The row between Tata Sky and Chennai-based Sun TV Network Ltd over sharing of the channels turned murkier on Monday with the latter now moving the Madras High Court, challenging the orders passed by Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) over the issue. The company has received an interim stay from the high court.
In a release issued here on Monday, Sun TV Network said that it had filed writ petitions before the Madras High Court, challenging the orders passed by TDSAT in the matter of Tata Sky. The said writ petitions were admitted by the high court and an order of interim stay was granted. The Kalanidhi Maran-promoted Sun TV Network had not responded to directives issued by TDSAT on March 19 and subsequent order a few days later to share its channels to Tata Sky on a la carte basis within three days. The deadline ended last Friday. It may be recalled that despite repeated reminders, Tata Sky failed to evince any response from the Chennai-based satellite television network.
After that, Tata Sky moved the TDSAT seeking its intervention over the dispute. Tata Sky informed the TDSAT that Sun TV avoided its requests over the months to gain time before launching its own DTH operations – Sun Direct, which is scheduled to go on air in July. Sun TV was supposed to launch its DTH operations a few months back but could not do so due to the failure of Insat 4C last year.
Earlier, Justice Arun Kumar, presiding over the TDSAT bench, took serious note of Sun TV’s non-compliance of its March 19 order.
