Cable Operators Association Demands DTH Auction Postponement

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Nov, 2016 ) : Chairman Cable Operators Association Khalid Arain on Tuesday demanded that PEMRA should postpone its decision to auction three Direct to Home (DTH) television licences for at least two years.

Addressing a press conference along with other office bearers here he expressed the hope that decision on postponement of DTH auction will be made by the government by Friday. He said that the Cable Operators Association office bearers would hold a meeting with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) on Friday.

He claimed that the PBA had supported the stance of cable operators. He said that they had for the time being postponed their protest and call for cable shutdown on November 17 had also been withdrawn.

"We will chalk out our future strategy after meeting with Ishaq Dar and the PBA," said Arain. He dismissed the media reports that they were demanding end of ban on Indian content. He said they themselves voluntarily stopped showing Indian content so allegations of working for Indian lobby was baseless.

He said that the DTH launch would benefit only three companies at the cost of millions of people associated with the cable business. Capt (ret) Jabbar said that billions of rupees were spent on the digitalization of the cable networks in the country and if DTH system was launched at this stage, that investment would be wasted.

He demanded that instead of DTH, digitalization of cable networks should be promoted.