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Cable TV Operators should carry out value-added services through the provision of digital pay TV content, etc., make up the overall digital conversion costs.

With the advance of digital cable, digital cable television fees and charges in the problems becoming more evident. Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission, the State

SARFT Jointly issued a "Circular on Strengthening Management of cable television fees and other related issues notice" (the "Notice"). "Notice" that to fully sort out the items involved in cable television fees, reasonable development of cable television fees. Learned through interviews with reporters earlier, China's cable TV industry, there is the cost of the project cost management and the value is too low or missing, which led to the basic operations of cable television viewing and maintenance costs low pricing. However, experts say, because cable digital television has some public good, so the basic viewing and maintenance costs should not be entirely determined in accordance with cost pricing. Operators should provide added value through

Service Digital pay-TV content, etc. make up the overall digital conversion costs, reduce the price hike cable subscription rate.

Unreasonable fees will be abolished Grand Research Project Manager Han Ling told the "China

Electronic Newspaper "reporter, cable television fees that really there are many irregularities, especially on the user in the process of opening, relocation, shutdown, often have to pay unreasonable fees. This reporter noted that "notice" special emphasis, the competent departments at all levels of prices related to cable users should apply for the opening, relocation, parking, complex machine, transfer fees and other procedures to conduct a comprehensive sort, against unreasonable charges should be canceled.

Reporter learned that a number of operating companies based on profitability considerations, the overall conversion in the digital terminal to profit through the sale of related. For example, operators in the set-top box to the user and IC card issuance to increase, the way of charging a profit. For this practice, "notice" that they are against.

In accordance with the requirements of cable operators, enterprise users to the cable digital TV set-top box IC card issuance shall not collect fees, expenses included in operating costs; on the result of damage, loss and apply for a replacement IC card can receive the appropriate fee, nominal fee standards approved by the provincial pricing authorities. Beijing's call the cable company Gehua, staff told reporters, Gehua issued to users when digital TV set-top box comes with the IC card, no extra charge. According to Han Ling Jieshao, now as Gehua cable operators to do so, little country.

Not only IC card can not be charged, set-top boxes are also excluded from the profit point of outside operators. In accordance with the "notice" requirement, cable operators unified user profile for the digital TV set-top boxes, set-top box price to be approved in accordance with the principle of non-profit, and timely adjustments as changes in production costs, reduce the user burden.

In fact, the expenditure for set-top boxes, government departments to give the operator a lot of money to subsidize. To Gehua, for example, to support the Beijing area the whole digital conversion, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio and Television in 2007, 2008, has allocated 80 million yuan to the Gehua, 70 million yuan of funds for the payment of set-top boxes. It is clear that the release of government departments to set-top box as a public good color behavior, operators benefit from nature is not appropriate.

Pricing has not yet fully reflect the cost

From the Government's perspective, the cable has a certain public good, from analog to digital, although transmission has changed, but must ensure the rights of ordinary users to watch TV will not be affected; from the operator's point of view, digital conversion requires a lot of overall costs, therefore, the whole must pass price increases after the switch to conduct value-added services, etc. to make up for previous spending; from the user's point of view, either analog or digital, subscription fees can not exceed the capacity of their economies.