Conditional Access System (CAS) is a good thing. It should have been implemented in Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi and Madras in 2003. It was implemented in Madras. In other cities it was not implemented due to opposition from some people.
Pay channels take consumers for granted in cable system. After ESPN and Star Sports joined together they charge as they like. Whenever there is sports event a new channel bags the rights and they charge for telecast. For 2006 Football World Cup Ten Sports bagged the rights. For a cricket tour in 2006 Sahara Plus bagged the right and became pay channel. People have to pay whether they watch the channels or not.
In Madras consumers have benefited. After introduction of CAS people did not want pay channels. Pay channels became free to air channels. People had to pay less.
In other cities cable subscription charges have gone up. Did the people who opposed CAS want the consumers to benefit or owners of pay channels? In Evershine City charges went up from Rs.200/- to Rs.250/- to Rs.275/-. That is the experience of other places. Why people have to pay charges for the channels they do not want? Delhi High Court has ordered the implementation of CAS in Bombay, Calcutta and Delhi by 31/12/2006. In other parts of India it should be implemented by 31/12/2007.
Direct to Home (DTH) is there. It has not made much headway. Zee and DD have DTH. Star and some other networks do not have DTH.
There should be paper view option in CAS and DTH. People pay for the particular programmes they want to watch.