ESS signal back at most Hathway headends

MUMBAI: After a ten-day war of words in which accusations flew back and forth, sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports today morning switched on its signal to cable MSO Hathway Datacom “in nearly all” areas.

According to ESS director affiliate sales Rajesh Kaul, the feed to Hathway was reactivated after the Rajan Raheja-promoted MSO (in which Star India officially has a 26 per cent stake) “paid up a chunk of dues owed to it.” The remaining chunk is to be paid within the next two days, Kaul said, while refusing to discuss the terms under which agreement had been reached. Kaul pointed out that while the signal was back on in most areas, “Nasik was still a problem.”

According to the information available with indiantelevision.com, however, the deal was reached after Hathway accepted a partial increase in its declared subscriber base.

Hathway, meanwhile, issued a statement earlier in the day which read, “ESPN Star Sports have switched on the signals in parts of Hathway’s network where it was switched off earlier, on 1st July 2004 before the Euro 2004 Semi Final match. The matter has been resolved between the two parties.”