[icernet] Media Planners To Rework Deals Post-CAS

[Arul Selvan]

  Top media planners are not committing any advertisements in channels 
post-July 15, when the conditional access system (CAS) is scheduled to 
be rolled out in the metros. With CAS just two months away from 
implementation, media planners dont want to take chances. So far, 
broadcasters have not announced the pay channel pricing and how they 
should be sold/packaged. Also, it is feared that there wouldnt be 
enough set-top boxes to cater to the entire CAS market in the metros.

Pay channels turning free-to-air once CAS is introduced has been a 
matter of speculation for quite some time. But on Tuesday, the 
speculation gained strength when an SMS, circulated across the industry, 
said Fashion TV (FTV), DD Sports, Star News, Zee News and Alpha channels 
were turning free-to-air channels, from being pay all these years. 
Broadcasters have denied such a move.

Source:
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=33716