MUMBAI: Watching television is set to become very expensive in homes in Assam. Reason: the state government earlier this month revised entertainment tax that’s levied on DTH and cable TV services such as Airtel, Tata Sky, Videcond2h, Dish TV, Sun TV, Reliance Big DTH, Manthan, Sitcable among others.

The Assam governor earlier this month issued a notification under which the rate of entertainment tax has been revised from Rs 25 per home to Rs 30 per subscriber for DTH services. That’s a 20 per cent jump in the tax rates.

Another executive order was issued under which tax on cable TV services was revised from Rs 10 per subscriber to Rs 20 per residential subscriber. That’s a massive 100 per cent jump in tax tariffs.

The Assam government has not touched the rate that hotels fork out per subscriber for both cable TV and DTH services. It has stayed constant at Rs 50 per subscriber.

Will this extra burden turn viewers away from both cable & satellite TV and DTH? The jury is out, but most media watchers say that they don’t think it will have much of an impact.