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ESPN, Star Sports targeted
by the Mumbai cable community
ESPN-Star
Sports is facing a bit of a hiccup in Mumbai. The reason:
Brisca, an association of leading Mumbai cable operators,
has started an agitation against what it terms the "bullying
tactics of pay services such as ESPN-Star Sports, which
raise subscripion rates when they deem fit before important
events, blackmailing them and causing differences between
the cable community."
They met at Mumbai's Chembur Gymkhana on 21 January to protest
against pay channels. The meet was attended by Mumbai's
cable bosses and was headed by Kirit Somaiya, MP Lok Sabha.
At the meeting, cable operators decided to black out ESPN
and Star Sports for the next three days and it was followed
by a protest march to the Star TV office at Andheri in Mumbai,
which lasted for just 15 minutes.
Additionally, the operators are demanding a written apology
from the two channels' managements and they have sought
a legal status for the cable TV industry requesting Somaiya
to work out a mechanism to have the so-called bullying stopped.
The operators have also decided to add to the gaggle of
cable TV associations by proposing to form the 'All India
Cable Operator Association.' Other issues such as royalty,
hike in royalty, indifferential package of pay channels,
status of cable operators, foreign exchange outgo, video
rights, advertising revenues and entertainment tax were
also raised.
They pointed out that the television business was taking
a cue from the consumer goods sector where foreigners are
taking it over piece by piece. And that the turf of domestic
and local industry should be protected.
One will have to wait and watch how long this so-called
show of unity by the much-fragmented cable TV trade will
last.
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