Tata Sky replied that besides the Nimbus signals, it will carry DD signals too. Dish TV said DD signals are available to its antenna and set-up boxes, “without any extra-effort,” and they cannot do anything to stop it. Nimbus has forwarded the entire communication to the ministry.

Meanwhile, the BCCI in its working committee meeting last week has decided to underwrite the $ 1,00,000 dollars needed to meet the expenses for encrypting DD signals. An official of the Board said this could get around bureaucratic delays in finding funds for encryption. If the Prasar Bharati were to accept the BCCI offer of funding, it will have to go through different layers of approval including Cabinet’s.

However, what makes the demand for encryption tenuous is that there is a law that forces cumpulsory distribution of DD signals across the country on prime band. If DD denies its signals to some, it will be violating the law.