New Delhi, July 04: Still mired in teething problems ahead of the July 15 deadline, the controversial Conditional Access System (CAS) may be deferred to September 1 for a phased implementation under a new formula hammered out at the Prime Minister's Office. After a marathon eight-hour meeting of broadcasters, multi-system and cable operators with the PMO official Sudheendra Kulkarni, I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters that the government would give "due consideration" to the recommendation of the meeting that the CAS be implemented zone-wise in the four metros from September 1.
The agreement among the stakeholders in the CAS comes on top of weeks of confusion over the rates of pay channels and the availability of set top boxes required to access them in the new regime. Prasad said after a "consensus" was evolved that for a month from August 1 all channels, pay and free-to-air, will be available for Rs 72 plus taxes. The rates under the CAS regime will be implemented from September 1 depending on the zone notified, he said.
Accessing pay channels through set-top boxes will become mandatory in notified areas and the entire process of zone-wise implementation of CAS will be done in four stages in each of the four metros and completed by December 1. "From July 15, they will do a combined education on CAS and assess availability of set-top boxes," Prasad said.
Prasad and Kulkarni later met Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and are understood to have briefed him on the CAS developments. Bureau Report