Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Welcome step

The Tamil Nadu Government's proposed law to take over major cable television networks in the State is in the right direction. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa should be congratulated and thanked for this bold but belated move. I am sure there are many in the State who will heave a sigh of relief. The Left parties, it is hoped, will also support the bill because ideologically they are against efforts at monopolisation.

Hilda Raja,
Chennai

The Government's move may not appear healthy in view of liberalisation. But looking at the woes of small operators and subscribers, the proposal sounds beneficial to both groups. Such Government takeover in selected areas is welcome.

E. Sivasankaran,
San Jose, California

The move should be seen in the larger interest than as a measure to curb the activities of powerful business houses. Service providers have been fleecing subscribers, offering a handful of channels, and preventing competitors from operating in the area. It is nothing short of unfair trade practice. TRAI has been sleeping over CAS and the Tamil Nadu Government has stepped in at the right time.

S.S. Venkata Subramanian,
Chennai

Thanks to the Tamil Nadu Government for moving the bill to acquire SCV and Hathway, thereby permitting cricket lovers to view the second test match between India and Pakistan without Conditional Access System.

V. Narayanan,
Chennai

The bill seems to have acted as a wake-up call to SCV that suddenly began airing the India-Pakistan cricket match.

Swetha R. Deepak,
Chennai

It is an open secret that CAS is in force in Chennai alone to benefit the business interests of a particular MSO. Let us hope the city viewers will be treated on a par with others soon and can view all the channels without a set top box.

S. Raghothaman,
Chennai

The bill may not be a welfare measure because of the political angle to it. But the Tamil Nadu Government can give the MSOs a run for their money by establishing a corporation a la TASMAC to set up a low-cost populist cable TV business.

K.S. Ravichandran,
Coimbatore

The fate of Chennai residents still remains uncertain. They have been denied the basic right of viewing all television channels, available to the rest of the country without set top boxes. Ten Sports alone seems to have got a reprieve for the time being. What about other channels that provide wholesome information and entertainment?

Ujwal R. Unni,
Chennai

No sports, no cartoons, no scientific channels — this is the plight of Chennaiites. Free channels air melodrama after melodrama in the name of soaps. Chennai viewers alone are subject to such agony, thanks to CAS.

Umesh Bhakta,
Chennai

The tussle over cable television networks is ultimately going to harm the subscribers, whatever the intentions. It is well known that wherever the Government steps in, the bureaucracy creates more problems than intended. The problem in Chennai is the duopoly of MSOs. This should be regulated rather than taken over.

Col. (retd.) Ram Gulrajani,
Chennai

Instead of taking over, the Government can formulate guidelines to regulate MSOs.

D. Suresh Babu,
Vellore, T.N.

When there are so many problems that need urgent attention, what is the urgency to take over cable networks? That too when elections are round the corner?

S. Rajaraman,
Chennai

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