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THE DTH DECISION: COULD STILL GO EITHER WAY
A month or so ago, it appeared as if I&B minister
Pramod Mahajan would have his way and the ban issued by the
telecom department on DTH a couple of years ago would be lifted
within the next few months. And the process would be relatively
easy. However, with several groups opposing the lifting of
the ban and intense lobbying commencing against it, a decision
is likely to take longer than just a few months. In fact,
it is so delicately balanced that if DTH wannabes don't act
fast the decision could well go against them.
Mahajan has already made statements that the DTH issue is
more potent than the nuclear blasts that India conducted mid-last
year. His gung-ho-ism has become less so and he has become
cautious as the intensity of the anti-DTH lobby has gathered
pace. Even his minister of state M.A. Naqvi has been making
noises that DTH should not be allowed without the remote control
being in the government's hands.
To make matters worse, starting early this month seminars
are being held in almost every metro and large city. (These
are being organised in a gradual build up to the Parliament
session, which is slated to start on 22 February). Each of
these is being hosted by an unknown social interest group,
which is being funded by some vested interest.
In fact, Subhash Chandra's Zee TV is at the
forefront of one round of seminars, which are to be conducted
in Calcutta, Chennai, Allahabad, and several other cities.
One each has already been held in Mumbai and Delhi. At these
seminars or discussion groups leading local political or social
personalities, are called to give their views on DTH. And,
of course, journalists are invited to attend.
In the Mumbai seminar, one public face said
that if the government wants to lift the ban on DTH, it should
give Indian satellite telephony companies the go-ahead in
India. (Subhash Chandra has a satellite telephony project,
which has faced trouble with various governments.)
Another public functionary said that only Indian
companies should be allowed to launch DTH ventures and the
authorities should fund Zee TV in its project. He went to
the extent of saying that if Star TV's ISkyB or any foreign
group is given the go-ahead members of his 700,000 organisation
would go on a fast unto death.
Several of those present said that the government
would have no control over DTH as the technology is too sophisticated
to be curbed in case of misuse. "Pornography, religious differences,
will be played up by those people in DTH," was the general
view. The attitude was clearly that DTH is a genie that has
to be left in the bottle. The Save India Society and the Society
for Advancement of Economic Growth, which hosted the Mumbai
seminar, ended it by saying that there should be a national
debate on DTH.
While some may dismiss the statements as those
of misinformed people, their views will be used to mould public
and political opinion against DTH. The public and political
opinion could well swell as the anti-DTH lobby spreads its
seminars nationwide.
In 1997, DTH television was banned because
of bad perception and crisis management by ISkyB. The situation
could well be repeated this year, because Star TV and ISkyB
have not rid themselves of those shortcomings. This could
happen despite the fact that the department of telecom has
said that Ku-band frequencies have to be opened up.
If the government does succeed in opening up DTH, it could
well use it as a pivot to draw up regulations for the entire
broadcasting sector through executive orders. If it fails,
it could probably mean a longer delay for broadcasting regulations
in India. Governments have found it difficult to pass the
Broadcasting Bill over the past couple of years. It may well
gather dust for another two.
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