The government loses Tk 10,000-12,000 crore in revenue every year as cable operators have not digitised their services, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud said today.

"The government loses Tk 10,000-12,000 crore as cable operators are reporting fewer numbers than the actual television subscribers of 4.5 crore," he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat.

Cable operators were supposed to digitise their services in Dhaka and Chattogram by December last and implement it all over the country by June next, he added.

Asked about giving time to cable operators for digitisation, the minister said it will be decided after discussions with them.

"Cable operators are now collecting money at their will, but when the system is digitised, we'll fix the rate," he said.

Thirty-four of the 45 approved television channels are now broadcasting programmes regularly in the country, Hasan Mahmud said.