Government to disallow pay channel bundling post-CAS

NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: In a move that puts paid to the pay channels’ plans to offer bundled bouquets in a post-CAS regime, the government is set to shoot it down.
The I&B ministry will be issuing a notification tomorrow stating that broadcasters have to declare individual pricing for each pay channel and disallowing the bundling of pay channels.
According to a senior I&B official, the notification will mean that whether it is offered as part of a bundled package or a la carte, the channel’s price will remain the same. There is a second point in the notification that says after announcing a price, a channel cannot raise the subscription rate for the next six months without informing the government.
A second notification expected to be issued tomorrow pertains to the basic tier. It will cost Rs 72 and will compulsorily have a minimum of 30 FTA channels.

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