Pay channels start going off screens

KOLKATA: Blank pay channel screens on Wednesday morning greeted thousands of SITI Cable, Hathway and Manthan subscribers — who account for about 80% of the city’s cable TV viewers — leading to panic and confusion.

Soon, most realized that the blackout was partial and they still had a clutch of pay channels — courtesy a package devised by their multi-system operators (MSOs) for those who are yet to provide their list of selected pay channels.


While SITI Cable said it had activated multiple packages for the ‘non-respondents’ so that they don’t miss all their pay channels, Hathaway offered one for those who didn’t submit their list till Tuesday evening. Manthan, too, withdrew some of the pay channels, including the popular entertainment ones, but continued to air several pay channels.


MSOs said they had no other option as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) deadline of February 7 was just 24 hours away. However, a large number of subscribers said they had not been approached with a list. Others said they were not happy with the packages offered. New Alipore resident Debjani Ghosh said her cable operator handed her a list of broadcasters’ packages on Tuesday morning. “I had been calling the cable office for a week, but none responded. Now, they have switched off most pay channels within 12 hours of handing me a list. I didn’t get to choose my channels,” she said.

Kolkata’s largest MSO, SITI Cable switched off pay channels for those who had not provided their preferred channel list. “They have been moved to packages which are close to the ones they now have. In case they want other channels, they must either log on to our app or contact the cable operators,” said SITI Cable director Suresh Sethia.

Hathway claimed that just 20% of its subscribers’ pay channels have been blanked out as they did not respond. “They have been given a basic pack with major entertainment and news channels. Some had asked for just the free-to-air channels. We have completed the migration of the rest and they have their selected channels. Those who haven’t submitted their lists can do it now either using our app or through cable operators,” an official said.

Sixty-five-year-old Haridevpur resident Tapas Pradhan was not happy with the forced truncated package. “A number of sports and news channels I follow are missing. I am still in the process of selecting my channels so the switch-off was premature,” he said.