With their request to extend the June 30 deadline for the four-metro rollout of the digital addressable system (DAS) turned down, large cable operators are staring at a mammoth task of seeding 9.6 million digital set-top boxes (STB) in the next three weeks.
This is because, till June 1, only one in five cable homes across metros actually had the mandatory digital STBs. Against a combined requirement of 12.5 million digital STBs across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, only 2.9 million STBs were actually seeded, the data shared by the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry with the stakeholders revealed.
“Independent operators have done much better work on the ground than the organised national MSOs. These numbers show that a lot more work is required in a short time. The decision for extension or a way forward will be taken after June 15,” said a senior government official.
Meanwhile, I&B minister Ambika Soni is said to have held one-on-one talks with pay broadcasters and their representative bodies like the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and News Broadcasters Association (NBA), which are opposed to any extension of the June 30 DAS rollout deadline.
Also, the Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal governments have requested the I&B ministry to consider at least six months' extension to DAS rollout so that adequate STBs are in place and no law and order situation arises due to cable TV blackouts.
DAS rollout means all consumers will need to obtain a digital STB to access cable channels. In Phase-1, cable homes in metros are being covered, while for the entire country, December 31, 2014, is the cut-off date after which only encrypted digital television signals will be available, ending the decades old analogue cable regime.
Sources said there are two options before the government now. One, to extend DAS by three-months with clear weekly milestones set for the cable industry for seeding of STBs. These milestones will need to be met by the stakeholders.
This is because, till June 1, only one in five cable homes across metros actually had the mandatory digital STBs. Against a combined requirement of 12.5 million digital STBs across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, only 2.9 million STBs were actually seeded, the data shared by the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry with the stakeholders revealed.
“Independent operators have done much better work on the ground than the organised national MSOs. These numbers show that a lot more work is required in a short time. The decision for extension or a way forward will be taken after June 15,” said a senior government official.
Meanwhile, I&B minister Ambika Soni is said to have held one-on-one talks with pay broadcasters and their representative bodies like the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and News Broadcasters Association (NBA), which are opposed to any extension of the June 30 DAS rollout deadline.
Also, the Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal governments have requested the I&B ministry to consider at least six months' extension to DAS rollout so that adequate STBs are in place and no law and order situation arises due to cable TV blackouts.
DAS rollout means all consumers will need to obtain a digital STB to access cable channels. In Phase-1, cable homes in metros are being covered, while for the entire country, December 31, 2014, is the cut-off date after which only encrypted digital television signals will be available, ending the decades old analogue cable regime.
Sources said there are two options before the government now. One, to extend DAS by three-months with clear weekly milestones set for the cable industry for seeding of STBs. These milestones will need to be met by the stakeholders.