Chennai: In an apparent move to break the near monopoly of the Maran-controlled cable TV business in Tamil Nadu, the Jayalalithaa Government on Friday revived the dormant state-run cable TV service by formally launching its operations that would cover 1.45 crore households.
Giving fresh life to the Arasu Cable TV Corporation to fulfill AIADMK's poll promise, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, without naming the Maran brothers, said "one particular family" was enjoying monopoly over the cable TV business.
"Exorbitant rates were charged as a result of the monopoly, resulting in one family reaping all the benefits. I had promised providing cable TV services at subsidised rates (in the AIADMK poll manifesto)," she said, launching the service through video-conferencing from the state secretariat.
ACTVC would offer 90 channels for a monthly charge of Rs 70 through 34,000 multi-system operators and cable TV operators, serving 1.45 lakh connections.
Jayalalithaa said she had implemented her poll assurance and ACTVC would offer quality service at low prices. The service will cover the entire state barring Chennai, where the conditional access system (CAS) is in force.
She said with the new service people would be able to save around Rs 70-100 every month.
Jayalalithaa had proposed to nationalise cable TV business in her 2001-06 regime, but the move fell through as the then Governor refused to give his assent to a bill on the ground that the subject comes under the Centre's purview.
The ACTVC was the brainchild of the previous DMK government which set it up in 2007 at the height of a feud between the families of then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and his grand nephews Dayananidhi Maran and Kalanidhi Maran.
The move then was seen as an attempt by Karunanidhi to cut to size the Marans whose Sumangali Cable Vision dominated the cable TV business. But later both patched up ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, leaving the Arasu Cable TV Corporation in limbo.
"Happy" said Karunanidhi in a cryptic comment on his bete noire's move to revive the ACTVC.
Various Cable TV associations welcomed the Jayalalithaa government's effort as over 34,000 multi-system operators and cable TV operators possessing 1.45 crore connections have come under the ACTVC ambit. They will pay Rs 20 per connection to the government.
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