New Delhi: Sports broadcaster ESPN Software India has decided to yield to the Telecom Regulatory of India’s (Trai) demand of making channels available to DTH operators at 50 % of the rates that it charges cable service providers in the non-Cas (conditional access system). Earlier, Trai had dragged ESPN to court for not adhering to its directive. Subsequently, Delhi High Court had stayed criminal proceedings against ESPN for not complying to the Trai’s direction related to channel pricing for the DTH service. ESPN has assured the court that it would comply with the Trai’s directive on pricing within three days. The sports broadcaster further agreed to submit a fresh reference-interconnect-offer (RIO) to Trai.

The long drawn battle between ESPN and Trai started when the regulator found repeated non-compliance by ESPN Star Sports to orders and that the broadcaster deviated from mandated rates that should be charged from carriage platforms like DTH operators. A show cause notice was then served to ESPN . Trai found the broadcaster’s reply unsatisfactory.

ESPN had earlier approached Trai pleading that the regulator to make it mandatory for DTH operators to take all three channels it broadcasts – Star Sports, ESPN and Star Cricket – as part of its basic offering. Rejecting the broadcaster’s contention, Trai had then directed ESPN to modify it within 15 days and offer to DTH service providers the same bouquet which is being offered to non-CAS cable operators.