The government on Monday said the introductory offer of Rs 72 plus taxes for the rollout of the conditional access system would not be limited to August, but would be applicable till all the zones in the four metros migrated to the new system.
This means, from September 1, consumers in zone A in each metro will be able to watch pay channels only by using a set-top box and pay only for the channels they watch. But in the other zones, cable operators will charge only Rs 72 plus taxes per month for all channels, including pay channels.
Meanwhile, a section of cable operators, under the banner of the Cable Operators United Front, said the delayed implementation of CAS was not acceptable to them and the price of the basic tier should be raised to Rs 180. The association also sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office for its intervention in the matter.
The information and broadcasting ministry is expected to come out with a notification on the staggered rollout agreed upon by the meeting on Friday.
The government also said the proposed Broadcast Regulatory Authority Bill was likely to be introduced in the current session of Parliament.
The Bill would take care of competition in the broadcasting sector apart from content.
The government is setting up an expert group to suggest various reforms in the private FM radio segment. The group is expected to look into areas like foreign direct investment in the sector, allowing news broadcast in private FM as well as the mode of awarding licences in the next round of licensing. It is also expected to suggest how private FM radio should be rolled out in the other parts of the country.
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