NEW DELHI: The issue of conditional access system (CAS) is getting not only getting curioser, but also hotter.
Joining issue with a consumer activist group of Delhi is the Delhi-based National Cable and Telecom Association (NCTA) which has called for a press conference later in the day to highlight the inadequacy of the government in enacting a legislation that would facilitate the implementation of the CAS in phases in the country.
On one hand the Delhi cable operators have threatened a blackout of satellite channels for an hour in the evening, beginning 20 July, while on the other hand NCTA, whose founder members include vocal supporters of CAS, have said that during the press conference it will expose the lobby which is opposing CAS being brought about.

In the meantime, indiantelevision.com learns from reliable government sources that till yesterday broadcasters lobbied with the official of the I&B ministry highlighting the shortcomings in the Bill which will have a legislation in place on CAS, something of the sort which has not been tried out elsewhere in the present format.

It is also learnt that government officials told a foreign broadcaster representative yesterday that in the basic tier the government is basically looking at including Doordarshan channels.

Coming back to the NCTA press conference, it is learnt that all those who support CAS will be out in strength at the media briefing to present the cable service providers view and position.

The issue is the proposed amendment to the Cable TV Networks Regulations Act 1995, which is pending an okay from the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) of the Indian Parliament. It has already cleared the Lok Sabha (Lower House). NCTA feels that the amendment in the Cable TV Networks Regulation Act to implement the CAS has been delayed "under the influence of major broadcasters."

According to Vikki Choudhry, general secretary of the NCTA, the opposition parties are "behaving strangely." They first supported CAS but now are turning it down, an NCTA statement on the eve of the press conference said.

Pointing out that CAS "will affect the advertisement revenue for each and every pay TV channel," NCTA has said the issue of under declaration too, will be addressed by CAS.

Higher subscription revenues and a tight control on costs enabled Indian media major Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL) to notch up a better better bottomline in Q1 2002-2003 as compared to Q1 2001-2002. Net profit is up 31 per cent to Rs 476.7 million (Rs 363 million in the corresponding previous financial quarter). Things are not that rosy on the turnover front with total revenues rising a minuscule 6.5 per cent to Rs 2488 million (Rs 2335 million).

The major contributor to the turnover rise is the 52 per cent jump in subscription revenues to Rs 1015 million (Rs 667 million). The fact that subscription collections are rising is an indicator that the company‘s pay TV strategy is bearing fruit. ZTL has a joint venture with AOL Time Warner to distribute its channels in India.

During the quarter, the Company has completed all formalities for acquiring a controlling stake in ETC Networks Limited (ETC), says a company release. It adds that the transfer of ETC promoter shares in favour of Zee Telefilms is under process and hence during the first quarter, financials of ETC have not been consolidated with that of the Company.

Additionally, Zee Telefilms, acting in concert with Padmalaya Enterprises Pvt Ltd (PEPL) has acquired, by way of preferential allotment 20,00,000 equity shares of Padmalaya Telefilms Limited (PTL) at a price of Rs. 142.2 per share. The company states that PEPL had made an open offer to acquire upto 20 per cent equity shares of PTL.

The open offer closed on 5 June 2002 and 19,25,031 shares of PTL were tendered and accepted. It adds that payment has been made to all shareholders who have tendered their shares in the open offer. Zee has funded PEPL to enable it to acquire the above shares.

The transfer of promoter?s 22,50,000 shares of PTL to PEPL is under process, it says. With this acquisition, the Company will have a 63.3 per cent equity stake in PEPL and PEPL will have 49.60 per cent stake in PTL

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Cable Operators United Front - a newly created body consisting of MSOs, franchisees, and independents based in the Capital- has decided to black out all channels for an hour daily starting 20 July in protest against the delay in the passing of the CAS amendment.

The Front hopes to send a message across to consumers that vested interests and a weak-kneed government are derailing a regulation which is going to benefit viewers in the long run. It also hopes to take the protest to other metros nationwide.

But this time the cable operators seem a determined lot. That determination should take them afar.

NEW DELHI: Even as the government has more or less decided to refer the conditional access issue (CAS) to a parliamentary committee in the face of stiff opposition coming from the Congress and the Left as well as a lobby from within the ruling BJP, a group of consumer activists has decided to stage a protest in the capital tomorrow, against the delay in passing of the legislation.

Before a decision on deferring the amendments to the Cable TV (Networks) Regulation Act, facilitating implementation of the conditional access system (CAS) is taken, however, the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) has to take up the issue and pass a motion that the Cable TV (Networks) Amendment Bill 2002 was being referred to a parliamentary committee for further discussion.

According to government sources, Swaraj withdrew the Bill from the Rajya Sabha‘s agenda a day before yesterday, in an attempt to garner a consensus on it. Opposition however has come from the Left and Congress parties which have now started saying that the government cannot bring in something which has not been tested elsewhere, and also that the amendments would give the government more power to regulate in an era when the aim is to go in increasingly for de-regulation.

That hectic lobbying by broadcasters has taken place against a quick implementation of CAS is a foregone conclusion, but what is more interesting is that the cable operators‘ and set-top box manufacturers‘ lobby which was pushing hard for CAS seems to weakening. Laments Vikky Choudhry, an independent cable operator and a vocal supporter of CAS, "It is shameful that in a democracy like ours, decisions benefiting a larger section of people are being delayed because of obvious reasons."

After all, it is in the name of consumer that the ball called CAS was set rolling.

NEW DELHI: The much-touted revival of Doordarshan‘s News channel has finally been put on the backburner.

According to sources in Prasar Bharati, which oversees the functioning of DD and All India Radio, the plan of reviving the defunct DD News has been "buried" for the time being. Although the official reason being bandied about is that "reviving DD News was more of a media wish," the real reason seems to be that the information and broadcasting ministry (read minister Sushma Swaraj) put her foot down on any such move.

However, it is also a fact that both the chief executive and director-general of DD had said on record that Prasar Bharati was considering a revival of DD News. So much so, that a tentative date for the re-launch (DD‘s birthday on 15 September) too had been zeroed down upon.

However, Prasar Bharati insiders insist that the newcomers at DD are still raw and may not be able to adequately do half-hour current affairs shows or newsfeatures at the moment.