With less than a month left for implementation of the conditional access system, the government is meeting broadcasters as well as multi-system operators on Wednesday for a final word on rates of pay channels so that consumers know how much they have to pay for viewing TV channels.
"The government would want the lowest possible prices from broadcasters for pay channels. We don't also want to kill a goose that lays the golden egg, and the broadcasters and cable operators losing in the bargain. But we do want it to be very consumer-friendly," secretary, information and broadcasting, Pawan Chopra, said.
The government sources said the idea of such a meeting with Chopra and other officials of the ministry is to put a concrete arrangement on ground since there are several issues common to broadcasters and MSOs.
The consumer is still in the dark about what a package of free-to-air and pay channels may cost though the government has assured it would be around Rs 200.
The government has asked them to come out with details of which channels will be free-to-air and pay, rates of each pay channel and details about arrival of set-top boxes which would be required to access pay channels.
At its meeting with broadcasters on June 10, the government agreed to be a 'little flexible' on the June 15 deadline for declaration of rates of their pay channels.
The broadcasters had said they would decide their rates by June 16 or 17 after working together with the MSOs to discuss the rates and margins.
