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Cable units yank off Star News channel for turning pay

Several cable operators (ground distributors of satellite television channels) in Bombay have blocked the telecast of Star News channel since August 8 to protest against the decision of its conversion into a pay channel.

The channel has started levying Rs 2 per subscriber since July 1.

A number of Cable TV operators from Bombay have stopped relaying the Star News, according to the Maharashtra Cable Sena president Ram Krishna Keni. The MCS is affiliated to the Shiv Sena.

Subscribers in several places spread across Dadar, Matunga, Chunabhatti, Sion, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Chembur, Powai, Thane and some other places are affected because of the blocking of the channel.

The MCS is working hard to consolidate all the cable operators in the state and block the channel statewide.

TV-viewers are agitated over the decision. Several of them called up their cable operators only to get a negative reply. ''When the elections are ahead and the low-intensity conflict between India and Pakistan is on, the decision of the cable operators and multi-system operators is not in good taste,'' a news-channel buff said here.

However, the cable operators have a different tale to tell. ''Our condition is very bad. We have to shell out over Rs 50 per subscriber but we hardly get Rs 75 or Rs 100 as cable rent, hence the earning is hardly Rs 25 or Rs 50 on each subscriber,'' Keni said. ''By charging exorbitant rates for pay-channels, the cable operators are being looted,'' he alleged.

Keni said that to cable operators are paying Star Plus, Star Movies, Star World, Star News, CNBC and Channel V Rs 10.50. Other rates are as follows: ESPN (Rs 7), Star Sports (Rs 4.95), AXN (Rs 4.50), Discovery (Rs 5), Zee Cinema (Rs 5), National Geographic (Rs 2), Cartoon Network (Rs 2.90) and Karmit and Hallmark Group (Rs 5).

The total amounts to Rs 46.75 for pay channel. Apart from this, they have to bear many other expenses. Moreover, decoder costs more than Rs 35,000. And at the time of sports and other special events, the cable operators have to shell out enormous amount to install decoders.

The MCS now intends to unite all the cable operators throughout the state and completely block the channel till the Rs 2 levy is withdrawn. Keni said that though there have been talks with Star officials, there has been no outcome.

UNI

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