Arasu Cable TV’s payment issues upset broadcasters
According to sources, Tamil Nadu’s Arasu Cable TV has not cleared dues pertaining to subscription fees of several TV channels
Outstanding payments exceeding Rs 500 crore from Arasu Cable TV, owned by the Tamil Nadu government, are causing concern among numerous major broadcasters.
According to sources, Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV (TACTV) has not cleared the dues pertaining to subscription fees of television channels of broadcasters, including Sony, Star, Zee, Viacom and more, for the last one year
In March this year, the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) wrote to the state government seeking its intervention in the clearance of the subscription dues by TACTV, sources said, adding that there has been no response from the Tamil Nadu government so far.
IBDF has 56 member broadcasters representing nearly 450 news and non-news channels, comprising 90% of television viewership in the country.
According to the state’s IT minister, as reported in the June 29th edition of a Tamil newspaper, the state-run cable service TACTV, which owes television broadcasting companies Rs 525 crore in outstanding fees, is critically ill, without necessary resources, and is depending on contractors to supply electricity.
Broadcasters apprehend that the state government might undermine their overall business activities in the area if they cancel the channel access to TACTV.
However, the broadcasters have the option to appeal for pending dues against the company in the telecom disputes settlement and appellate tribunal (TDSAT).
As per sources, the cable network also remains non-compliant to the central government advisory in 2022, asking Union ministries, state governments and union territory administrations not to enter into any broadcasting or distribution of broadcasting activities directly. The same was done with the aim to stop politicisation of broadcasting.
The same clause has also been brought by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) in the draft broadcasting bill.
Officials in the know said, MIB had a meeting with TACTV to understand the concerns but the matter is sub judice and will be dealt with accordingly.
As of March 2024, TACTV has an active subscriber base of around 1.57 million, according to data by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
