A day before the amendments to the Cable TV Networks Regulations Act, 1995, is slated to be introduced in Parliament, information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj lashed out at the broadcasters saying "their pressure tactics would not work with her as CAS is in the interest of cable viewing consumers."
In a meeting with some 25-odd cable operators from various parts of the country, Swaraj said that the government is determined to see the amendments to the Act concerned passed before 17 May when Parliament takes a break.

The minister is reported to have told the delegation of cable operators that "talks of referring the amendments to the Act relating to the CAS to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT and Telecom are all delaying tactics which would not work."

According to Vicky Chowdhry,a Delhi cable operator who attended the meeting: "The minister was sympathetic towards the problems of the cable operators and exhorted the broadcasters not to further raise the subscription fee of the pay channels in the interim till the time CAS is implemented as it will be unfair for the consumer."

Another cable operator who attended the meeting said that Swaraj also assured them that a separate notification regarding CAS would be issued for the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh after consultations with the chief ministers concerned if the cable operators thought CAS would benefit the consumer.

The government is initially thinking of implementing the CAS in the four metros - Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai.

No, the amendment to the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 incorporating conditional access (CAS) is not being introduced in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) today as expected by many in the industry, the date has been set for tomorrow, according to sources.
The note is slated to be circulated among members of Parlimanet to allow them to vote on it tomorrow, reveal sources. Meanwhile, a group of the cable TV trade was expected to meet up with information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj to give the cable TV industry viewpoint once again and clarify any doubts that may have arisen out of the protestations of some broadcasters.

Speaking at Panaji (Goa) yesterday to a leading business daily, Swaraj was quite clear that the government would not budge on CAS, and that she was convinced that it would be beneficial for all as it "would bring the much needed transparency in the system."

She insisted that reports that boxes would cost Rs 7,000-8,000 were totally false and misleading, adding that the actual pricing woul be between Rs 1,500-2,500.

She was also highly critical of the group of broadcasters opposing CAS and asked the reporter from the daily: "Do they not want transparency in viewership?"

Maeil Business TV News (MBN) and CNBC Asia Pacific are today launching a new joint television news service, ‘MBN-CNBC‘, which will beam into more than 4.5 million households broadcasting predominantly Korean-language programming.
MBN-CNBC will blend MBN‘s Korean-focussed news and business programming with CNBC‘s international business and financial programming. MBN-CNBC will also incorporate a live customised ticker from the Korean Stock Exchange. CNBC‘s English-language cable channel will continue to be distributed to 2.2 million households in Korea, with MBN‘s assistance, an official release states. Maeil Business News Group claims to be South Korea‘s leading media conglomerate.

President and publisher of Maeil Business News Group Dr Dae-whan Chang said: "The launch of MBN-CNBC represents an important milestone for MBN. At a time when the global economy continues to face vigorous market changes, our audience is looking for the most up-to-date and continuous coverage of the Korean and international markets with in-depth analysis and expert commentary. The joining together of three major business news services in the region - MBN, CNBC and Dow Jones - means that we will be able to offer the most reliable and influential 24-hour news channel in South Korea.

Acting CEO of CNBC Asia Pacific Shawn Galey said: "MBN-CNBC represents an important step in realising CNBC‘s goal of further increasing its reach and relevance through strategic relationships with leading regional business media companies.