The Union information & broadcasting ministry has failed to implement the conditional access system (CAS) in the cable & satellite television industry.
The CAS became mandatory for the southern parts of three cities–Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata–from December 31, 2006, but many C&S TV homes are not at all keen on it.
According to industry sources, the next phase of the CAS will be implemented after April 2008.
According to Sudip Ghosh, director of Manthan Broadband Services Pvt Ltd, one of the leading signal providers or multi-system operators (MSO), people of the CAS areas are not at all interested to watch pay channels by spending money for set-top boxes. They are happy with free-to-air channels by paying Rs 77 only. “It is the failure of pay broadcasters to extend the CAS,” Ghosh said, adding, “most of them (pay broadcasters) cannot even claim 50 paise per month. A monthly rent of Rs 5 per pay channel is too high.”
“The CAS, as a technology platform, has been welcomed by all stakeholders, and it should be implemented throughout the country,” Ghosh said.
Suresh Sethia, director of the Zee-owned Wire & Wireless India Ltd (formerly Siti Cables), however, criticised the entire system of CAS. “I am not aware why the CAS implementation is being delayed. The I&B ministry, Trai and pay broadcasters are well connected with the Mumbai and Delhi-based MSOs. If the decision-makers, the I&B ministry and the Trai, want to implement the next phase of the CAS at a time, nobody can stop them. But, the existing growth is not satisfactory,” he said.
The number of C&S TV homes in southern parts of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata is 9 lakh, 7.5 lakh and 3 lakh, respectively. Less than 40% of the C&S TV homes in Mumbai and Delhi have CAS, while in case of Kolkata, it is less than 30%.