Multi-system operators, led by SitiCable, on Thursday claimed they will announce pay channel rates within the next few days, without waiting for broadcasters to do so and promised a package of all channels for just Rs 200.
"Why should we wait for the broadcasters? MSOs including SitiCable will announce rates for all pay channels over the next few days....it then remains for the cable operators to decide which channel to carry and which to leave out," Goel told newspersons in New Delhi.
Goel's comments follow close on the heels of a deadlock between broadcasters, MSOs and the government on the CAS issue at a meeting held on Wednesday.
The meeting, convened by information and broadcasting secretary Pawan Chopra, had ended in a deadlock after the MSOs and cable operators rejected as 'too high' a list of rates of pay channels of Star, Sony, Zee and ESPN circulated by Star.
As per the list, a consumer is likely to pay around Rs 550 to watch the free-to-air and pay channels under the CAS regime to be implemented in the four metros from July 15 as against the goverment estimate of only around Rs 200.
The MSOs described the rates of pay channels as 'too high and not in consumer interest' and dubbed it as an attempt to derail the conditional access system.
On the other hand, the broadcasters rejected MSOs' demand for a 70 per cent distribution margin on pay channels saying they would agree to only around 15 per cent.
