Gujarat's cable operators seek CAS

Ahmedabad Cable Operator Association (ACOA), which has been agitating against the increase in pay channel rates, has demanded immediate introduction of the conditional access system (CAS) in Gujarat.

Cable operators of the city held a protest rally on Friday, demanding an immediate check on increase of pay channel rates and introduction of CAS in Gujarat.

A delegation of cable operators will go to Delhi on January 28 to take part in a meeting of cable operators.

"It appears as if there is an attempt by companies to hike the monthly cable TV rent to over Rs 400, so that the direct to home (DTH) system can be introduced, thus taking cable operators out of the picture," said Pramod Pandya, president of ACOA.

He said hundreds of cable operators across the state have invested lakhs of rupees each in setting up the network of cables in cities and towns and cable operators will oppose these attempts by distribution companies who, he said were working with multi service operators (MSOs) in hiking up monthly cable TV rates in Ahmedabad and other bigger cities.

Pandya demanded that the pay channel transmission in India be made on the lines of that in Pakistan, where the pay channel package is transmitted for just one rupee.

"Pay channels earn crores of rupees through advertisements and increasing pay channel monthly rates is not necessary, he said.

The agitation by cable operators against hike in pay channel rates will continue until the conditional access system is introduced in the state, Pandya said.