Madurai: Cable TV operators across the State, who are part of various associations affiliated to the Federation of Cable TV Associations of Tamil Nadu (FCTATN), observed a fast here on Monday, condemning the Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation (TACTV) for acting against the welfare of cable TV operators.
Alleging that TACTV was formed with almost zero investment since all the necessary infrastructure and last mile connectivity were provided by the local cable TV operators, the participants said that it was unfair on the part of TACTV to claim that all the infrastructure and subscribers as its own.
D.G.V.P. Sekar, chief coordinator, FCTATN said, “TACTV has set the subscription fee as ₹70, which is below the fee recommended by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Of this paltry amount, we are asked to pay nearly 50% to TACTV,” he claimed.
Cable TV operators also condemned the TACTV for taking away the responsibility of collecting subscription fee and instead asking the subscribers to directly pay it online. “Now, we have to wait for TACTV to credit our share to us,” Mr. Sekar said.
The protesters also alleged that district-level and taluk-level control room operators of TACTV, who were often appointed on the recommendation of ruling party functionaries, were acting in an “unfair and high-handed manner” towards the cable TV operators.
They also made a series of demands to the State and Central governments, which included fixing the subscription fee at TRAI-recommended level, granting right to collect subscription fee to cable TV operators, forming a welfare board for cable TV operators, stringent monitoring of TACTV operations by Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and TRAI and exemption from Goods and Services Tax for cable TV operation.
