TDSAT issues notice to Prasar Bharati over WAVES OTT onboarding row

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has issued a notice to Prasar Bharati following a petition filed by the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), escalating a regulatory tussle over the public broadcaster’s move to onboard linear television channels on its WAVES OTT platform.

The tribunal’s intervention comes after AIDCF challenged Prasar Bharati’s notice inviting applications (NIA) for onboarding linear satellite TV channels on WAVES, arguing that the move contravenes the existing broadcasting and distribution framework. 

Advocate Vibhav Srivastava represented AIDCF. The matter will be heard next on April 29. 

TDSAT has directed Prasar Bharati to file the reply before the next hearing.

The dispute comes at a time when the convergence of broadcast and digital platforms is accelerating, raising questions around regulatory parity and compliance. Industry stakeholders are closely watching the proceedings, with the TDSAT hearing next week expected to set the tone for future regulatory treatment of hybrid distribution models.

The dispute is the interpretation of the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines, 2022—specifically Clause 11(3)(f), which requires broadcasters to provide signal reception decoders only to authorised distribution platform operators such as multi-system operators (MSOs), DTH providers, HITS operators and IPTV platforms. AIDCF has contended that OTT platforms do not fall within these recognised categories, and therefore cannot legally receive such decoders.

In its petition, the federation argued that Prasar Bharati’s initiative effectively encourages broadcasters to bypass the regulatory framework. 

The body further flagged concerns over regulatory asymmetry, noting that while traditional distribution platforms operate under strict licensing and compliance requirements, OTT platforms remain largely outside the same regulatory ambit. This, it said, creates an uneven playing field and allows digital platforms to expand into areas historically governed by tighter oversight.

AIDCF has also cautioned broadcasters against potential non-compliance, stating that participation in the WAVES platform could put them at risk of breaching the conditions of their downlinking permissions. Providing signal decoders to an OTT platform such as WAVES, it argued, may be interpreted as a violation of licensing norms.

Prasar Bharati had earlier issued the NIA to onboard linear TV channels on WAVES and subsequently extended the application deadline, positioning the platform as a digital initiative aimed at enhancing reach and accessibility of television content.

However, the federation has maintained that the move blurs the distinction between regulated broadcast distribution and unregulated digital streaming. It has sought directions from TDSAT to quash the NIA and restrain Prasar Bharati from proceeding with the onboarding process.

The dispute underscores the growing friction between legacy broadcasting frameworks and rapidly evolving digital distribution models. With convergence between television and streaming platforms accelerating, the upcoming hearing at TDSAT is expected to have wider implications for regulatory parity and the future of hybrid content delivery ecosystems in India.