Sun goes on the blink on TV sets in Tamil Nadu

Monday September 24, 02:21 AM
The channel war between the powerful Sun TV Group, controlled by the Maran brothers, and the Kalaignar TV, launched with the blessings of Chief Minister and DMK chief M Karunanidhi, is taking an ugly turn. Since Friday, there have been reports that viewers at many places, including Chennai, have been deprived of the popular Sun TV channels.
The cable TV operators, particularly those backing Kalaignar TV, raised the war cry after a full-page advertisement appeared on Friday in the local newspapers about the Sun TV Group's Direct-to-Home service. Sun Direct is offering 75 television channels, besides 15 radio stations, for just Rs 75 as monthly fee.

Former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran, who has now assumed responsibility as Chief Executive Officer of the family-owned Dinakaran, told The Indian Express that "certain people who want to promote their own channel (read promoters of Kalaignar TV)" were behind the "harassment" and were instigating operators.

A virtual riot broke out in Chennai and some districts of Tamil Nadu, with cable TV operators setting fire to the copies of the Sun TV advertisement. The operators insist that the monthly fee being charged by the DTH was "too low" and would affect their revenue. They claim it is "stifling" the last mile cable operators. Representatives of Tamizhaga Cable TV Operators' General Welfare Association (TCOA), comprising last mile operators, threatened to black out Sun channels and launch their own control room networks by snapping business links with Sumangali Cable Vision, the multi system operator run by Sun network. The operators have threatened a state-wide fast on Monday to urge the Government to initiate action against the Sun TV Group for "misleading people" about the DTH service.

The most affected was Madurai district, controlled by M K Azhagiri, the Chief Minister's son. Maran confirmed that Sun TV signals were switched off in most parts of Madurai. On Friday, police also swooped down on 50 Sun Direct DTH distributors in the district and picked them up, but have not provided any reason for their detention.

In Chennai, protesting operators went on the rampage tearing down advertisement banners put up by some distributors of Sun Direct at their offices. The advertisement invited subscribers to avail an offer before September 30, which includes a free dish antenna, a set top box and two months' subscription free. The subscriber would have to pay an installation charge of Rs 999 and a service charge of Rs 100.

Presently, the Sun TV bouquet costs a subscriber Rs 100 per month, which includes the 15 Sun TV channels and the various English news and local regional channels. "We want to give people a better option. That is why we are offering the DTH services. If we charge a monthly fee of Rs 150 as the cable TV operators are demanding, then how can our DTH be a better option?" said Maran.

Cable TV operators said they had switched off signals of the Sun bouquet from Friday in several districts including Madurai, Tirunelveli, Theni, Pudukkottai, Ramnad, Villupuram and Cuddalore. "Cable TV operators cannot operate on such a low fee. At least the Government should consider imposing a tax like it is done in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh," said Kayal R S Ilavarasu, the state president of Tamil Nadu Cable TV Urimaiyalargal Sangam.

Sun TV Group sources, however, said subscribers in only the Madurai region were being deprived of the Sun TV channels. They blamed cable TV operators loyal to Azhagiri for it. "We are trying to make the DTH service popular and giving subscribers more flexibility," said Maran.

In the news room too, Kalaignar TV has declared war. After its news bulletin from 1 pm to 1.30 pm, the channel telecasts a new Tamil film. It clashes with the popular news capsule of Sun TV, which begins at 1.30 pm. "We have now introduced a brief capsule which just announces the news headlines at 2 pm," said Maran.

The war is bound to turn uglier once the DMK Government-run Arasu Cable TV Corporation begins operations.

Indian Express