Why TRAI doesn't like bundling

A new consultation paper raises hackles in the television industry

Just as the Rs 74,000 crore Indian broadcasting industry was heaving a sigh of relief, comes a new whammy from the regulator.

On August 16 a ‘Consultation Paper on Tariff Related Issues for Broadcasting and Cable Services’ was released by the TRAI. “Barely a few months after the commencement of the NTO (or the New Tariff Order, implemented in February), before the industry and more importantly the consumer has fully adapted to the new regulatory regime, TRAI proposes a fresh consultation paper seeking to make fundamental changes in channel pricing and bouquet formation. This goes against all norms of a stable