Cable Digitalisation: PEMRA agrees to extend deadline

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and representatives of the Cable Operators Association on Friday agreed to extend the cutoff date for switchover from analogue to digital cable television in metropolitan cities. Cable operators cited massive investment, poor purchasing power of subscribers and lack of immediate availability of local set top boxes in Pakistan as reasons for why the cutoff could not be implemented by December 31. Pemra Chairman Absar Alam, after hearing the reservations and problems of cable operators, agreed to offer reasonable and mutually agreed timeframe for digitalisation. A phased mechanism will be finalised in the next meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2016.