The Hindu Business Line : CAS: Confusion over Rs 72 charge

Even while the Government on Saturday maintained that cable operators would charge only Rs 72 (plus taxes) per month for all channels from August 1 till CAS is rolled out in a particular area, broadcasters said their understanding of it was that the offer was restricted to the zone for the month before it got notified for CAS.

Broadcasters said consumers would be given an "introductory offer" only for the month before which they are notified to go under CAS regime. They also said that there was no logic in consumers in a particular zone getting this benefit for four months and those in another part of the city only for a month.

"It's a monthly rollover. The honeymoon period is only a month for anyone," said Mr Deepak Shourie, Managing Director, Discovery Communications India.

The Star India Chief Operating Officer, Mr Sameer Nair, said it was intended to give everyone a one-month waiver in each of the four zones in all the metros. The cable operators on the other hand claim that this is applicable to all consumers in August and will stretch further to non-notified areas. They blamed broadcasters for creating confusion about it.

"It is Rs 72 plus taxes for all channels for all cable TV consumers in August and then those notified for CAS will go into that regime while the others will continue to pay Rs 72 till notified," Mr Vicky Chaudhury of NCTA, a cable operators association said.

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