Out of the 9.58 lakh (as per Census 2011) households in Coimbatore district, as many as 4.75 lakh have availed of cable TV connections through 1,689 local cable operators (LCOs). Of these, digital set top boxes of Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation Limited (TACTV) were distributed to over 89,000 consumers through the LCOs during the last two months.
According to the sources, TACTV got the digital addressable system (DAS) licence from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) in April this year. After obtaining the licence, the TACTV was in the process of switching over to digitalised broadcasting from analog system through set top boxes.
The LCOs were charged ₹150 per set top box by the TACTV with the condition that it should not be passed on to the subscribers. However they can collect activation charges of ₹200 and remit the same to TACTV, after which the TACTV would activate the set top boxes, the sources here said.
It is alleged that the LCOs were not showing interest in distributing TACTV. An official said that feedback has been collected at field-level and this will be presented at the State-level meeting to be held next week.
Meanwhile, G. Dhamodaran, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cable TV Operators General Welfare Association (TCOA), has accused TACTV of maintaining non-transparent system of financial management. He says the LCOs were encouraged to collect ₹500 per set top box including one-time activation charges of ₹200. Mr. Dhamodaran alleged that LCOs are being threatened to switch over to TACTV.
The TCOA has planned to stage an agitation in front of the Raj Bhavan urging to simplify norms.
