MUMBAI: Over 22 lakh cable TV viewers in the
city will have to fill up consumer application form
(CAF)s listing the paid channels they want to
watch by July 25. If they fail to do so, they may
face a small-screen blackout. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
has extended the deadline to fill up the forms
because of poor response from Mumbaikars. "The
extension has been given because 40% of cable
television subscribers have not yet filled up the
forms," said Anil Parab of Cable Operators and Distributors Association. "The exercise is aimed at offering freedom to
consumers to choose channels of their choice
under the digital addressable system (DAS) and
pay accordingly. It should have been conducted
at the time of the digitization drive held late last
year. Now, it is inconveniencing everyone, right from multi-system operators (MSOs) and local
cable operators (LCOs) to viewers," said Arvind
Prabhu, president of the Maharashtra Cable
Operators Federation. "MSOs have to give these forms to local cable
operators, who are supposed to ask consumers
to fill them up. The local cable operators have to
then return the filled forms to MSOs. While MSOs
claim they gave the forms, LCOs say they never
received them," said a source. "TRAI has shouldered the responsibility of the
forms on MSOs, who have only 20% consumers
of their own; the remaining 80% users come
through LCOs and hence, the problem," said
Prabhu. "TRAI is now asking MSOs to shut down
channels for two hours or blackout paid channels to make subscribers understand the importance
of filling up of the form." The exercise will ultimately help broadcasters
more than anyone else, said Prabhu. "TRAI had
claimed that signals would be error-free, but
several errors have been coming up in the
digitized system," he said. TRAI spokesperson was not available for
comment. source Don’t want TV blackout? Give your channel choice by July 25 - TOI Mobile | The Times of India Mobile Site
city will have to fill up consumer application form
(CAF)s listing the paid channels they want to
watch by July 25. If they fail to do so, they may
face a small-screen blackout. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
has extended the deadline to fill up the forms
because of poor response from Mumbaikars. "The
extension has been given because 40% of cable
television subscribers have not yet filled up the
forms," said Anil Parab of Cable Operators and Distributors Association. "The exercise is aimed at offering freedom to
consumers to choose channels of their choice
under the digital addressable system (DAS) and
pay accordingly. It should have been conducted
at the time of the digitization drive held late last
year. Now, it is inconveniencing everyone, right from multi-system operators (MSOs) and local
cable operators (LCOs) to viewers," said Arvind
Prabhu, president of the Maharashtra Cable
Operators Federation. "MSOs have to give these forms to local cable
operators, who are supposed to ask consumers
to fill them up. The local cable operators have to
then return the filled forms to MSOs. While MSOs
claim they gave the forms, LCOs say they never
received them," said a source. "TRAI has shouldered the responsibility of the
forms on MSOs, who have only 20% consumers
of their own; the remaining 80% users come
through LCOs and hence, the problem," said
Prabhu. "TRAI is now asking MSOs to shut down
channels for two hours or blackout paid channels to make subscribers understand the importance
of filling up of the form." The exercise will ultimately help broadcasters
more than anyone else, said Prabhu. "TRAI had
claimed that signals would be error-free, but
several errors have been coming up in the
digitized system," he said. TRAI spokesperson was not available for
comment. source Don’t want TV blackout? Give your channel choice by July 25 - TOI Mobile | The Times of India Mobile Site
