Sorry, no 'honeymoon' for cable TV viewers

The pre-CAS 'honeymoon' period offer of all television channels for Rs 72-plus-taxes in the four metros is off.

The proposal was scrapped at the first meeting of the implementation committee on conditional access system held in Mumbai on Tuesday with the broadcasters not agreeing to it, sources said.

The meeting, convened by additional secretary in the ministry of information and broadcasting Vijay Singh, was attended by broadcasters, multi-system operators and cable operators to discuss issues related to CAS, which is to roll out zone-wise from September 1 in the four metros.

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Though the government was hoping that the broadcasters would come out with new rates for pay channels, they have stuck to the prices declared by them at the last meeting with information and broadcasting ministry officials in June.

The proposal of Rs 72 for all channels was to be effective from August 1 as per an agreement reached among stakeholders.

While the government said it was to be for all cable viewers till they went into the CAS regime, the broadcasters said it was meant to be a month's 'honeymoon' period for each zone before they moved on to CAS.

However, the stakeholders were bound only by a 'gentleman's agreement' and there was no legal binding on them to follow it.