New Delhi, July 05: The CAS confusion continued today with broadcasters and cable operators wrangling over the offer of Rs 72 plus taxes a month for all channels from August while government described as "misleading" reports that CAS was being deferred till September. A day after reaching an agreement with the government, broadcasters today said their understanding of it was that the offer was restricted to the zone for the month before it got notified for CAS, but the cable operators claim it is applicable to all consumers in august and will stretch further to non-notified areas.

The government, in a release issued today, maintained that cable operators will charge only Rs 72 per month plus taxes for all channels, including pay, from August one.

Disagreeing with this interpretation, broadcasters said consumers would be given an "introductory offer" only for the month before which they are notified to go under CAS regime.

They also see no logic in consumers in a particular zone getting this benefit for four months and those in another part of the city only for a month.

"It's a monthly roll-over. The honeymoon period is only a month for anyone," said Deepak Shourie of Discovery. Going by this, government would have to notify the first phase before August one.

Star's Sameer Nair said it was intended to give everyone a one-month waiver in each of the four zones in all the metros. He said the zone-wise implementation was to ensure availability of set-top boxes for a smooth-roll out in the four cities, which have a total of 6.5 million cable TV viewers. Bureau Report