265 MSOs face registration cancellation for non-compliance

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued a final ultimatum to 265 Multi-System Operators (MSOs) to comply with regulations or face registration cancellation.

The ministry has given these operators time until January 31, 2024 to submit the necessary details and rectify their status to "Compliant"; otherwise, their MSO registration may face cancellation.

The advisory serves as a final opportunity for the concerned MSOs to rectify their compliance status, offering a fair chance for alteration as well as a hearing opportunity under Section 4(7) of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.

Highlighting the importance of compliance, the ministry emphasizes that a condition of MSO registration mandates adherence to the provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, and the relevant rules. Failure to comply may result in the cancellation or suspension of permission/ registration.

Under Regulation 15(1) of the Interconnection Regulations, 2017, every distributor of channels is obligated to conduct an annual system audit. However, as per information shared by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), scheduled MSOs have failed to conduct audits for the calendar years 2021 and/or 2022. The non-compliance has led to the categorization of these MSOs as "Non-Compliant" by the Ministry.

Moreover, a previous advisory dated March 23, 2023, directed all broadcasters to refrain from entering into interconnection agreements with non-compliant MSOs and notify those with existing agreements.

Despite being classified as "Non-Compliant," the scheduled MSOs have not taken steps to change their status to "Compliant." An advisory issued on August 1, 2023, requested these MSOs to furnish necessary documents and update their status by August 15, 2023. However, no response was received within the stipulated period.

Subsequently, a Show Cause Notice was issued, granting a 15-day period for scheduled MSOs to provide reasons for their non-compliance. But, no response or requisite details were provided within the given timeframe.

"It has been observed that despite the lapse of the given period, the scheduled MSOs have failed to provide the requisite information or make any reference to this Ministry regarding their compliance status," stated the MIB.

In light of these developments, the MIB advises broadcasters against entering into new interconnection agreements or renewing existing agreements with MSOs until their compliance status is rectified to "Compliant."