News Broadcasting
Maharashtra cable ops plan statewide entertainment tax protest
MUMBAI: Maharashtra is in for a major rally and cable TV blackout come 16 December if the state’s operators have their way. The reason for the strike: it is their way of protesting against the Rs 45 per subscriber entertainment tax that the state levies on them.
The rumblings of the current agitation began in the city of Nagpur. On 9 December around 600 cable operators across 11 districts of the Vidarbha region got together at Patwardhan ground, Sitabuldi raising their ire against the “harsh government tax”. Simultaneously, the cable ops switched off their signals to their subscribers in the region.
“Approximately, 12-15 lakh STBs were switched off between 9 am to 7 pm. Our intention was not to deprive consumers of their entertainment, but to inform them about the tax regime,” says Nagpur District Cable TV Operators’ Association president Subhash Bante. “We had earlier asked the government to inform consumers about entertainment tax, which wasn’t done, so we have taken the baton in our hand.”
Even this did not get a revert from the Maharashtra government; hence they intensified their agitation with at least two cable TV operators going on a hunger strike from 10 December onwards. “We want to meet Maharashtra revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat and express our view point,” informs Bante.
And even if this does not get them an audience, Bante says the protest will spread throughout the state with the rally that is being planned for next week. The exact date has not been fixed “but associations from across the state will participate in the rally. We are in talks with the Maharashtra Cable Operators’ Federation and others for the same. Also, there will be state level switch off on the day,” he reveals.
5000 cable operators are expected to participate in it along with 50 consumer associations. Supporting the cable operators are consumer associations like Maratha Seva Sang, Sambhaji Brigade and Mulnivasi Mukti Manch among others.
So what are the LCOs demanding? For starters, the LCOs feel that the quantum of entertainment tax is too high, as compared to other states. “Then we want a centralised system for entertainment tax. Consumers should be made aware that they need to pay Rs 45 per TV as entertainment tax. Many are not aware that they have to pay it, and those who have become aware are unwilling to make the payments,” elaborates Bante. “Finally, the backlog of entertainment tax for the past 10 months should be waived off.”
Bante reveals that most cable TV operators have expressed that taxes on cable TV should be a central government prerogative which should be imposed uniformly nationally, and not be left to the states. He explains: “The central government can form a committee which includes cable operators from all over India. They can decide on an entertainment tax amount which is uniform for all states and that it collects just like it does with income tax. It can later re-distribute the amount to the states.”
However, what is troubling the cable ops the most is the backlog of entertainment tax. “No revenue was generated from April-June 2013, since we were seeding STBs.”
Also, according to the circular issued on 7 March by the state government, the multi-system operators (MSOs) were asked to pay the entertainment tax. This was seen by the LCOs as a move to deny them the ownership of their consumers. However, since it was the LCOs who had been paying the entertainment tax since the start, the move was resisted by the LCOs who then under the leadership of MCOF and Nashik District Cable Operators Federation moved to the Bombay High Court, seeking a stay on the circular. In the interim, the Maharashtra government in November again issued a circular asking the LCOs to pay entertainment tax directly to the district collector.
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Nagpur’s cable TV ops have been striking since 10 December
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It was during this period that the LCOs did not collect any entertainment tax from the consumer. “Now, this has led to an outstanding amount running into crores over the past 10 months,” says Bante. His estimate is that the backlog for Nagpur alone is at Rs 22 crore. “If Nagpur city alone has such a huge outstanding, one can only imagine the amount of backlog for eight districts which includes: Nagpur, Thane, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nasik, Kalyan-Dombivali, Mumbai city and Solapur,” he says.
Though the voices of the striking LCOs have not yet been heard, Bante is hopeful. “We are currently waking up the consumer. I am sure, the state government will surely lend its ear to us,” he opines.
“The winter session is on right now. Though the operators are on strike, no one seems to be bothered about them. I will be presenting their issues to the assembly session next week regarding the same,” Cable Operators Distributors Association president Anil Parab told indiantelevision.com when we contacted. Parab, a Sena activist, has in the past made unsuccessful attempts to get Maharashtra’s revenue minister to lower the amount levied as entertainment tax.
The key question, however is will the Nagpur cable ops, along with consumer organisations, and the MCOF be successful? Watch this space!
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
