The Hindu : Vajpayee's go-ahead for CAS

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 21, 2003

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Vajpayee's go-ahead for CAS

By Anita Joshua

NEW DELHI JUNE 20. Despite the odds stacked against the Conditional Access System (CAS), the Government remains "determined'' to introduce the new regime in cable television in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai on July 15 with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today giving the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry the nod to do all that was necessary to make it "consumer-friendly''.

For the second time in less than a month, the I&B Ministry got a green signal for CAS from Mr. Vajpayee. And, while the go-ahead came with the caveat that the CAS should be consumer-friendly, the Ministry was also told to do whatever was necessary to ensure that the monthly cable bill of the average consumer does not exceed current levels.

Evidently emboldened by the support the CAS secured from the highest office in the Government, there were enough indications within the Ministry that various options could be exercised to make all stake-holders fall in line.

Talking to reporters after meeting the Prime Minister here this evening, the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Ravi Shankar Prasad, did not elaborate on what measures would be adopted to rein in the stake-holders.

"All options are open,'' he said to questions on whether a cap would be imposed on the quantum of advertisements on those which choose to remain the pay channels after July 15.

Besides a cap or a possible ban on advertisements on pay channels, the Government may also set a maximum limit on the rates a pay channel can charge, as the prices quoted by the broadcasters earlier this week for their channels post-CAS were more than double the present levels. This is the second time Mr. Prasad has met the Prime Minister on the CAS.

On May 24, amid widespread apprehensions of Set-Top Boxes (STBs) — needed to access the pay channels post-CAS — costing several thousands, Mr. Prasad briefed Mr. Vajpayee on the new regime in detail and got a go-ahead from him.

Today's meeting with Mr. Vajpayee came in the wake of broadcasters quoting "unworkable'' rates for pay channels on Wednesday as per which the monthly bill could well be in the range of Rs. 500.

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