Supreme Court grants stay on TRAI's tariff order

MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has granted a stay on the tariff order of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( Trai) on Monday, while hearing on a special leave petition filed by Star India and its subsidiary Vijay Television.

The petitioners had filed the petition on the grounds that the tariff regulations issued by Trai stand in direct conflict with the Copyright Act, 1957.

TRAI had notified the new tariff order in April, which came into effect from May 3. In the tariff order, Trai had proposed a new framework for pricing and packaging of TV channels offered to subscribers, listing channel genres and a cap on the channel prices.

The move was first challenged by Star India and Vijay TV in the Madras High Court.

Meanwhile, after getting no respite from the Madras HC, the broadcaster decided to move to the Supreme Court.

The apex court has also asked the Madras High Court to continue the hearing from June 12 on a day-to-day basis and complete the hearing within 4 weeks.