ITV

Tag: SDM

  • Analogue equipment may be seized, warns MIB

    Analogue equipment may be seized, warns MIB

    NEW DELHI: Stressing that the law permits seizure of equipment of defaulting cable operators. all state-level administrators have been asked to direct district magistrates (DMs) to take action against those operators who were still distributing analogue signals.

    In its letter to all states, the Ministry said that Section 11 of the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act 1005 gives powers to act against the defaulters. The letter wanted the administrators to allot about half an hour time to the Ministry, in any one of the meetings held by them with DMs in near future to highlight their role/powers.

    The Ministry also said it wanted to get the issue monitored by senior officers like Divisional Commissioner, Revenue Secretary or inspectors general. At the outset, the Ministry also said “hardly any compliance reports are being received” despite instructions given earlier.

    At the outset, the Ministry said that it had been mandated that only digital encrypted signals can be carried on the cable television networks in the country from 1 April.

    “However for its successful implementation, it is important that regular monitoring is carried out by the authorised officers {DM, SDM and CP as per Section 2 of the Cable Act to ensure that cable operators carry only digital encrypted signals, follow the provisions in the  Act and the Rules framed thereunder, and prompt action is taken against the defaulters.”

    The Ministry has prepared a Check List for inspection of MSOs by the Authorised Officers. Copy of the checklist is available at the MIB website.

    Also Read:

    Analogue signals: MIB to take action against defaulters 

    37 new MSOs in 45 days takes total to 1421, seven among 59 cases sub-judice

    LCOs to get unique TRAI number to ensure fair deals, says advisor Gupta

  • MIB cracks whip on illegal analogue signals, states asked to ensure compliance

    MIB cracks whip on illegal analogue signals, states asked to ensure compliance

    NEW DELHI: Exactly three weeks into the new era of digital addressable system for cable television in the country, the government has requested state government officers to ensure that no analogue signals are transmitted by any cable operator.

    In an advisory sent to the designated officers in state governments, information and broadcasting ministry additional secretary Jayashree Mukherjee said that, in case any MSOs/cable operators is not complying with these directions/orders, action can be initiated under Section 11 of the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act for  violating Section 4A of the Cable TV Act, under intimation to the Ministry.

    She added that some complaints for carriage of analogue signals are being received in the Ministry and these are being sent to the respective Authorised officers separately for taking action.

    However, conflicting reports continue to come in -particularly from Phase IV areas – of non-compliance with DAS and the continuation of analogue signals. The DTH operators have also stepped up their marketing campaigns to net the customers in these areas.

    The Ministry on 23 December 2016 had extended the cut-off date of switch over to digital in Phase IV areas to 31 March 2017 and a circular was issued on 30 March 2017 to ensure switch off of analog signals in Phase IV areas by 1 April 2017.

    Under Section 4A of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1995, it is obligatory for every cable operator to transmit or re-transmit programmes of any channel in an encrypted form through a digital addressable system with effect from the dates as may be specified or notified by the Ministry from time to time. Section 2 of the Act says the DM, SDM and CP are the authorised officers who have powers under Section 11 to seize the equipment used for operating Cable TV Network if there are violations of provisions of the Cable Act, including Section 4A.

    Also Read :

    DAS: Even official figures show cable TV digitisation is incomplete

    DAS: MSOs, LCOs give low figure of STB seeding, official sources admit it’s under 80%

    Analogue signals: MIB to take action against defaulters

    Action to be taken against analogue-using  MSOs / LCOs in urban areas

  • Govt gives 15 days grace for phase II cable TV digitisation

    Govt gives 15 days grace for phase II cable TV digitisation

    NEW DELHI: Ever since the ministry of information and broadcasting ministry announced that it was enforcing 31 March 2013 for Phase II cable TV digitization and switch-ff of analogue signals in 38 cities in 14 states, there have been yelps from state government chief ministers and cable TV operators, and MSOs all over.

    Media reports were that a large number of viewers in these cities are grappling with blank TV screens as cable TV operators have not been able to speedily provide the set top boxes (STBs) needed to digitize. Some state governments went so far as to ask for a six-month extension to the digitization deadline. A couple of high courts – in Karnataka and Gujarat – had already agreed to a week long postponement in late March and on 1 April

    Late last night, according to a PTI report, the government heard the protesters’ pleas and said it would go slow on enforcing the black out of analogue signals. While categorically stating that the deadline was not being extended, information & broadcasting secretary Uday Kumar Varma, said that the industry was being given “a transition time of 10 to 15 days depending on the ground level situation so that there is no inconvenience to the people.”

    Reports are that almost 25 per cent of the 16 million households in these cities missed the deadline to switchover to digitized cable TV. The ministry has hence told MSOs and cable TV operators “to switch off the signals in a phased manner and depending on the situation in various cities.”

    Says the head of a leading MSO: “It’s good to hear that the government has given us this grace period. During the day there were ghastly reports that nodal officers and SDMs in various cities were threatening cable TV operators and MSOs with arrests if they did not switch off analogue TV signals. This should come as a relief to all of them. As it is we have not been able to sign digital agreements with a majority of broadcasters for these cities. Hopefully we will be able to do something soon.”

    Sources indicate that the ground situation in various cities is varied and that the I&B ministry officials would coordinate with the local nodal officers in order to decide the timing and extent of analogue TV switch offs in order to avoid blank TV screens.

    Data available with the I&B ministry has revealed that towns which are facing a problem include: Vishakapatnam with 12.8 per cent digitization (out of 500,000 TV homes); Srinagar with 20 per cent, Coimbatore with 28.89 per cent, Jababalpur with 34.87 per cent and Kalyan Dombivili (38.59 per cent). Seven of the 38 cities had achieved 100 per cent plus digitization: Ludhiana, Hyderabad, Faridabad, Allahabad, Amritsar, Chandigarh and Jodhpur — reported 100 per cent digitisation while three others — Thane, Meerut and Jaipur — had 90 per cent plus.

    Varma’s announcement came a little after indiantelevision.com reported that cable TV operators had got a reprieve in the Andhra Pradesh high court too. Justice M V Ramanna had directed DAS to be stayed for two weeks and the case is expected to be heard on 15 April. The order came on a petition by the Greater Hyderabad Cable TV Operators Association which took the position that there was no clarity regarding the availability of STBs.