I&B Ministry cancel registration of four MSOs for violating DAS guidelines

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on 25th February has cancelled permanent registration of four multi-system operators (MSOs) for violating digital addressable system guidelines. 

These four MSOs are Nalgonda-based IB Communications, New Delhi-based Eminent Cable Network, Amritsar-based God Father Communication and Gurgaon-based Supersonic Networks. 

The Ministry earlier has also cancelled the registration of Pune based MSO Intermedia Cable Communication (ICC), but the MSO   had subsequently got a stay order against the cancellation

The Ministry has earlier issued a notice to 20 MSOs for not full-filling the licensing criteria of providing digital cable service in Phase II cities. 

As per information provided by the MIB, there are 150 MSOs registered with the ministry to operate in DAS-notified areas, as on 30 December 2013. Recently, MIB secretary Bimal Julka had said that the ministry had approved licences of 70 MSOs. 

Last year, the MIB had cancelled registration of 20 MSOs for failing to set up a digital headend, which was one of the conditions for all MSOs to comply with. 

Of the 20 MSOs, as many as four namely Bitto Cable Network, Surya Digital Broadcasting, Tanku Communication Network, and Ajit Cable & Satellite had lost provisional registration for all the cities. The remaining 16 had lost registration only for cities where they had failed to operationalise their licences by setting up digital headends. 

Among the leading MSOs who have lost provisional licenses for various cities include GTPL, Digi Maharaja, Fastway Transmission, Sea TV Network, Kaizen Digital and Siti Vision Media. 

With the introduction of DAS, the government had amended the Cable Television Networks Rules on 28 April 2012, according to which an MSO that operates in DAS-notified areas has to take necessary permission from the MIB, in addition to registration as a cable operator.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/4349-i-b-ministry-cancel-registration-of-four-msos-for-violating-das-guidelines.html
Source: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/4349-i-b-ministry-cancel-registration-of-four-msos-for-violating-das-guidelines.html