By IANS,
Madurai : Sun Network, Tamil Nadu’s premier cable channel, struggled for the third day Wednesday to resume operations after Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s older son M.K. Azhagiri ordered its virtual boycott here.
“We are sure that before long RCV (Royal Cable Vision) will have no alternative but to show our stuff as Hathway does in Chennai despite getting government support,” a Sun TV source said.
Azhagiri thinks differently.
“Our enemy is Sun TV. Other channels will be dependant on us for existence,” Azhagiri was quoted as saying in the media.
Sun TV was blacked out in over 65 percent of households here and across southern Tamil Nadu following Monday’s launch of Azhagiri-owned RCV.
The RCV is trying to end the stranglehold of Sumangali Cable Vision’s cable television distribution in the state, cable operators said. The Maran family controls Sun TV and also the Sumangali Cable Vision.
Situated 400 km south of Chennai, this temple city is considered the bastion of Azhagiri’s operations in Tamil Nadu’s southern region.
Ownership of major satellite television channels is divided on political lines in Tamil Nadu. While the ruling DMK openly supports Kalaignar TV, Jaya, Makkal and Mega TV channels are promoted by the AIADMK, PMK and the Congress respectively.
Sun TV was openly supported by the DMK till the Karunanidhi-Maran family fallout last year. Sun owns at least 14 channels in all four southern states.