The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the draft Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) (Seventh Amendment) Regulations, 2025, proposing new audit requirements for television channel distributors.
Under the draft, all distributors will need to conduct annual audits of systems such as Subscriber Management Systems (SMS) and Conditional Access Systems (CAS) for the preceding financial year, with reports due to broadcasters by September 30. The rules, effective April 1, 2026, shift audits from a calendar-year basis to a financial-year cycle.
To ease compliance, distributors with fewer than 30,000 subscribers will have the option to skip mandatory audits, though broadcasters may still commission audits at their own cost if necessary. Distributors must notify broadcasters 30 days in advance of audit schedules, while broadcasters may depute representatives during the process.
TRAI has invited stakeholder comments on the draft by October 6, 2025, which will be published on its website. The draft aligns with earlier consultations aimed at improving compliance, transparency, and reducing disputes between distributors and broadcasters.
