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NEW DELHI: CAS or conditional access system is near and still so
far.
While multi system operators (MSOs) and a section of independent
cable operators today demanded that broadcasters come out with subscription
rates for individual channels, instead of for a bouquet of channels,
for smooth implementation of CAS in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, pay
broadcasters said they would consider the option.
At a time when a demand was also made that the government try put
a maximum retail price (MRP) on pay channels, the information and
broadcasting ministry said that it would wait for detailed feedback
before making such a move.
A day-long interaction to sort out various issues involved with
implementation of CAS (as mandated by a Delhi court) saw stakeholders,
including MSOs, cable operators, broadcasters, sector regulator
Trai and consumer organisations present their stand to the government.
According to a representative of a stakeholder present during the
meeting, which lasted over eight hours, the discussions were "positive",
but marred by "contradictory opinions from the cable industry".
Even as a demand from a section of the cable industry that pay
broadcasters come out with a la carte prices for smooth rollout
of CAS was made, certain last mile cable operators from Mumbai sounded
skeptical on addressability.
Some of the broadcasters raised objections to the demand on a la
carte pricing saying TV channels, if priced on individually, would
be expensive compared to the bouquet cost.
And, while most participants in the meeting, called by the government,
felt that CAS is inevitability and should be rolled out, some consumer
organizations felt that addressability could be introduced as long
as it didn’t put additional burden on the consumers.
Rather, the consumer organisations went to the extent of saying that
introduction of CAS should not result in increase of price of cable
services from the present, which range anywhere between Rs 100 to
Rs 500, depending on the type of deals that have been struck with
the local cable operators.
According to some people who attended the meeting, at one point
of time the government representative --- I&B secretary SK Arora
--- chastised the cable industry for indulging in double-speak on
introduction of CAS vis-à-vis carriage fee.
However, the government has convened a meeting on Friday again
to take stock of the feedback from the industry stakeholders when
the sequence of the rollout of CAS is likely to be given a final
shape. Provided the government doesn’t go in for an appeal
against the Delhi High Court order that is.
Those who attended the meeting included Trai’s broadcast in-charge
Rakesh Kacker, Zee's Jawahar Goel, Roop Sharma from Cable Operators
Federation of India, independent cable ops from Delhi and Mumbai
like Vikki Chowdhry and MSO Alliance’s Ashok Mansukhani, apart
from representatives from the IBF, Star, Sony and consumer organisations.
"We also informed the government that CAS was being implemented
in the notified areas and we were giving attractive schemes to the
consumers for possession of set-top boxes (STBs)," Press Trust
of India quoted Roop Sharma as saying. Chowdhry went to the extent
of saying that the pay broadcasters were “clearly on the back
foot” in the meeting.
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COMMENT
- Govt role: CAS' fate linked to political compulsions
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