The spat between cable TV operators and broadcasters continues despite the appointment of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India as the new regulator for the industry, with the cable service providers accusing Trai of being helpless in reining in broadcasters and calling for a licence regime to control the channels.

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Referring to a meeting the cable service providers had with Trai in the capital on Wednesday, the operators said Trai chairman Pradeep Baijal expressed his concern on the monopoly of cable operators, whereas it is the broadcasters who need to be licensed so that their rates and content could be controlled.

"If the government can decide our costing, why can't it control the costing of broadcasting channels, especially foreign channels," said Roop Sharma of the Cable Operators United Forum, adding that Baijal has said it would be difficult for Trai to fix the rates for broadcasters.

Sharma said channel prices should be uniform all over the country and Trai should fix an upper limit on the rates.

She also claimed Baijal spoke of introducing competition in the cable TV arena by bringing in telecom companies, and noted that the proposal would be of benefit to big telecom players who would enter the field in the garb of convergence.

Cable service providers from all over the country on Thursday staged a protest demonstration in New Delhi to press their demands and later gave a memorandum to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, asking him to intervene in the matter.    

 "The predatory pricing of pay channels needs to be dealt with, more so because they earn from advertisements too," said Rakesh Dutta, a Delhi-based operator.

The operators have asked Trai to keep prices of the channels at the same levels for cable, direct-to-home and other services.

About DTH, Dutta said the operators have complained that entertainment and other taxes are levied on cable TV, which is for the masses, while DTH, which is for the elite, is tax-free.