35% hike in cable TV rates likely

bangalore: all cable tv operators in karnataka will meet on april 19 and 20 to discuss problems faced by them in the light of new levies announced in the union and state budgets. subscribers have expressed unwillingness to pay more as a hike by pay channels is more than routine nowadays. the meet will include cable operators from mumbai and delhi who will share their experiences and help arrive at a probable monthly subscription rate in karnataka for the upper, middle and lower middle-class areas.a similar exercise is being held in all states of india to update cable operators on various hikes being proposed and imposed by various quarters. ``in karnataka, the subscribers will soon have to pay a 35 per cent hike,'''' says p. mohan, president of the karnataka cable tv chamber of commerce, explaining the burden of different levies in recent times. he adds that subscribers have bargaining power and hence ``are willing to bargain with any rate we arrive at. but we are the middlemen who have to bear the brunt.'''' consumers are not willing to buy this line, however. in areas like koramangala, the residents have got together to fight ``a growing menace called cable operator. cable operators hike fees without giving a reason,'''' says a member of the koramangala association. any hike will be considered by all the members before making an actual payment. in other areas like austin town, the cable operator has hiked the monthly fee from rs 150 to 180 from april 1. the subscribers, however, have an option of paying an annual fee, in which case, they are given a month''s connection free as a sop. in case of any further hike, the subscribers have been promised protection. ``in case of a hike in the future, i will pay it from my pocket. the annual fee collected from the 100-odd houses will be rotated for other business as cable operations are not profitable,'''' says a cable operator from austin town. cable operators argue that if slums pay only rs 75 a month as subscription fee, ``it also means that they do not watch baywatch. they need only four channels, out of which doordarshan is one.'''' it is difficult to convince subscribers that different areas are updated with different facilities and hence the variation in subscription rates. mohan says that while delhi and mumbai channel surfers pay anything between rs 180 and rs 350, bangaloreans complain if they have to pay anything more than rs 150. ``pay channels hike fees based on the additional television sets sold but more people are changing television sets than buying new ones,'''' he adds. with the upcoming meet, cable operators in karnataka might learn on how to collect more from their delhi and mumbai counterparts. but how about the latest in technology offered in north india?