The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Channels to go off air?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 17, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Channels to go off air?

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: A channel blackout awaits Bangaloreans as Zee Turner Ltd., the company that holds the right to distribute 34 key channels, has threatened to de-activate its network citing non-payment of dues by a city-based private multi-system operator. Such as step may affect an estimated 7.5 lakh television viewers.

Among the channels that are bound to be taken off air are Zee Kannada, Zee TV, Cartoon Network, Pogo, HBO, CNBC TV 18, Zee Café, Zee Studio, Zee Cinema and 25 others.

In a statement, Zee Turner said that the multi-system operator (MSO) owed the company Rs. 1.18 crore, and that the latter had evaded payment of the subscription. Although the subscription agreements had expired on September 11, the cable network had not initiated steps to renew them. But an MSO spokesperson said the payments had been made and Zee Turner had to issue a notice if it proposed to switch off the channels.

The company also charged the MSO with “under declaring” its subscriber base by almost 81 per cent.

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