With just four days remaining for roll-out of CAS in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, the response to the new cable delivery system appears to be lukewarm with a majority of TV viewers adopting a wait-and-watch policy.
Even the major cable multi-system operators and local area operators seem to be late starters, with many of them announcing their packages for the new system as late as this week.
After orders from the Delhi High Court, conditional access system, popularly referred to as CAS, has to be rolled out in notified areas of three metros from January 1.
While the new system -- where a pay channel will carry a MRP of Rs 5 -- would give subscribers the choice to pay for only those channels they opt to watch, but a consumer without a set-top box will be unable to watch any of the pay channels, including popular ones from the portfolio of Star, Zee or Sony.
Siticable, one of the big MSOs, on Wednesday announced its package for the CAS areas under which it has offered 25 pay channels for Rs 600 per year as part of an inaugural scheme.
This keeps the price per pay channel at Rs 2 per month against the maximum limit of Rs 5 fixed by broadcast regulator TRAI. Asked about the number of homes that had switched over to CAS system, Siticable CEO J S Kohli said so far only around 35,000 had subscribed in Delhi and Mumbai each.
"We expect a scramble for the new service from January 1, the day the pay channels go off the TV screens without a STB," he said, adding that the company was gearing up to meet expected rush.
K Jayaraman, CEO and MD of Hathway, another big MSO, told PTI that they have been able to install 40,000 STBs in South Mumbai area and around 36,000 in south Delhi.
"The response is slow. But it is likely to rise dramatically as the last date nears," he said, adding that Hathway was also offering various packages "designed to suit every consumer's entertainment needs".
If 'Desi Mix' is a combination of entertainment, movies, kids, sports and music channels with discount of 15 per cent, 'Desi-Videsi Mix' comprises of 20 channels with an element of foreign flavour, besides local.
Though the MSOs claim that consumers are aware of the new system, many of those contacted said they were unaware of the packages being offered. Many of them said cable operators were yet to contact them regarding CAS.
"The residents are a confused lot while the government seems to be in a hurry to impose the new system. At least, the authorities should have adequately informed us about the difference between DTH and CAS services," said Pankaj Agarwal, general secretary of joint front for RWAs of Delhi.
Ashok Mansukhani of InCable Digital, which has subscribers in CAS areas of Delhi and Mumbai, said inquiries were coming in for the new system with the last date approaching.
"We will be announcing our package soon and it will be keeping in mind the preferences of customers," he said, though refusing further details. Vikki Chaudhary, an independent cable operator in south Delhi, said the response was "negligible" for CAS.
"Demand has really not been generated and people are not coming forward," he said, demanding that the government give a "grace period" till January 15 where popular channels could be made available without STBs.
