NOTIFICATION ON CAS ISSUED
30 FTA CHANNLES WILL COST RS. 72
The Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting has specified that a minimum of 30 (thirty) free-to-air
television channels would have to be included in the package of
channels forming the basic service tier after 14th
July, 2003 when the Conditional Access System for pay channels
comes into operation in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, Municipal
Council of Greater Mumbai Area, Kolkota Metropolitan Area and
the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The maximum amount a
cable operator is allowed to charge from a subscriber for receiving
the programmes in the basic service tier cannot be more than Rs.
72/-.
According
to a notification issued by the Ministry of I&B last evening,
the Package of channels forming the basic service tier must include
the compulsory transmission of three Doordarshan channels notified
under Section 8 of the said Act and the genres of entertainment,
news, sports, children’s programmes and music and must be in English,
Hindi and the regional language, depending on the availability
of such channels in the areas afore-mentioned. Free-to-air channels,
over and above the basic service tier, would also be made available
to the subscribers within the maximum amount mentioned above.
