Sony Entertainment Television and the Rajan Raheja-owned Hathway Cable & Datacom are hopeful that their ongoing dispute over dues will be resolved within the next two to three days. Sony has switched off its pay channel service of SetMax, AXN and CNBC to Hathway since 2 January on account of what it says is nonpayment of dues worth around Rs1.5 million for the period from June 2000.

Besides, Sony wants Hathway to increase the declared connectivity of paid subscribers from November 2000. Sony‘s distribution head Hitesh Sabarwal said they were only asking that what they were paid should have a reasonable correlation to what was being charged for other pay channels. He, however, expressed confidence that some sort of agreement would be reached within the next two days.

According to cable industry sources, Hathway has a declared paid connectivity of around 10,000 for SetMax in Mumbai, 20,000 for CNBC, and 40,000 for AXN, the Financial Express reported on Tuesday.

Hathway‘s argument, according to sources, is that Sony unilaterally made new demands going against what had earlier been agreed upon. Also, they say Sony was demanding payment based on connectivity calculations similar to that enjoyed by the Sony‘s main Sony Entertainment Television channel which was way too high. Another argumant put forth by Hathway is that since most of their subscriber base was in upmarket localities, Sony‘s "adamance" was losing it a very influential audience.

While SetMax and AXN are off the Hathway network in Mumbai, Pune and Nashik, the business channel CNBC is available in some pockets, the Financial Express reported.

CNN International has named Australian journalist John Darren Vause the network‘s first US based correspondent, it was announced on Tuesday. Vause will report from the United States and file special reports for CNN‘s international viewers in 212 countries and territories worldwide.

His first assignment is to cover the inauguration of the new US President, George W Bush on 20 January.

Vause joins CNN International from Seven Network Australia, where he was bureau chief for their only US office.

One of the major regulatory hurdles in the way of the launch of DTH services in India has been lifted. On Friday, a notification was issued which formally lifted the four year old ban on the establishment, maintenance, possession or dealing of equipment capable of receiving Ku band television broadcast signals.

The notification becomes effective immediately, amending the Radio, Television and Video Cassette Recorder Sets (Exemption from Licensing Requirements) Rules, 1997 removing prohibition for use of such apparatus in the frequency bands 4,800 MHz and above.

One issue which is still exercising industry players is that of the 20 per cent sectoral and foreign equity cap on any DTH operations. Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj has repeatedly said that there would be no change in these guidelines despite strong lobbying from the industry for its increase.

Star TV India has recently announced it is going ahead with its DTH plans despite its "difficulties" in meeting the government‘s criteria to start operations.