Conditional access Bill will be passed: Sushma

The government is confident that the amendments to the Cable Television (Regulation) Act, 1995, to implement the conditional access system-based cable television distribution system will be passed in Rajya Sabha when it comes up for consideration on December 10.

"The Bill will come up in Rajya Sabha on December 10 and it will be passed after a discussion on it," Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Friday. The amendments were cleared by Lok Sabha earlier this year.

The broadcasters, who have been opposing the Bill since its introduction, have also come to support it recently.

The amendment will stipulate the number of free-to-air channels in a group of cable operators based on the distribution area of the cable operator.

As per the amendment, the government will direct cable operators the number of free-to-air channels based on the state, city and locality of the cable operator.

Besides, the government will also work out subscription charges for the free-to-air channels based on the state, the city and the region.

The government will also ensure that the cable operators are meeting its directions in the pricing and the number of the free-to-air channels.

She also said the information and broadcasting ministry was taking application from the Rupert Murdoch-promoted Star TV to start a news channel in the country for the consideration of the Union Cabinet.

"New channel by a foreign company is a new area. We want the Cabinet to take a look at the application of the company and take a decision on this," Swaraj said.

She also said the government had received an application from Golf Digest to publish from India under the non-news and non-current affairs category of publications. "We are examining the proposal," she said.