Fulfilling another key poll promise of the AIADMK, Jayalalitha switched on the ACTCL’s broadcast stations in 31 districts in Tamil Nadu sans Chennai, through video-conferencing from the Fort St George here.
This was possible after considerable groundwork by the new AIADMK regime in reviving the ACTCL in the last three months. Though launched by the previous DMK regime in October 2007 to curb the monopoly of a few private players in the cable business, it became virtually defunct later. The alleged monopolistic operators were ‘Sumangali Cable Vision (SCV) of ‘SUN Network’ owned by Kalanidhi Maran, the grand nephew of the DMK Chief M Karunanidhi, and Royal Cable Vision run by associates of the latter’s son and Union Fertilizer Minister, M K Alagiri, in Madurai.
Forced to pay by these monopolistic operators anywhere between Rs.150 to Rs.200 per month per cable connection, households across the State resented the domination of the main players-controlled MSOs’ providing TV signals.
Jayalalithaa, during the Assembly poll campaign vowed to fight this monopoly by State takeover of the Cable business in people’s interests.
With the ACTCL revived now, consumers need to pay only Rs.70 per cable connection per month, even as the ACTCL will not displace the ‘last mile cable operator’, Jayalalithaa said speaking at the launch.