Play your cards well, choose the right channels

Have you chosen the television channels that you wish to view? If you still haven’t , I would suggest that you quickly exercise that right given under a new regulatory framework notified by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI).

Remember, for the first time in the broadcasting history of India, you have the clout, the power, to make or unmake channels, because, on your viewing pleasure, rests the future of broadcasters. And it has taken a long time for Indian consumers to get there.

Broadcasters are a powerful lobby. So also the distributors, comprising Direct-toHome(DTH) and Cable Service operators.

And till now, consumers were nowhere in the picture. But today, with the broadcast regulator giving subscribers the right to choose or reject channels, that scenario has changed and consumers can well become a force to reckon with .

By playing their cards well, consumers can usher in changes not only in the pricing of the channels, but also in the content and the quality of production. After all, the advertising revenue of television channels are dependent on their viewership and the broadcasters are only too well aware of it.

Today, some of the popular pay channels may be priced high, but consumer rejection of such channels and stiff competition among rival channels can well push the price down.

According to the regulator, already in the last one month, eight pay channels have become free-to-air, 27 broadcasters have reduced a-la-carte prices of nearly 168 channels and 15 broadcasters have reduced the prices of 67 bouquets.

And one can well expect further changes , as more consumers make their choices wisely. So far (as on Feburary 12) about 65 per cent of 100 million cable service TV homes and 35 per cent of the 67 million DTH homes have exercised their right to choose.

The remaining have time till March 31 to make their own bouquet of channels, failing which the distributors have been asked to put together what they think is the ‘Best fit Plan’, on the basis of subscriber usage, at the existing monthly tariff.

From consumer responses so far, what I observe is that those consumers (particularly on the DTH platform) who were paying high monthly charges, have reduced their bills by half by eliminating unwanted channels and bouquets.

Those who were paying Rs 250-Rs 300 a month through cable operators are finding their monthly outgo remaining either unchanged, or going up considerably, depending on their choices.

There is also that class of subscribers who are happy to pay only the mandatory ‘Network Capacity Fee’ or a fee for the service rendered by the distributor (Rs 130 plus taxes) and get 100 free to air Standard Definition channels.

So that’s the bottom line. Earlier, every subscriber of a particular cable operator, for example, paid the same amount, whether he/she saw only half a dozen channels or 50. Now they can tailor their requirements and pay accordingly.

And you can reduce your bill by reviewing your usage closely and choosing with care.

Today, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, podcasts have all brought down our television viewing time. In addition, Netflix and Amazon Prime are taking us away from the regular TV channels. And there are adequate number of free news channels to keep us engaged fully.

These are all factors to be considered while making an informed choice.

So if you are one of those who is daunted by the task of choosing from the long list of hundreds of channels or prefer the status quo, remember that this is your opportunity to rid your television of the clutter of unwanted channels and opt for only those you prefer to view and pay. So do not give up your right, exercise it.

THOSE WHO WERE PAYING ₹250-RS 300 A MONTH THROUGH CABLE OPERATORS ARE FINDING THEIR MONTHLY OUTGO REMAINING EITHER UNCHANGED, OR GOING UP CONSIDERABLY, DEPENDING ON THEIR CHOICES