Sri Lankan authorities to crackdown on illicit satellite and cable TV trade
Sri Lankan authorities are intensifying a crackdown on unauthorised satellite and cable television stations, and dubious distributors who sell dish TV satellite receivers as well as users of such facilities without a valid licence, officials said. These llegal operators have around 300,000 Sri Lankan subscribers.
Officials and police are looking out for residents as well as commercial establishments that use dish TV satellite receiver units illegally, they revealed.
According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Mass Media and Information, there are around 300,000 Sri Lankans using illegal DTH devices such as dish antennas and set-top boxes purchased from vendors through which various Indian channels and other foreign channels were being viewed in the country, Ministry Secretary Dr. Charitha Herath told Business Times. He pointed out that there is a huge blackmarket in the satellite and cable TV segment with over 500 illegal operators
Any institution which operates a television station using satellite or cable technology for business or personnel viewing should have a valid licence issued by the Ministry of Mass Media and Information and the Telecommunication regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka, he disclosed. Maintaining a satellite or/and cable based television station or to importing , producing, selling, renting, repairing or distributing any satellite or cable TV related equipment is an offence punishable under the country’s law.
The licensee has no authority to hand over or transfer the satellite or cable base television broadcasting licence issued under specific regulations and conditions to any other party, individual or an institution.
Any agreement entered into with such illegal station operated by any individual, or an institution without a valid licence will be null and void before the law of the country, he said.
The Ministry has published a notice in newspapers warning unauthorised satellite or/and cable based television stations, vendors, distributors, and users of illegal DTH devices such as dish antennas and set-top boxes.
He said that these subscribers are paying fees amounting to millions of rupees to India and some foreign countries via Internet as subscription fee for foreign content especially Indian direct-to-home platforms.
Some illegal cable operators are selling Indian channels to their customers who have also bought these dishes as there is a huge demand for them in Sri Lanka, though some individuals
Initial installation of an Indian DTH device costs about Rs 3500 and further payments for renewal and subscriptions are done online, he added.
“At many places, illegal cable operators offer connections at cheaper rates as they do not pay a licence fee,” he said.
The monthly payment is between Rs. 100 to 300 compared to a monthly payment ranging from Rs. 500 t0 over Rs. 2,000 for legitimate users.
Some licence cable and satellite TV companies have given franchise rights to substations.
According to the licence issued by the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC), they can acquire substations, but cannot offer franchise rights to operate under a different brand name, Dr. Herath said.
Pay TV licence holders such as Dialog are using the method of down link and up link method in transmitting TV programmes to their customers and that is the legal method as any content could be blocked by the authorities if it is detrimental to the country and society, he said.
But illegal operators are using the Direct to House (DtH) system which cannot be monitored by the authorities, he said, adding that it allows operators to down link any kind of content detrimental to the country’s culture and security, he opined. TRC Director General Anusha Pelpita told the Business Times that action is being taken with the local police and the CID to raid and arrest operators
Around 50 to 100 raids were conducted in the past few months but it is not easy to detect such places without the information provided by the public.
Some of these stations claim that they have franchise rights, but there are others that are down-linking illegally he said adding that only two cable TV stations and around four satellite TV stations have the legal right to operate in Sri Lanka.
“If we find that any of these stations have breached their agreements and maintained subcontracts with some other companies, their permits will be cancelled,” he added.
He noted that the TRC is considering the possibility of revising the licence fee in accordance with the total turnover of the cable or satellite company.
He said it will begin registering and regulating all broadcast satellite services. The orders also include registering all equipment needed for satellite transmission and reception, as well as monitoring of providers, vendors, users and usage of the facilities.