SC notice to TRAI, Hathway datacom

New Delhi, May 15 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issed notices to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Hathway Cable and Datacom Pvt Ltd on a petition filed by ESPN Star Sports Limited and ESPN Software India challenging the TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal) order dated February 27 dismissing their appeal and imposing a cost of Rs 50, 000 on the petitioner.

Counsel for the petitioner submitted before a bench comprising Justices S P Sinha and Markandey Katju that TRAI order dated August 24, 2006 prescribing a standard format of interconnection agreement to be executed by the broadcaster, multisystem operator (MSO) and/or the local cable operator (LCO) is detrimental to the commercial aspect of the satellite cable TV business as well as to the broadcaster.

The order limited the broadcaster fee to 45 per cent, MSOs to 30 per cent and LCOs to 25 per cent.

The petitioners have also challenged the fixation of maximum fee at Rs 5 per pay channel.

The court, however, refused to stay the payment of the cost of Rs 50,000 imposed by TDSAT.

UNI