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CHENNAI: Television screens of several lakh Arasu Cable subscribers are likely to go blank from April 1 as the state-owned entity failed to earn any reprieve from the Madras high court on Thursday or get a digital addressable system (DAS) licence from the Centre. The corporation has 61.5 lakh subscribers in 31 districts, including 14.3 lakh in the Chennai metro area alone.
In a last ditch effort, B Murugesh, general manager of the Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation Limited, filed two writ petitions in the HC, seeking a direction to the Centre to process the state government's applications for DAS licence, submitted in July and November last.
When the matter was taken up for hearing by Justice S Rajeswaran on Thursday, additional solicitor-general of India P Wilson ruled out any immediate relief to Arasu Cable and said Trai had reiterated its policy decision in 2008 that it would not permit state or central governments or their undertakings to enter either broadcasting or distribution activities or function as a multi-system operator or cable operator.
Denying any discrimination against Tamil Nadu, Wilson said since 2008, Trai had turned down the applications of Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal too.
'Chennai alone has 2,495 cable operators'
In view of increasing pleas from several other states, the Centre requested the TRAI to reconsider its policy, but by an order dated December 28, 2012 the telecom regulator merely reiterated its stand. In view of the consistent stand of the TRAI, it is not possible for the Centre to issue any liecence for broadcasting or distribution activites to any state government, the additional solicitor-general of India said.
Now these two writ petitions will be heard along with the batch of cases pending before a division bench headed by Justice Elipe Dharma Rao.
In its petitions, Arasu Cable said it was incorporated in October 2007 under the Companies Act, 1956 and that it ha spent about Rs 40 crore out of the sanctioned budget of Rs 61.35 crore to create infrastructure facilities such as installation of cable TV head ends, local connectivity, materials and labour. Though the services started in September 2008 and a subscription base swelled to about 1.6 lakh, the entity became defunct due to various reasons.
After the AIADMK returned to power it was revived, it said, adding that as in August 2011 it had 35,248 local cable operators and 2,642 multi-system operators as members. The corporation has been providing 90 to 100 channels to subscribers at a subscription of Rs 70 per month, the petition said. As on date it has about 61.5 lakh subscribers in 31 districts of Tamil Nadu. In Chennai region alone, it had 2,495 cable operators with a subscriber base of around 14.3 lakh, it said.
Trouble arose in November 2011 when the Centre issued a notification stating that the entire cable TV services in the country would be digitized by December 31, 2014. In the first phase, the four Metropolitan cities including Chennai were to be digitized by June 30, 2012. The deadline, however, was altered to October 31, 2012 later.
After the latest notification and extended deadline of October 31, 2012, Arasu Cable applied for a DAS licence on July 5, 2012 under the provisions of the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994. Despite the receipt of the application, the Centre did not take any decision, the petition said, adding that even though the chairman and managing director of the corporation met the secretary of the union ministry of information and broadcasting several times, no decision was taken.
Denied licence by Trai, Arasu TV screens may go blank next week - The Times of India
In a last ditch effort, B Murugesh, general manager of the Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation Limited, filed two writ petitions in the HC, seeking a direction to the Centre to process the state government's applications for DAS licence, submitted in July and November last.
When the matter was taken up for hearing by Justice S Rajeswaran on Thursday, additional solicitor-general of India P Wilson ruled out any immediate relief to Arasu Cable and said Trai had reiterated its policy decision in 2008 that it would not permit state or central governments or their undertakings to enter either broadcasting or distribution activities or function as a multi-system operator or cable operator.
Denying any discrimination against Tamil Nadu, Wilson said since 2008, Trai had turned down the applications of Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal too.
'Chennai alone has 2,495 cable operators'
In view of increasing pleas from several other states, the Centre requested the TRAI to reconsider its policy, but by an order dated December 28, 2012 the telecom regulator merely reiterated its stand. In view of the consistent stand of the TRAI, it is not possible for the Centre to issue any liecence for broadcasting or distribution activites to any state government, the additional solicitor-general of India said.
Now these two writ petitions will be heard along with the batch of cases pending before a division bench headed by Justice Elipe Dharma Rao.
In its petitions, Arasu Cable said it was incorporated in October 2007 under the Companies Act, 1956 and that it ha spent about Rs 40 crore out of the sanctioned budget of Rs 61.35 crore to create infrastructure facilities such as installation of cable TV head ends, local connectivity, materials and labour. Though the services started in September 2008 and a subscription base swelled to about 1.6 lakh, the entity became defunct due to various reasons.
After the AIADMK returned to power it was revived, it said, adding that as in August 2011 it had 35,248 local cable operators and 2,642 multi-system operators as members. The corporation has been providing 90 to 100 channels to subscribers at a subscription of Rs 70 per month, the petition said. As on date it has about 61.5 lakh subscribers in 31 districts of Tamil Nadu. In Chennai region alone, it had 2,495 cable operators with a subscriber base of around 14.3 lakh, it said.
Trouble arose in November 2011 when the Centre issued a notification stating that the entire cable TV services in the country would be digitized by December 31, 2014. In the first phase, the four Metropolitan cities including Chennai were to be digitized by June 30, 2012. The deadline, however, was altered to October 31, 2012 later.
After the latest notification and extended deadline of October 31, 2012, Arasu Cable applied for a DAS licence on July 5, 2012 under the provisions of the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994. Despite the receipt of the application, the Centre did not take any decision, the petition said, adding that even though the chairman and managing director of the corporation met the secretary of the union ministry of information and broadcasting several times, no decision was taken.
Denied licence by Trai, Arasu TV screens may go blank next week - The Times of India
