Andhra MP K S Rao seeks modifications in CAS guidelines

New Delhi, Sep 13 (UNI) Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh K S Rao has petitioned Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi to consider the issue of making one household with one or more TV sets as a single unit rather than treating one TV set as a unit while implementing CAS in the four metros of Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai.

The Conditional Access System (CAS) is to be implemented in selected areas of four metros from January next year following the court order.

In a letter to Mr Dasmunsi, the Andhra Pradesh MP indicated serious problems likely to be faced by middle class families in these cities having more than one TV set.

Under the present provisions, a family would be required to buy as many set top boxes as the number of TV sets owned by it and pay rentals accordingly.

''Middle class families, which constitute 50-60 per cent of the households, would be hard hit financially. This calls for a fair provision of treating one household with one or more TV sets as one unit,'' he said in his letter.

Mr Rao further pointed out that one set top box (STB) would cost the family between Rs 2500 and Rs 4000 and a monthly rental of Rs 250-400, depending upon the pay channels subscribed by the family.

''A family with two TV sets would, therefore, have to spend Rs 500-800 and with three TV sets Rs 750-1200 every month,'' he said, while suggesting that the service providers should be asked to provide technical support to the family for viewing different channels simultaneously on different TV sets in the house.

Mr Rao said the existing provisions made it imperative to consider the issue on a ''top priority'' basis and make a suitable amendment or issue ''executive instructions'' allowing one household with one or more TV sets to be treated as one unit for the purpose of rental payment for dish antenna or cable connection.

Further, all the TV sets in one household should be serviced with different channels simultaneously with one set top box installed in the house for receiving signals of both pay and free-to-air channels.

''The members of a family with separate TV sets should be given the choice of viewing a particular channel on the TV set available with them,'' he said.

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