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Prasar Bharati has submitted an affidavit to the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) explaining the mid-auction cancellation of bucket broadcasters in the MPEG-2 e-auction held between February 10 and February 14.
The affidavit was presented during the TDSAT hearing on February 28, and the case is now set for its next hearing on March 21.
According to sources close to the development, the pubcaster, in its submission, emphasised that the disqualified broadcasters failed to meet the content requirements outlined for their respective buckets.
Vision Corporation, which had challenged Prasar Bharati’s decision, will now have to file a rejoinder in response to the affidavit. The company had earlier approached TDSAT, alleging that the cancellations were arbitrary and had negatively impacted broadcasters bidding for DD Free Dish slots.
The affidavit is expected to shed light on Prasar Bharati’s rationale behind the cancellations, while Vision Corporation’s rejoinder will play a crucial role in shaping the tribunal’s next course of action in the March 21 hearing.
While Vision Corporation Ltd., which operates channels like House Full Movies, Multiplex, and Movie Plus, moved TDSAT, the disqualifications affected the entire Bucket R1, which includes Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam channels on DD Free Dish.
The unexpected turn of events in the auction process significantly impacted both participation and revenue generation for the pubcaster.
With many applicants forced out, broadcasters in Round 2 chose not to engage in aggressive bidding, anticipating that the slots would remain uncontested. Most slots were ultimately allocated with minimal price hikes of just Rs 10 to Rs15 lakh per slot. Due to these cancellations, Prasar Bharati lost approximately Rs 150 crore in the second round alone.
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