasters, MSOs listed in Schedule to this advisory, continue to remain in violation of the terms and conditions of their registration,” an advisory from MIB said, adding, a majority of MSOs continue to remain non-compliant and in “violation of the terms and conditions of their registrations and Interconnection Regulations, 2017 issued by TRAI”.
The official communique, dated August 1, goes on to add: “…the ‘Non-Compliant’ MSOs are hereby advised to furnish the requisite documents and get their status changed to ‘Compliant’ latest by 15th August, 2023; failing which necessary action, as deemed appropriate, shall be initiated against them, including cancellation of registration as MSO.”
The MIB came out with the list of non-compliant MSOs earlier in March, detailing the reason for their non-compliant status.
Under interconnection regulations of 2017 issued by TRAI, every distributor of television channels, once in a calendar year, shall get its SMS (subscriber management system), CAS and other related systems audited.
The verified monthly independent reports are to be made available by the distributors to the broadcasters. The regulations also enable the broadcasters to get the data verified independently if they were not satisfied with the audit report.
- In addition, under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 all MSOs are mandated to furnish other information like number of subscribers, etc. to the government. When an MSO fails to provide these details sought by MIB, the status is marked as non-compliant.
