Direct-to-home (DTH) TV viewers in the country will have to bear the risks of illegal subscriptions for a few more months.

The government’s efforts to legalize DTH is likely to take up to eight more months, according to the information and communications ministry.

This is because Bhutan broadcasting service (BBS) and its local agent company in India, Greycells18 Media Ltd., are yet to sign an agreement.

The inclusion of the BBS channel in the imported DTH package is a major condition to be fulfilled by Airtel and its local partner in having rights to distribute in Bhutan.

Representatives from the Greycells18 Media, along with Airtel and a possible local partner, Uden cables (Samdrup Jongkhar), BBS, and the government met earlier this week in Thimphu to try to finalize an agreement.

According to BBS managing director, Pema Choden, certain concerns and issues had to be clarified at the meeting.

For one, she said the discussion is still ongoing on acquiring funds from the royal government to pay for downlinking BBS in India. BBS’s local agent, Greycells18 Media will have to pay the Indian government an annual fee of Nu 200,000, excluding various other fees, if authorized to downlink BBS.

But before that happens, several changes or revisions will have to be made to the agreement with Greycells18 Media, said Pema Choden. Once revised and accepted by BBS, Greycells18 Media will apply to the Indian government to downlink BBS.

“India has a whole host of laws and regulations on this so it will take a few months,” said communications secretary, Dasho Kinley Dorji. “It could take from three to eight months,” he said.

Discussions on what kind of packages and rates would be provided were also discussed at the meeting. But details were not provided to the media. Kuensel learned that the lightest package could consist of more than the 50 channels local cable provides and will also be cheaper than the Nu 300 monthly cable rate.

With DTH in Bhutan being legal only in principle, Bhutanese subscribers have been falling prey to distributors from across the border in India. Indian distributors have been misusing recharge fees sent by Bhutanese customers knowing no legal action can be taken.

Dasho Kinley Dorji said that once a local provider is established, the government will have to take steps to “undo the illegal operation”. He added, “I hope that all those who have illegal DTH today, will switch over to the licensed operator.” Media regulatory body, BICMA, also earlier told Kuensel that current subscribers would have to terminate their subscriptions or face legal action, once a local DTH provider is established.

The government is introducing DTH so that it can primarily take BBS to rural areas in Bhutan. The move to establish a local DTH provider is also to enable content regulation as the provider would have to follow local content rules. Source: Kuenselonline