The Hindu : Now, a cable TV service at Rs. 60 a month

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Now, a cable TV service at Rs. 60 a month

By P.Oppili

CHENNAI APRIL 14. Casting aside their dependence on unreliable operators after three-months of haggling and confrontation, residents of Brindavan Nagar, Kumaran Nagar, Avvaithiru Nagar and Ayyappa Nagar in Virugambakkam today made a new beginning and launched a cable TV service providing only free to air (FTA) channels.

Unlike other residential areas in the city, these residents will pay Rs 60 as monthly subscription and Rs 100 as installation charge.

Participating at the inaugural function, former Supreme Court Justice, S. Mohan congratulated the residents and cautioned the lawmakers that they should wake up to the situation and pass an Act to bring in a regulation of cable TV operators. The Government should ask the operators to render proper service to the consumers, Mr Mohan said and suggested that a licensing system had to be introduced before bringing in regulation.

Lack of awareness about their rights among people was one of the main causes which led to the exploitation by the operators, he added.

Inaugurating the new Cable TV service, the Founder President of Exnora, M.B.Nirmal appealed to the residents not to succumb to the pressures of the operators and also advised them not to pay more than what the residents were paying till November last year.

The residents should show determination by opting for the free channels only and the Confederation of Cable TV Subscribers Association would arrange for the free channels at Rs 60, he said.

The residents should insist on higher quality of signals by the operator. Another suggestion was that the residents should form subscribers associations in their areas and register with the Confederation. Such a move would help the Confederation, while filing cases against the operators at the local level and where multi-system operators were taking anti-consumer actions. Sharing his experience, Ramasamy of Velachery (whose vehicle was allegedly burnt by an operator) said though he received several threats from the operator, he resisted the arbitrary demands. One of the residents, Vee. Dakshinamoorthy said with the arrival of a new opeator to the area, the residents wanted to disassociate themselves totally from the old operator. During the troubled time, the residents got the full cooperation and support from the local police. Similarly, he sought their help again while removing the old cables from the area.

Under the new service in Virugambakkam and neighbouring areas, more than 800 households would be covered and the residents appreciated the courage of Prakash of the R.K.Cable TV Dishlink, who came forward to provide the free channels at a nominal cost.

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