Centre issues operational guidelines for DTH services

The government on Friday issued operational guidelines for direct to home services in the country that seek to cap the total number of permitted platform service channels at 5 per cent of the operator's total channel carriage capacity. The guidelines also bar the platform service from sharing of content directly or indirectly with any other distribution platform operator.

"The Content of the PS to be exclusive to the platform and is not to be shared directly or indirectly with any other Distribution Platform Operator," the Operational guidelines in respect of 'License Fee', 'Platform Services' and 'Sharing of Infrastructure' for DTH services in India said.

The guidelines mandate all platform service channels to carry a caption as 'platform services' to distinguish them from the linear channels.


In respect of the sharing of infrastructure by the DTH operator, the operational guidelines provide the framework in which the sharing may be regulated, lays down the procedures for accountability and compliance and defines individual responsibilities of the sharing parties, an official statement said.