Govt To Focus On Clearing Cable TV Mess

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Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, the government is looking at a comprehensive
solution to clear the cable TV industry mess. This is a priority area for
the government, keeping in mind the controversy surrounding the conditional
acce-ss system (CAS) in the capital. Although officials in the information
and broadcasting ministry refused to spell out the planned course of action
to bring a semblance of order to the broadcasting sector, an interim
regulator appears to be the way forward. Among other issues, the regulator
would focus on pricing of pay channels, cap on advertisements in various
channels, content regulation, and transparency in the cable TV industry.
Whether CAS is rolled back completely or it's put on hold, work has already
begun on getting a broadcasting regulator, sources said. One of the options
is to entrust the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India with the job of
regulating the broadcasting sector for an interim period. According to the
Ficci report, "majority of industry stakeholders are of the view that there
is an urgent need to establish an exclusive interim broadcast regulator,
which will, if considered desirable, later merge with the Convergence
Commission." Citing examples of other countries, including Australia,
Canada, Hong Kong, US, UK, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, New Zealand,
Malaysia, Papua, New Guinea and Philippines, which have regulators for the
broadcasting sector, Ficci has recommended the same for India.

Source:
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=50014