NEW DELHI: Even as the deadline for it to go digital concludes tomorrow, the Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation has sought more time from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

The Ministry had given the state-owned multi-system operator three months to switch off analogue and later extended this till 17 August 2017.

TACTV sources told indiantelevision.com that orders had been placed for an adequate number of digital set top boxes but these had still not been received.

Simultaneously, the sources said they had sought time from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for launch of digital signals.

The Principal Secretary to the state Government had sought thee months extension from 17 July but the centre agreed to give only one more month in a letter sent to TACTV dated 21 June 2017.

Consequently, TACTV had been asked to complete the digitization process by 17 August 2017 failing which the provisional ‘registration may be suspended/revoked.’

Copies of the letter were sent to the Principal Secretary of the Tamil Nadu IT Department, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, and the Commissioner/Superintendent of Police in Chennai.  

Meanwhile, TRAI Chairman R S Sharma had said that as the Authority’s recommendations for not permitting state governments, political parties or religious groups into broadcasting or its distribution was still ‘under consideration’, it could only wait and watch.

Meanwhile while the Punjab government has also expressed a desire to enter distribution, the Telengana government wants satellite transpoders for TV channels it wants to launch.

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