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You may soon pay only for channels you watch

The long-standing demand of the cable operators to allow the Conditional Access System, which permits the viewers to pay only for channels of their choice, could become a reality soon with Information and Broadcasting Minister deciding to set up a task force to sort out the nitty-gritties of the system.

"The task force will have representation from all the four stake holders in the CAS - cable operators, master service operators, broadcasters and consumers under the convenorship of the joint secretary (broadcasting), Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj told reporters in New Delhi on Friday.

The task force will discuss all issues related to CAS including the architecture of the set-top boxes and present its report to the government, Swaraj said.

The Indian Broadcasting Foundation and the key advisory group called the Entertainment Sector, with whom the minister had separate meetings, agreed to the task force proposal.

At a recent meeting with the minister, the cable operators had suggested that instead of a legislation making it mandatory on the consumer to buy a set-top box (costing Rs 2000 to Rs 4000) required for the system, the government should come out with a consumer-friendly amendment.

Some broadcasters see this as undemocratic and impractical in a country with 39 million cable connections as the CAS would not be optional but mandatory.

However, from the operators' point of view, it would have the consumers paying for the channels they watch instead of bearing the burden of pay channels, which are increasing by the day.

The operators have been pressing the Information and Broadcasting ministry to allow CAS on the plea that it would rid the consumer of all the unwanted channels he is 'forced' to watch at present.

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