TRAI versus Indian broadcasting

The TRAI's recent effort to micromanage India's television industry will end up hurting everyone - consumers, broadcasters and distributors

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI has managed to do the impossible. It has united Indian broadcasters. The head of every major broadcast firm in the country — NP Singh (Sony), Punit Goenka (Zee), Uday Shankar (Disney-Star), Aroon Purie (TV Today) among others — were on one podium in Mumbai last week. All of them compete bitterly for a share in India’s Rs 74,000 crore TV market. They have never spoken up for each other. But at a press conference called by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation or IBF they spoke in one voice. This is very unusual, but