The Hindu Business Line : CAS is `dead', long live confusion

To start with there was the ticker at the bottom of the screen saying something about CAS, and people thought it was on the gas company that was being disinvested.

But now the picture is clear that they are talking about CAS, that is, conditional access system, though the majority doesn't understand what they are saying. A quick FAQ, therefore, for those fiddling with the remote to no avail.

CAS is on, off, on, off, what?

Television viewers are chronically doing only this on-off sequence with their helpless boxes. So, they don't deserve anything different, thought the government, and pushed the CAS in, kept it on hold, pulled it out.

Again, as with TV which after a few hours of watching, makes you numb and wonder if you are awake or asleep, so with CAS.

It is neither here nor there, but suspended because the Central Government is satisfied that it is necessary "in public interest so to do". Switch is stuck, in short.

What do I do with my set-top box?

Hah, hah, you are among that minuscule minority that got conned into buying the box which others were contented to see in the TV news programme.

For the present, don't do anything with the STB, because the cable operators themselves are in a fix how to connect the wires at their end and so are leaving them where they are.

But soon it may become necessary for you to get used to deploying a bigger paperweight on your table, unless the memsahib pitches in with her demand for a good base for cutting sabji.

I have been doing channel search, but no use. Why?

If you are getting all the usual FTA, meaning free-to-air channels, you are not free to air any grievance about the other channels, because it takes time for the news to trickle down through the big players in telecasting, then the dadas in cable TV, and later your local operator.

Even if they comprehended, they're not too happy about the sudden change. Till then, keep searching.

Now, what do they do with all those boxes?

With the accounting year nearing completion, the MSOs (multi system operators) can either choose to show their stock of STBs under inventory, suitably classified as `non-moving', or write off their cost in the P&L Account.

However, their housekeeping departments are said to be eager to use these units for putting up partition walls and making cubicles.

A great consumer victory, shall we say?

As long as CAS was there, the plus point for many consumers was that they had to shell out fewer rupees for a necessary evil, in an abridged form, though some were grunting about no cartoons, no movies and such.

But then the majority got used to paying Rs 100 rather than three times that amount, because the amount saved could be spent in buying water.

Now, with summer approaching, there is the prospect of outflow on both accounts increasing. If you feel victorious, it can be taken as one more sign of feel-good-factor in action.

I have a bouquet. To whom shall I give it?

Since MSOs, channel broadcasters, TRAI and the Information Ministry are all busy asking each other who said what, for the time being you can keep the bouquet suspended on top of your TV.

SayCheek@thehindu.co.in

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