The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Cable TV operators asked to ensure clear Doordarshan signals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Cable TV operators asked to ensure clear Doordarshan signals

Staff Reporter

Consumers complaining about the quality of broadcast: officials Consumers complaining about the quality of broadcast: officials

CHENNAI: Senior officials of Doordarshan met up with representatives of the cable TV industry on Monday in the city and asked them to telecast signals of the Doordarashan channels clearly.

Representatives from the city's two multi-system operators, Sumangali Cable Vision and Hathway, and several other cable TV operators participated in the meeting organised at a top hotel. Doordarshan director S. Perumaal and Police Commissioner R. Nataraj were also present.

Doordarshan officials said the `friendly' meeting was to remind cable TV operators that government had, two months ago, made it mandatory to for all operators to add five more Doordarshan channels -- Sports, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Bharathi and Gyan Darshan -- to the bouquet of free-to-air channels. These channels in addition to DD National, News and Podhigai must reach the 15 lakh-plus cable TV homes in the city without any technical problems, they added.

"We have been receiving several complaints from our consumers that Doordarshan signals are not clear in most localities," Doordarshan's superintending engineer said. He added that the signals on the trunk lines of the MSOs were clear. The onus was on the cable TV operators, or last mile operators as they are called, to provide clear signals. "The signals on the cable TV is poorer when compared to the signals seen through Direct to Home dishes. This problem must be rectified."

Cable TV operators said they were under pressure from subscribers to provide only popular channels on the prime band and questioned Doordarshan officials on what efforts were being taken to improve the quality of programmes.

"Improve the quality and we will be forced to show them on prime bands."

One of the cable TV operators said the only way to improve signals of all channels was to implement conditional access system across the country.

"Right now Chennai is the only city with CAS and residents are still apprehensive about purchasing Set Top Boxes. If CAS is implemented in all metros and other cities, then the entire transmission would be through digital network. Then the question of quality of signal will not even arise."

Cable TV operators thanked Doordarshan for having recognised them formally by calling them for the meeting.

Help desk

Any problem with your cable TV signals? You can contact the MSOs directly at their helpdesk in the following numbers:

Sumangali Cable Vision: 2817 9191

Hathway cable: 521 07676/ 521 07878 (Between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.)

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