With the World Cup just over, it?s time to sort out the cable mess on the ground. The state government has summoned multi-system operators (MSO), cable operators, broadcasters and other stakeholders to discuss the various problems plaguing the local cable industry.

Carriage fee and astrology programmes are foremost on the agenda. ?We had a meeting with some local channels and MSOs on these two issues last week. On July 13, we will be taking up some other aspects in detail with all the stakeholders,? N.R. Mandal, director of films, told Metro on Monday.

Principal secretary of the information and cultural affairs department Dilip Chakraborty will preside over the meeting at Writers? Buildings.

Local cable channels like ATN, Bangla Ekhon and Taaza TV had written to the chief minister recently about the ?exorbitant? fee charged by MSOs to carry their channels. They also alleged that the channels were being pushed back in the viewing band on non-payment, resulting in viewership loss.

?We were the first to comply with the government?s ban on astrology programmes last year and took them off air despite financial problems. The MSOs, however, refuse to lower the carriage fee and push our channels back if we fail to pay the high amount,? complained a spokesperson for the three channels.

Other issues to be discussed at the meeting include complaints from upcoming MSOs and independent networks regarding denial of channels by broadcasters.

West Bengal Cable TV Operators? Welfare Association, representing free-to-air networks in Calcutta and the districts, had alleged during the World Cup that broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports was flouting Trai guidelines and not providing it with the soccer signal.

Efforts by the state government to restore order to the cable chaos in the past have included the ban on astrology programmes and a cable census to check under-declaration.