NEW DELHI: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (Tdsat) has asked the MSO Alliance to file an application and implead the broadcasters in the case, which at the moment is against regulator Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) alone.

The tribunal was hearing the MSO Alliance case of seeking feed from broadcasters on an a la carte rather than a bouquet basis

At a point in the hearing today, the court suddenly seemed annoyed with the demand from MSO Alliance, asking why it should be given a permission of getting channels a la carte, when Trai has laid down in its order that the channels would be given by broadcasters in bouquets.

Tdsat asked the Alliance counsel what is MSO Alliance and who are the constituents, and were told that it is a registered body of "most of the major MSOs."

The court wanted to know what would happen if the MSOs under the aegis of the Alliance are given the choice of a la carte and other MSOs want their similar discriminatory provisions for receiving channels.

However, the Alliance counsel explained that it was not their case that there should be no bouquets.

Admitting that there could be so many other MSOs with their own schemes of things, however, Alliance stated that while it welcomed the provision for bouquets as such, their prayer is that along with that, MSOs be allowed also to receive channels on an a la carte basis.

The court asked at this point whether the broadcasters are a party to the case, and were told they are not.

The court thus asked the MSO Alliance to file an application impleading the broadcasters, so that their position too could be ascertained. The case has been adjourned for hearing on 25 May.