The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI has managed to do the impossible. It has united Indian broadcasters. The head of every major broadcast firm in the country — NP Singh (Sony), Punit Goenka (Zee), Uday Shankar (Disney-Star), Aroon Purie (TV Today) among others — were on one podium in Mumbai last week.

All of them compete bitterly for a share in India’s Rs 74,000 crore TV market. They have never spoken up for each other. But at a press conference called by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation or IBF they spoke in one voice. This is very unusual, but these are ...