I&B Ministry
Industry given till 5 Nov. for final CAS comments
MUMBAI: The information & broadcasting ministry is laying the final groundwork for the tabling of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2002, that will bring about the introduction of conditional access systems (CAS) in the country.
I&B Ministry joint secretary Rakesh Mohan, who is heading the government task force on the introduction of CAS, has given interested parties (broadcasters and the cable industry) till 5 November for any last representations they may wish to make. After this the task force will prepare the final draft of the CAS Bill for tabling when Parliament convenes for the Winter Session by mid-November.
A meeting convened today in Mumbai by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) on the CAS issue saw good representation from both the broadcasters as well the cable industry for an intense debate on the proposed legislation. Mohan, while making it clear that the government had more or less made up its mind on the matter, said his task force was open to discussions on any further points the industry had to make.
Mohan stated that the government saw CAS as an enabling legislation that would be rolled out in the four metros in the first phase
According to sources who were present at the meeting, the gist of what Mohan had to say as regards the key issues, was as follows:
What is the basic cost per subscriber that an operator incurs for providing cable service? The costing estimate should include both investment as well as operational expenditure, Mohan said. He added that while the task force had its own estimates worked out, it was open to further clarifications as long as inflated costings were avoided.
The ministry had yet to take a final call on whether the basic tier (CAS provides for a two-tier system: basic and premium) should have a flat service charge or it needs to be based on a per channel costing. For instance, if a Rs 3 tab is put on each channel in the basic tier, then a 30-channel package will cost Rs 90.
Whether the government should decide the strength of the basic tier (as in the minimum number of channels that will be included) or whether it should spell out a minimum number of genres that should be included in the basic tier is still being debated.
On the issue of the government mandating the number of genres to be included, there appears to be a common opposition, not so on strength of the basic tier. Speaking for the cable fraternity were not just the MSOs, but local cable operators as well, who were quite forceful in their demand that the FTA package pricing needed to be determined by the government. The issue was that of their very survival was the point that was made.
I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati extends Waves OTT channel onboarding deadline to 31 March 2026
Broadcasters gain extra time for applications on revenue-sharing streaming platform.
MUMBAI: Riding the Waves of digital delay, Prasar Bharati has thrown broadcasters a lifeline by pushing back the deadline for hopping aboard its OTT platform because who doesn’t love a bit more time to stream their dreams? India’s public service broadcaster, on 19 February 2026, announced an extension to the original cut-off from 1 December 2025, giving eager satellite TV channels until 31 March 2026 to submit their bids for a spot on Waves. This follows the initial call-out dated 17 November 2025 under notice No. OTT/2(02)/2024/Platform/529, inviting licensed linear channels to join the streaming party for a one-year stint starting from their onboard date.
Only channels permitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) for downlinking and distribution in India qualify, and applications must come straight from the companies holding those golden tickets no third-party proxies allowed. Broadcasters need to supply an SCTE-35 marker-enabled feed to signal ad breaks, ensuring the stream flows smoothly without awkward pauses.
Here’s where the money tune plays, Successful channels get carried on a revenue-sharing basis, splitting the net spoils 65:35, that’s 65 per cent to the channel and 35 per cent to Prasar Bharati after deducting costs like transcoding, CDN bandwidth, and ad agency commissions. Prasar Bharati handles ad insertions at marker points, and if slots go unfilled, they’ll plug in promos for themselves or the channels, keeping the vibe promotional yet practical.
No room for fuzzy details applicants must provide crystal-clear proof of their channel’s genre (think GEC, movies, music, news & current affairs, sports, devotional, kids, or others) and language, backed by evidence from MSO/DTH placements, regulatory nods like TRAI or MIB, DAVP docs, or even BARC ratings. Ambiguity? That’s a swift rejection slip.
Channels get ranked by their DAVP rate card prowess, with the highest bidders in each category snagging the streaming slots, it’s like a broadcast beauty contest judged on ad rates across time bands. The application drill? Fill out the prescribed form in Annexure-1, bundle it with docs from Annexure-2 (including permissions, logos, PAN, GST, undertakings, and authority letters), and email the lot to ddfreedish@prasarbharati.gov.in by 5:00 PM on 31 March 2026.
Interim submissions aren’t left in the lurch, they’ll be considered too. Winners receive a ‘Letter of Allotment’, followed by a must-sign agreement in two originals within 15 days, plus tech details for seamless integration. For the full playbook, dip into clause 11.2 of Prasar Bharati’s Content Sourcing Policy 2024 on their website.
In a world where streaming wars rage on, this extension might just be the breather broadcasters need to tune up their pitches after all, better late than never in the OTT ocean.
