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Govt. seems agreeable to main pay channels coming within Rs 200: Mukerjea
NEW DELHI: The Indian government is not averse to the idea if the main channels, including the sports and entertainment ones like Star Plus, Zee TV, Sony, Star Sports, etc, being priced within Rs 200, while the rest can come at an extra cost.
This was indicated to Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea during a meeting he had today with additional secretary (broadcasting) in the information and broadcasting ministry, Vijay Singh.
Pointing out that on Monday a meeting with broadcasters would be held on CAS, Singh said that if the main channels come for Rs 200, it would be okay with the government. If the hint is to be taken then the pay channels would price themselves accordingly, though there seems to be some resistance from broadcasters to come out with a la carte price for pay channels.
Still, Mukerjea told indiantelevision.com, “Star will come back with a pricing that is better explained for its logic and would have to be lower than what they are because the Prime Minister has said that he would like CAS to be consumer-friendly. If he has said so, we will have to do something (with the price).” We that the price of Star channels may work out to something between Rs 35-40 “depending on the number of boxes that are there in the market.” So, it’s the boxes that are important.
Earlier, talking to journalists a relaxed Mukerjea took on the cable operators and critics of the prices that were conveyed sometime back by Star, Sony and ESPN-Star Sports, which was described by the I&B ministry secretary as a “non-serious offer”.
Saying that “people with limited intelligence” could not understand the logic behind the price, Mukerjea said that what the cable ops did was to add up all the a la carte prices and tom-tom it as being too high. “The prices have been misread and we would come back in a few days time with a better interpretation of the prices suggested,” he added.
According to Mukerjea, the pricing, supported by Sony, Star and ESS, was based on the fact that those who would buy a la carte would not buy all channels and those who would buy all channels would buy the bouquets or the tiers. “Either way, the viewers stands to gain,” he added.
He also said that in the earlier pricing Zee had been included with all Zee channels totaling up to Rs 60, but now “talks are being held with Mr. Jawahar Goel” in this regard.”
His main message seems to be that the pricing suggested through various tiers need to be better explained to the industry, government and conveyed properly to the consumers.
News Broadcasting
UDF poised to return to power in Kerala, says Manorama-CVoter survey
Massive opinion poll projects shift in Kerala politics ahead of 2026 Assembly elections.
MUMBAI: The winds of change appear to be blowing through Kerala’s political landscape and this time, they seem to favour the United Democratic Front. A comprehensive mega opinion survey conducted by Manorama News in partnership with CVoter projects a potential comeback for the UDF in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections 2026. The survey, covering all 140 constituencies with a massive sample size of nearly 90,000 respondents, predicts the UDF could win between 69 and 81 seats.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 57 to 69 seats, a significant drop from the 99 seats it won in the 2021 elections. This would mean the LDF losing 30 to 42 of its sitting seats. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which drew a blank in 2021, is projected to open its account with 1 to 5 seats.
Region-wise, the UDF is expected to make strong gains in Malabar, winning 25 to 34 out of 48 seats, and in Central Kerala, where it could bag 29 to 33 out of 53 seats. In South Kerala, the LDF is likely to retain an edge with 21 to 25 seats, while the UDF may improve to 12 to 16 seats. The NDA could pick up 1 to 3 seats in the southern region.
The survey was conducted between 14 and 26 March 2026, with additional tracker and snap polls carried out from December 2025 to March 2026. A total of 89,693 respondents participated, ensuring representation across all demographics and social segments.
Manorama News has a strong track record of accuracy, with its previous projections closely matching the actual results of the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2021 Kerala Assembly polls.
In Kerala’s famously fierce political battles, this survey suggests the pendulum may be swinging back. Whether the final verdict matches these numbers or throws up another surprise, one thing is clear, the 2026 Assembly elections are shaping up to be one of the most keenly watched contests in the state’s history.
