STAR NEWS: BAD NEWS FROM THE CABLE TRADE
The Indian cable TV trade - mainly MSOs - have
taken a decision not to cooperate with Star TV as it converts
its Star News channel into a basic pay channel. A spokesperson
for one of the MSOs says that an informal understanding has
been arrived at between the various cable TV networks that
they are not going to pay the Rs 2 per subscriber fee that
is being levied on cable operators. Earlier, a licence fee
of Rs 12,000 per annum was being imposed on cable TV operators.
"Nowhere in the world is a news channel a paid
service," said the spokesperson for IN Cablenet. "We are against
the very concept of paying for a news service. We firmly believe
that news should be made available free to television viewers.
We will carry the service on our networks as long as the Star
TV distribution team doesn't force us to pay. We have also
left it to the individual headends to decide if they want
to relay the channel."
Star News continued to be shut off on several
networks in Mumbai for the second week running. While some
Hinduja headends were showing it, others weren't. The channel
was also off Hathway's network and some Siticable headends
had also switched it off.
Last week, Arun Mohan, Star TV India distribution
head had described the action by the cable TV trade as just
a short-term problem. However, with the Maharashtra Cable
Sena (affiliated to the fundamentalist Shiv Sena political
party) getting involved it does not look likely as if cable
TV operators are going to give in easily to Star TV's demands.
Hence, the management is banking on consumers
pressuring cable operators to switch on Star News and has
flagged off a high-decibel advertising campaign in the print
media highlighting the programming that will be offered on
the channel during, before and after the elections. This strategy
has worked for ESPN-Star Sports. Will it work for Star News?
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