The Hindu : 30 channels for Rs.72 from July 15: Union Minister

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Sunday, Apr 20, 2003

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30 channels for Rs.72 from July 15: Union Minister

By Our Special Correspondent

Chennai April 19. As many as 30 television channels will be made available for a monthly charge of just Rs.72 in four metros from July 15 under the new Conditional Access System regime, the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ravi Shankar Prasad, announced here today.

The Minister said he "signed the files" yesterday for ushering in the Conditional Access System (CAS) with a price tag of Rs. 72 in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Calcutta from July 15. "There will be no further relaxation of time" for bringing in the CAS, he asserted, at a media conference here.

In effect, cable TV operators across the four metros, who charge anywhere between Rs. 250 to Rs. 1000 and unilaterally effect rude hikes in charges, have to compulsorily provide at least 30 channels at Rs.72. The cable TV operators could offer more channels than the mandatory 30 channels, but could not charge more, he made it clear.

The CAS brought in to ensure transparency in the cable TV industry and a choice for viewers would offer a "good mix" of 30 free-to-air entertainment, children and sports channels, including three Doordarshan channels. However, it was up to the cable operators to determine the 30 channels they would be providing to their subscribers. The Minister's argument for the Centre not intervening in deciding the channels was that the "cable TV operators are expected to take care of the viewers' interests".

The Government would not have intervened and introduced the CAS, but for a "whole range of complaints" from the public, he said, urging the broadcasters, cable operators and multi-system operators to extend cooperation to implement the system from mid-July.

A task force was looking into the issues relating to providing set-top boxes necessary for accessing pay TV channels, he said.

Asked about the on-going tussle between the two main cable distributors in Chennai, Sumangali Cable Vision and Hathway, which has thrown STAR TV off the air in several areas in the metro, all that the Minister would offer was advice to the MSOs to "reach an amicable settlement". However, "if it goes out of hand, I will try to get the details and see what can be done", he said.

When scribes drew his attention to the MSOs resorting to cutting not only cable TV lines, but telephone and internet lines as well, the Minister said, "post-July 15, any such irresponsible behaviour will become a cognisable offence". The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act 2000 provided for penal provisions to deal with such excesses.

Would he go ahead with a ban on Fashion TV as proposed by his predecessor, Sushma Swaraj? "I am not in the business of banning anything," he shot back. The Government had lodged its protest over the controversial Brazilian dance telecast on the Fashion TV, but did not consider banning it. He would only urge the channels to be "culturally sensitive" to the Indian milieu.

On whether the Government would enhance the percentage of Foreign Direct Investment allowed in the Press, up from the present 26 per cent, he said, "other options" could be considered to attract FDI in the media, provided the "Press speaks in one voice" on the issue.

Film locales

Towards promoting the film industry in the country which registered 100 per cent growth in exports and earned Rs. 900 crores in the last fiscal, the Government was planning to provide single-window visa clearance for the foreign film units to shoot in India, he said. Besides, negotiations were on with other countries for joint production of films as well.

A special course on "culture-neutral" animation would be introduced in the Film Institute at Pune and Satyajit Ray institute at Calcutta.

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