TN Govt launches cable network, hopes to eclipse Sun Group

After launching Kalaignar TV by the DMK and Royal Cable Vision by Karunanidhi’s son M K Azhagiri, this is the latest move against the Maran brothers and their vast business empire.

The launch of Arasu Cable TV Corporation is the first official initiative against the Sun Group. The Chief Minister justified the move as a measure to prevent “multi-system operators from exploiting the public and cable operators” by overcharging.

According to Karunanidhi, the state Government had received several complaints from the public regarding overcharging by distribution companies up to Rs 300 per month, following which it decided to set up the corporation. Subscribers would be provided connection for as little as Rs 100, he said. “The Government’s intention is to provide quality telecast to the public and not earn revenue,” he said.

However, quite like RCV’s on-going legal wrangles with SCV, ACTV’s operations could also be marred by Sun’s refusal to provide feeds of its immensely popular channels. In response to this problem, Karunanidhi asserted that legal action would be initiated against the paid channels that were refusing to provide feeds.

Officials insisted that the feeds were not available at present due to certain technical problems and would be added in the coming days.

Sun-owned Sumangali Cable Vision — that the DMK helped establish and expand — has been having a monopolistic control over the visual media empire with a bouquet of channels and distribution network.

Since their fallout after publishing a survey report that showed Karunanidhi’s elder son Azhagiri as one of the least preferred for succeeding him as the CM, the family, party, and the state Government have gone all guns blazing against Dayanidhi and his elder brother Kalanidhi Maran, in what is seen here as a fight to finish.

Accusing the Sun Group of colluding with opposition parties (read AIADMK) to act against the state Government and the party, Karunanidhi had directed cadres not to give advertisements to the newspapers owned by the group. A case is currently on at the Madras High Court, as the state Government cancelled advertisements to the organisations, following Karunanidhi’s direction.