State switches off cable TV signal to nearly 9 lakh homes

AS PART OF THE THIRD PHASE OF THE CABLE TV DIGITISATION DRIVE, THE STATE HAS DECIDED TO PULL THE PLUG ON THE CONVENTIONAL CABLE TELEVISION

MUMBAI: Following a Central government order, the state has now switched off the analog cable television signals that beam television content into nearly 9 lakh homes across Maharashtra. As part of a third phase of the cable TV digitisation drive conducted nationally to digitise cable TV, the state government has, starting Friday, decided to pull the plug on the conventional cable television.

According to the state government, the TV screens in a total of 8.75 lakh homes will go blank because of their failure to install digital set-top boxes. This has been a long-pending decision that the Centre had been dilly-dallying over. Announcing the decision, revenue minister Eknath Khadse said, “We have been repeatedly requesting customers to switch to set-top boxes. However, multisystem operators and local cable operators have not been able to implement the decision effectively. Hence, the Centre has now decided to not give any more extensions and switch off the signals with immediate effect, from the night of December 31.”

The State government, while implementing the decision, had initially asked for a one-year extension for customers to switch over to set-top boxes. However, the Centre rejected the request and instead, asked all States to imple ment the decision at the end of the deadline, which was December 31 Earlier, this deadline had been set to September 30, which was later extended to December 31 .

Khadse, welcoming the deci sion, said that the diktat would also lead to a surge in the revenue collected in the State’s coffers “Currently, we collect about Rs650 crore annually from the business However, there are leakages and losses we suffer because signal theft is a common feature, espe cially in rural areas. This will be avoided and the customer will get a clear and a digital picture.” While the signals to households with ana log cable TVS will be switched off Khadse said that those who choose to migrate to set-top boxes can avail of immediate relief.