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.
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