Cable Operators Association of Pakistan (COAP) will invest Rs 90 billion to replace analog cable system with digital cable TV system within a year across the country. Addressing a press conference the representatives of COAP along with Absar Alam, Chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), here on Friday they said the association has requested the government to declare cable operators as an industry and provide it tax holiday for importing the material required for digitalisation of cable TV networks.
Chairman Pemra said the Association and authority have reached a consensus over extending the deadline for switching local cable operators from the current analog to digital cable TV in major cities of Pakistan by end May, while entire urban area of the country by the end of September 2016 will be digitalized.
Alam said the regulator will take stern action against all those private TV channels found involved in violating set rules and regulations, adding that recently license of two private TV channels on this account have been cancelled and some TV channels have been warned for airing controversial material.
"Being the chairman of authority I will make all-out efforts to protect the interests of all the stakeholders and will make sure freedom of speech should not be compromised in implementing code of ethics on electronic media," he said. The cable operators highlighted the issues of massive investment, poor purchasing power of subscribers and lack of immediate availability of local set top boxes in Pakistani market. Issues of excessive taxation and import duties were also discussed.
Alam said that cable operators have unanimously requested the regulator for a workable and mutually agreed extension of deadline and made a commitment to meet that deadline in letter and spirit. A phased-wise mechanism has been agreed according to which in first phase major cities including Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Hyderabad and other will be digitalized.
Alam after hearing the reservations and problems of cable operators at length agreed to offer reasonable and mutually agreed time to cable operators to meet the digitalisation deadline. He assured cable operators of maximum facilitation under the law. It was also agreed that the analogue cable systems will be switched off in phases to facilitate low-income subscribers.
He said that at present cable operators licenses are being issued for a period of five years but now the authority on the request of operators has decided to issue licenses for ten years. To facilitate operators the authority in all the regional offices has deputed well educated people who will provide all kinds of assistance to operators from registration to filling forms.