Cable TV digitisation deadline ends, threat of blackout for some

New Delhi/Chennai, 31 Oct 2012 (PTI): The deadline set by Government for Cable TV digitisation in the four Metros ended today with the switchover reaching 94 per cent and those who have not installed set top boxes(STB) faced the threat of a TV blackout from tomorrow.

 

TV viewers in Chennai who have not made the change, however, got some relief with the Madras High Court granting extension of the deadline till November five for the process of digitization of TV signals.

 

But people in Mumbai who have not installed STBs did not get any relief with the Bombay High Court refusing to grant more time to cable network providers in the city to switch to digital addressable system (DAS).

 

The Court, however, asked the union government to consider giving some relief to viewers during Diwali.

 

"We do not want people’s Diwali blacked out. Television these days has become the cheapest and basic source of entertainment for average middle class family. We are concerned about the consumers and not the operators," Justice Chandrachud said.

 

Union Information and Broadcasting Secretary Uday Kumar Varma confirmed that analogue signals in Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai awould be switched off tomorrow but Chennai would not be in the list because of the court order.

 

I and B ministry’s data for all the four metros combined showed digitisation of cable TV households including Direct To Home(DTH) connections upto 94 per cent.

 

In Kolkata, there was a threat of consumers who have already installed set-top boxes also facing a TV blackoutSpeaking to reporters, Cable Operators Digitisation Committee Joint Convenor Milan Chatterjee said that while the implementation could be a law and order threat, "some cable operators may also stop signals to save their skin as 60 per cent of the people have not received STBs yet."