Cable TV players flayed for fleecing consumers

Bengaluru: Cable TV operators  are taking consumers for a ride by providing them  packages  with a  limited number of channels for a  hefty fee while  neighbouring Tamil Nadu  offers 100 channels for just Rs 70, says Mr V. K. Somashekar, member of the civic and consumer advisory committee of the Federation of Chamber of Commerce, Karnataka.

“Even the free channels like Doordarshan  are included in these packages. Consumers are facing severe problems with cable operators dictating their own terms and taking them for granted, but can do nothing about it,” he laments, adding, “The right to choose is a basic right under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, but  this has been flouted with impunity by operators framing their own terms under the pretext of offering packages.  To top it all,  their quality of service is pathetic.”

While welcoming information minister, R Roshan Baig’s statement that an ultimatum would be given to cable TV operators across the state to either reduce their monthly subscription fee or face competition from the government, he feels the state also needs to set up a grievance cell to help consumers  lodge their complaints against the operators.

“Digitalisation was introduced in the metros  and  tier II cities to provide transparency and choice of channels, but this was strongly resisted by the Karnataka cable TV  operators on the grounds that there were not enough set-top boxes available to support the scheme. But when the government wasn’t moved by their protests, the cable operators began to charge the consumers a hefty fee,” he says, also regretting that while the Broadcasting Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) has introduced several measures to protect consumers, they are not being implemented. “BRAI is aware of the problems and is coming to Bengaluru for a workshop next month to address several of these issues,”  he reveals.