Madras HC grants relief to Arasu, asks MIB to process MSO’s DAS licence fast

The Madras High Court has asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to take a decision on Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation’s digital addressable system (DAS) licence. 

The HC made this observation while allowing a writ petition filed by Arasu seeking restraint on the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) from taking any coercive action for transmitting analogue signals in Chennai. 

While adjourning the case by four weeks, the HC also provided interim relief to Arasu Cable restraining TRAI from taking any coercive action against the state-owned multi-system operator (MSO). 

The HC has also asked the MIB to expedite Arasu’s DAS licence application. 

This means that the MIB, which has been wishy-washy on Arasu’s DAS licence, will now have to bite the bullet and decide whether or not to grant licence to Arasu for operating in DAS-notified areas. 

In its petition, Arasu had contended that its DAS licence application dated 5 July has been pending with the MIB. 

It also said that a lot of their consumers will be inconvenienced if analogue is switched off since they are dependent on Arasu for their cable TV subscription. 

Arasu said it is providing 90–100 channels to subscribers at Rs 70 per month as a welfare step taken by the state government in public interest. 

Therefore, TRAI cannot stop it from transmitting analogue signals even when its DAS licence application is yet to be processed by the MIB, Arasu contested. 

The sector regulator had earlier directed all MSOs and broadcasters to transmit digital signals only. 

It had also threatened to prosecute erring MSOs and broadcasters. 

TRAI is believed to have informed the HC that it had recommended to the government against allowing state government or government-owned entities from entering the cable TV distribution or broadcast sector. 

The issue of DAS licence has become a political hot balloon with the ruling AIADMK party lashing out at the central government for failing to give DAS licence to Arasu.

Source: TelevisionPost, 20 December

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/3877-madras-hc-grants-relief-to-arasu,-asks-mib-to-process-mso%E2%80%99s-das-licence-fast.htmlSource: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/3877-madras-hc-grants-relief-to-arasu,-asks-mib-to-process-mso%E2%80%99s-das-licence-fast.html