Telecom Lead Asia: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari wants more reforms in Cable TV sector.
The sector regulator TRAI needs to share recommendations on issues relating to transmission of local channels or ground based channels operated at the level of cable TV operator/MSOs.
The I&B ministry wants to know whether there is a need to finalize provisions for local channels which would cover issues related to registration mechanism, including eligibility requirements, fee, terms and conditions to be provided for such channels, including the definition of local or ground based channels and their area of operation.
The ministry has also sought its views with regard to the issue of transmission of local channels at local cable operator level in Digital Addressable System (DAS) regime.
TRAI in its recommendations dated 25th July, 2008 had, inter-alia, recommended that Local Channel Operators (LCOs) shall be permitted to transmit their ground based channels. However, in the current DAS regime only digital addressable signals can be carried out on the cable network which is generated at the MSO head end. The Ministry in its reference has also requested TRAI to state whether there was a case for putting a cap on the total number of ground based channels operated by a single MSO/cable operator.
TRAI needs to examine whether there is a need to prescribe eligibility criteria for LCOs transmitting local news and current affairs channels at their level. Recommendations have been sought with regard to eligibility criteria, terms and conditions including foreign investment levels, net-worth criteria and requirement of security clearance etc. for such channels.
Presently, cable TV operators/MSOs are transmitting local news, videos and other locally developed content as a separate televisions channels in addition to satellite TV channels obtained from broadcasters. These local channels are not subject to a regulatory framework unlike private satellite TV channels permitted under the uplinking/downlinking guidelines of the ministry.
