News

Mixed Response To CAS Deferment

The proposal to defer the rollout of the CAS to September 1 has met with mixed response from broadcasters, cable operators, advertisers and media planners.

While the suggested rollout plan would benefit all parties, there is still some degree of uncertainty and trepidation about the actual implementation, and the possible loss of advertising revenues in the crucial festive period.

The I&B ministry is expected to formally announce that CAS will be rolled out zone-wise in the four metros in a staggered manner from September 1, and that the process will be completed on December 1. All channels- pay and FTA will be made available at RS. 72 in the four zones where the rollout is to take place for the month prior to the rollout.

In the Interim, broadcasters will have to educate consumers on CAS, and Waive their subscription fee in the zones during the month prior to the roll out in the respective zones.

"The July 15 date was unrealistic because of the unavailability of STBs. So it would have been unfair to consumers," said Mr. Sameer Nair, COO, Star India. "So this is an extremely positive move."

While waiving subscription fee would result in a "considerable loss", the broadcasters have acceded to the ministry's request "in the greater interest of the implementation," he added.

As for the government's suggestion that the broadcasters may have a look at channel pricing again, Mr. Nair said competitive pressures would steamline pricing ultimately. " we're all responsible people and no one wants to derail the process," he said.

That thought was echoed by other broadcasters as well: "It's a win-win proposition for all: consumers get to choose what they want during the free viewing period and broadcasters don't lose much money, as the other zones will continue to pay, and there won't be a blackout, as threatened," said Mr. Shatanu Aditya, President, Sony's one Alliance.

"It will also protect advertiser' plans, as connectivity will be better."

However, some FTA channels denounced the "arm-twisting tactics" of the "foreign broadcasters", and said the proposed rollout would discriminate amongst viewers.

In a joint statement, representatives of Aaj Tak, SABe TV, sahara TV and Eenadu TV said the delay in implementation would work against the public's interest and erode the credibility of the government.

Still, the ayesayers seem to outnumber the naysayers; some Mumbai-based MSOs who claimed they were prepared fro even the original deadline of July 15 -are also in agreement that the staggered rollout would facilitate the faster deployment of STBs.

But there is also a rumbling of discontent among the MSOs, who have been ordered to pay all outstanding dues to the broadcasters by July 31.

There is another objection: The zonal segregation of the metros for the rollout is flawed, as it is only based on an "an inherent populist assumption" that the south of the city is generally plush, said Mr. Ravi Kiran, Managing Director(West & South), Starcom Worldwide.

"There may be more wealthy people living in Bungalows in Mumbai suburbs than those who have been living for many years in south Mumbai, and who may not be willing to buy an STB right away," he said.

"This division of plush Vs non-plush based on nothing more than geography is very questionable," he added.

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Twist In Conditional Access System Tale

July 15 is not far off and as we sit biting our nails to see what happens on the C-Day, news is a disappointing dampener. CAS rollout may be deferred, they say. And it is as if a long serial was almost about to finish to run for another hundred episodes. What do couch potatoes worry about?

How much popcorn should I keep in store?

If you want to keep busy watching what happens on Cas front, you may need endless dosages of some munchies. So, keep replenishing your stock whenever there is a break.

Who is the villain, who is the hero?

You forget the heroine, the patriarch, the joker and so forth. For the sake of better appreciation, all the viewers are the heroines, because they are the focus of attention. To be more exact, some say, it is the viewers' pocket that the cable operators, channel companies and almost everybody is eyeing at. The ministry of I&B is the good old man in the house whom nobody respects but who has to be there for the shakes. Who is the joker, you still want to know?

Are we seeing a mega serial?

We are so much used to viewing episode number 325 of such-and-such serial, followed by episode 512 of another serial and so on. CAS promises to be giga serial, that is , many times mega.

Will they break for commercials?

In a long movie, you wait for intermission. In an episode where a character is dying and talking and talking and talking, you wait for good deliverance quickly so that the poor soul may rest in peace and you can save some tears for the serial that would follow. Now, the showdown between the industry and the government, between cable-walahs and broadcasters, seems to ge on indefinitely and if they still find time to beam programmes to you, it would be nothing short of a miracle. As for commercials, the big debate is who is going to get the goodies -the pays or the frees.

I think the name is the problem?

So you believe in numerology. VAT was a three-letter word, and so is CAS, and that is why CAS is going the VAT way, experts say. Don't ask what is VAT. It would be sufficient to know that VAT is not 'Visible alternative television', and that VAT has gone to wilderness.

Should I buy the box or not?

If you are talking about the STB, you can afford to wait, unless you are in a tearing hurry not to miss 721^st episode of "Aunties and Uncles" or the few advertisements that would still go to the pay channels.

PMO had to spend 7 hours, I learn. True?

Some suspect that the industry chaps kept showing the PMO chaps too much 'film'.

Is it going to be September 1 or 11?

On record, it is September1, though the year is doubtful. Reports say that from September 1. Four metros would be divided into four zones and CAS would be rolled out like a red carpet zone-wise. Whether on September 1, it would be like September 11, we don't know as yet.

I I am often confused whether I should watch the pay channels or pay the watch channels?

Looks like a serious case of idiotosis, which is caused by too much TV viewing.

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