CAS: Channels to offer carrots to consumers

After broadcasters spiked a Government-sponsored honeymoon that held the promise of an unbelievably low cable charge of Rs 72 for consumers,...

After broadcasters spiked a Government-sponsored honeymoon that held the promise of an unbelievably low cable charge of Rs 72 for consumers, it is the channels’ turn to better the sarkari package.

Zee, Star and Sony are going to come up with schemes which include offering their channels for Rs 72 for a month with a catch — you have to buy a set-top box to view them. This is being seen as a surefire way of getting consumers to buy set-top boxes to watch channels and boost their sales.

To start with, Zee chairman Subhash Chandra, whose company was already bandying ‘‘ek ka do’’ packages, has assured the I&B Ministry that it would offer the channels for Rs 72 a month to subscribers opting for the box.

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An offer bettering this is expected from other broadcasters too, officials said. This, it is hoped, will push the CAS cause.

What this means is that while the subscriber hires the box after an initial refundable deposit of Rs 999, he will get to watch channels for free for a month. After the first meeting of the implementation committee comprising all stakeholders in Mumbai, the I&B Ministry has also asked broadcasters to come out with new rates by August 14, when it meets next.

Meanwhile, another notification is expected to be issued by the Ministry after the Law Ministry vets it. The notification will make it mandatory for cable operators and multi-service operators to intimate subscribers about details of the boxes. They would also have to give the choice of technology to the consumers between analog and digital boxes.

The MSOs/cable operators will be required to specify the technology, specifications of the box, payments and refundable amount, 15 days before a zone is notified under CAS.

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