The Union cabinet okay on 7 May to CAS, increasingly becoming synonymous with a Can of Assorted Sorrows rather than Conditional Access System, has compelled both the cable and broadcasting industries to get into huddles, separately though. While the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, the apex body of broadcasters operating in India, is reportedly trying to organise a meeting of its members on Friday, various cable organisations have decided to sink their differences and come together as for the first time the cable industry feels it has got the broadcasters in a corner. With a little bit of help from a section the Indian government (IT, Telecom and Parliamentary Affairs minister Pramod Mahajan is reported to have commented during the cabinet meting that CAS will not benefit the nation despite I&B minister Sushma Swaraj rooting for it).

On the condition of anonymity, a senior executive of IBF admitted to indiantelevision.com today, “The cabinet okay to conditional access systems can open up a can of worms and the way it was pushed through is slightly surprising. Over the weekend, we will try to come out with a statement which will reflect the broadcasters viewpoint on the issue and the cabinet decision.”.

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