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SINGAPORE: Consumers will have to wait longer before they have total access to content provided by Pay TV operators in Singapore.
The implementation of content sharing among operators has been pushed back to early next year following feedback from industry players.
The Media Development Authority (MDA) has also announced its preliminary position on the cross carriage ruling which took effect on March 12.
The law enabling consumers to have a wider choice of channels kicked in more than five months ago.
So consumers no longer need multiple set top boxes to watch what they want
This is because Pay TV providers which acquire broadcast rights to any programme must cross-carry each other's content.
The rule applied to any contract signed or renewed from March 12.
And actual sharing of content was to have taken place from this month.
This means the operators will have to lease one another's network.
But there've not been any new PAY TV contracts signed since the new rule kicked in.
And after a two-month long consultation process with industry players, the Media Development Authority has clarified some of its positions.
Michael Yap, deputy chief executive officer, Media Development Authority said: "We want the retailer, in other words the Pay TV operator, to treat customers the same way, no matter where they come from, from their own network or from somebody else's network".
"Other adjustment we have made for example, the retailer reflected it will be very difficult for them to have one bill because confidential information will be flowing over.
"So we went with the fact that we will not have mandatory single billing, but we encourage the retailer to find some way to smoothen the process for the consumer," Mr Yap said.
Definitions were also tightened.
MDA clarified that exclusive or qualified content refers to all channels and programming content, including video on demand.
MDA also addressed retailer concerns over "free-riders".
These are new entrants who may ride on an existing retailer's customer base.
So any operator receiving content will need to have at least 10,000 subscribers from the onset and must put in place industry-recognised anti-piracy measures.
For an operator that supplies the content however, it won't be the end to what's held as exclusive content.
"The retailer has the right to preserve the branding, the marketing and how he wants to package it and does whatever he needs to do to protect and serve the content however he wants it," Mr Yap said.
There will be another round of consultation lasting for four weeks and the MDA will give its final decision by year-end.
And because the various industry players have asked for more time to get ready, the implementation date for the cross carriage measure has been pushed back till the first half of next year.
- CNA/al/wk
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