Dimapur, July 21: A workshop on cable TV digitization for all nodal officers from north eastern states was held at Hotel Classic Grande, Chingmeirong Road, Imphal on Wednesday.
The workshop was organized to review the progress implementation of cable TV digitization Phase III & Phase IV in the NE States.
In the workshop, Joint Director, IPR Tokishe Sema who led the IPR team highlighted the status of Cable TV Digitization Phase III being carried out in the urban areas of Nagaland State where he informed that almost 50% of digitization has been completed. He also informed that the Department of Information and Public Relation, Nagaland has conducted a workshop on cable TV Digitization in the month of November 2015 where all the Multi System Operators (MSOs), Local Cable Operators (LCOs) and District Nodal Officers within the State had attended the workshop.The Ministry Information & Broadcasting Advisor, Yogendra Pal spoke as the resource person. He gave a brief highlight on the introduction of Digitized Addressable System (DAS) in India where Nagaland State is under phase III. He said that Cable TV Digitization has many positive sides which would provide good quality of picture and sound with Electronic Program Guide (EPG) including multiple choices of channels where it gives choice to consumers. It would bring in transparency as the signals of the cable operator are encrypted and can be received only through a set top box after due authorization from the service provider, he added. He also added that one important feature of digitization was the broadband service through the digitized cable operators.
Pointing out some of the cable TV networks (Regulation) Act 1995, the Advisor, Yogendra highlighted some major provisions and further emphasized on the Section-3 (Registration); Section-4 (DAS); Section-5 (Program Code); Section-6 (Advertisement Code); Section-8 (Compulsory Channels); Section-9 (Standard of equipment) and Section-10 (Inspection). He said that the Act mandates the following Authorized Officers namely: District Magistrate or Sub-Divisional Magistrate or Commissioner of Police within the local limits of jurisdiction for implementation who has power to seize equipments being used by cable operators if the given provisions have being contravened. He also highlighted the roles and responsibility of the nodal officers of the State and further informed that a toll free helpline No. 1800 180 4343 has also been launched to facilitate any queries in eight languages in regard to the cable TV digitization.
During the workshop, discussions were taken up on various provisions of the Cable Television Network Act including penalty for violating the Act or for running unathorised channels etc.
The workshop organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India for Nodal Officers of North Eastern States was attended by Nodal Officers from Nagaland and Manipur.
