| The pay channel was slated to convert into free-to-air only in CAS-notified areas for a limited period. Confirming the development, the channel's spokesperson said it would be available for free viewership for 60 days starting March 23, after which it would revert to being a pay channel. |
| "It is in our understanding that set-top box (STB) penetration post-CAS is very low. Therefore, the channel will be made free-to-air for a limited period. We are hopeful that by then more households will opt for STBs and that's when NDTV 24X7 will go back to being a pay channel," the official said. |
| A recent study on STB penetration by Tam Media Research shows that out of the 16.33 lakh households in the CAS-notified areas, 2.77 lakh homes had taken up an STB/direct-to-home connection. Offtake of the boxes was highest in Mumbai with a penetration of 25 per cent ( 5.48 lakh CAS homes) and 14 per cent in Delhi (6.76 lakh CAS homes), and the lowest penetration level has been in Kolkata which has recorded only 10 per cent penetration (out of 4.09 lakh CAS homes). |
| Consequently, the relative channel share of NDTV among the news channels dropped marginally from 29 per cent during October-December 2006 (prior to CAS) to 27 per cent in January-February 2007(post-CAS) in Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata. Times Now, another English news channel, chose to be free-to-air from its launch in 2006. |
| "We weren't sure how CAS would pan out and it was our duty to reach our advertisers to audiences. Therefore we decided to be a free-to-air channel," Times Now CEO Sunil Lulla said. |
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