Want to be recognized as front line warriors
Insurance facility and passes for mobility is a priority
Need to prioritize vaccine for Cable industry people
Pay rich tributes to the COVID victims of the cable industry
Planning to stop telecast of all channels during a day
The already burdened cable television industry met another blow when TRAI announced its New Tariff Order (NTO 2.0) on January 1, 2020. It imposed a few more restrictions on the cable TV industry at a time when it was facing many problems. They include doubling the number of free channels and charging only 40% of the Network Capacity Fee for a second connection. On the other hand, with threats such as set-top box portability, MSOs and the LCOs feel threatened as their investment in STBs is likely to go wasted.
The problems faced by the cable sector during the last year’s lockdown are well known. It is obvious that broadcasters have given the repeat content and made the LCOs and MSOs to collect full subscription during the lockdown period. The LVO staff had to go door-to-door in such a difficult situation. On the one hand, the cable sector had to work in such dangerous situation since the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has written to the Cable TV industry to see that the transmission is seamless.so that people confine themselves to indoors.
However, those working in the cable sector are not recognized as front line warriors on par with the police, doctors, paramedical staff and ASHA workers. The government did not care about the cable sector even though it had declared many groups as Covid warriors and provided them with insurance facility. Now the government is acting recklessly even when the situation became worse in the second wave.
Once identified as a front line warrior, the families of the deceased hopes to find support in the event of an unforeseen event. Moreover, those in the cable sector have lost the opportunity to be vaccinated due to lack of such recognition. It is atrocious that the government does not even allow cable staff to be vaccinated, at least in advance, though they have to work in a very dangerous environment.
Many people in the cable sector have lost their lives in the Corona Second Wave in recent times. They had to lose their lives for working with professional commitment. Those who ordered the transmission of channels to continue even during the lock-down could not guarantee their lives. At least they have to come forward to support their families. In addition to providing immediate financial assistance, it is essential to provide employment for one member of the family.
In the past, when the central government imposed a lock-down, emergency services included the print and TV media as well as the cable sector and internet service providers were allowed to function as essential service and passes were given for free movement. But the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have completely ignored this sector and as such the police are not in a position to issue passes to enable them to perform their duties. The state governments have not mentioned about the cable sector in their lockdown / curfew guidelines.
Under these circumstances the MSOS and LCOs feel that there is a need to pay tributes to the departed souls and show their solidarity and to to express sympathy to their families. The MSOs and LCOs of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are planning to stop cable TV transmission from 10 am to 5 pm during the day and bring their demands to the notice of the people as well as the two state governments. Leaders of the two states’ Joint Action Committees will meet to discuss the issue and announce the future course of action including the date of the protest.
