(7 February 2009 7:00 pm)

NEW DELHI: It was a faceoff that was depriving subscribers of Arasu Cable access to their favourite channels from the Star, Multiscreen Media and Sun TV bouquets. Now it seems to have been resolved.

Star Den Media (Star and TV18 channel distributor), MSM Discovery (Sony and Discovery channels distributor) and Channel Plus (Sun TV distributor), have agreed to provide signals of their channels to the Tamil Nadu government owned and promoted MSO Arasu Cable TV.

Earlier all the three distributors had refused to provide signals of their channels to Arasu Cable. As a result, the cases filed by Arasu Cable against these channel providers before the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (Tdsat), have been disposed off, according to a release from the company.

However the three channel providers have asked the Arasu management to provide subscriber numbers and the subscriber base, while agreeing to decide on the area of operation mutually.

Earlier on 9 September, 2008, the Tdsat had issued a notice to Channel Plus directing it to file a reply within three weeks.

Arasu Cable TV had complained to the tribunal that Channel Plus was not providing it the signals to carry the channels on its network. The MSO had also filed similar petitions against two others broadcasters - MSM Discovery and Star Den Media.

In its petition, Arasu Cable alleged that though it had approached the broadcasters for their channels it had met with no success.

"Way back in November 2007, the petitioner had initiated the process of request of signals from broadcasters including Sun TV Network Limited. While broadcasters like Zee TV, ESPN, BBC had responded to the request of the petitioner for provision of signals and had granted signals. However, the respondent has completely denied the receipt of the request for provision of signal in November 2007," the petition said.

The petitioner further alleged that since Channel Plus did not respond to the request, it once again wrote to them on 23 June, 2008.

Sun TV replied through a letter on 27 June, asking Arasu Cable to contact Channel Plus.

"However this matter could have been handled by Sun TV rather than directing it to Channel Plus", argued Arasu Cable.

And though the case has been disposed off for the time being Arasu cable TV has kept its right to move to the tribunal if negotiations fail. Viewers are not complaining anyway.