Cap on ads on news channels: HC restrains TRAI from coercive step

The apex court had also made it clear that the aggrieved parties could challenge the validity of TRAI's regulations in the high court.

In August, TRAI had approached a city court against the news channels for ignoring the advertising limits notified by the authority in May 2012.

The broadcasters had filed the appeal in TDSAT challenging TRAI's jurisdiction on limiting the advertisements.

Claiming that Telecom Regulatory Authority Act empowers the regulatory authority to make regulations and rules to carry out its purpose in the telecom and broadcast sector, TRAI had come out with Quality of Service (QoS) regulation which mandates the channels to show not more than 12 minutes of advertisements and promotional content per hour.