Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Sunday, Mar 16, 2003
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Sunday, Mar 16, 2003 |
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Industry & Economy
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Radio/TV Govt firm on CAS deadline Our Bureau
MUMBAI, March 15 NOTWITHSTANDING the continuing debate on the Conditional Access System (CAS), Mr Rakesh Mohan, Joint Secretary, Information and Broadcasting Ministry, is firm on the date set for its implementation. "Pay channels have to go through the CAS system from July 14," Mr Mohan told delegates to a session on CAS at the FICCI-Frames 2003 Conference. According to him, the decision on CAS was arrived at after a participatory process involving the "widest dialogue possible". "This date was decided with a 100 per cent comfortable margin," he said. Without divulging any details, broadcasters, MSOs and cable operators said they were ready for the implementation of CAS at an individual organisational level. The emerging position regarding the choice of medium was clearly in favour of the digital medium. Participants were recommending digital in favour of analog system, citing the price as a favouring factor for the consumers. But several issues did come up for discussion and debate at the session. The main issue being the pricing of the basic tier which will include the free-to-air (FTA) channels. The price being mentioned ranged from Rs 25 to upwards of Rs 200. "If the basic tier is realistically priced, then the broadcaster will have to bundle pay channels in a manner to work out the entire package at the prevailing price," said Mr Rakesh Datta of Cable Networks Association. According to him, a realistic price of the basic tier would be Rs 180. The stakeholders are to meet on March 20 to decide on the FTA basic tier pricing. Internationally, basic tier price comprised 70-75 per cent of the total cost to the consumer, the remaining 30 per cent going to the pay channels. At the cable operator and the MSO end rest the issue regarding the broadcasters' game plan on the pay channels. Absence of details of broadcasters' plan on the bundling of pay channels is delaying MSOs and cable operators' plan to go ahead on the decision on the type of technology for set-top boxes (STBs) and placing orders for these STBs.
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