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ESPN-STAR SPORTS
GOES FOR RATE INCREASE
It's that time of the year once again
for ESPN-Star Sports: raise subscription rates. The
levy per subscriber is being upped by Rs 1.125 from
1 December, the channel says after a gap of 15 month.
The new price has been fixed at Rs. 8.25 per subscriber
per month, up from the existing price of Rs 7.
ESPN Software managing director Manu
Sawhney says the revision has come about keeping in
mind the feedback the company got from the cable TV
industry. He adds that viewers should not take that
as the price that they will have to pay cable operators.
"We also recognise the fact that the cable networks
have their own cost of operation, maintenance and
overheads and therefore the cost to the subscriber
could be higher depending on the mark-up by the cable
operators which may differ from one territory to another."
The statement is an indication that
unlike in the past the sports channel is taking a
more cable TV operator friendly approach, actually
projecting itself as their partner.
The channel has a strong programming
lineup planned including the upcoming India-Australia
test series, Sri Lanka tour of Zimbabwe consisting
of the 3-match test series and 5 one-day internationals,
8 one-day internationals of the India-Pakistan-Australia
triangular one-day series, Australia-New Zealand one-day
series. Other coverage it is planning to offer includes:
the UEFA Championship League, English Premier League,
Euro 2000 Qualifiers, ATP Tour Tennis, NBA Basketball,
the British & US Open Golf, and WWF Wrestling. ESPN
will continue to feature popular sports including
Badminton,Table-Tennis, Golf, Bowling, the X-Games.
The key issue about the current hike
is whether the cable TV trade will unleash a backlash
and lead to a blackout. in the past, the cable TV
trade has raised a violent protest every time hikes
have been attempted. But finally, the cable TV operators
have had to toe the line and accept the revisions
though with some compromise on ESPN or on the subscription
channel's part. ESPN officials were holding seminars
today to enlighten affiliates and executives about
the rate hike.
Apparently, cable TV operators have
wizened up. Some have realised that they have to pay,
though some cable organisations have been pointing
accusing fingers at Star and Zee TV for being monopolistic.
With the winter session of Parliament of session starting
today, some of them may raise that cry again to give
some issues to politicians to highlight in the House.
The ESPN-Star Sports management will have to be on
guard to tackle such an eventuality should it arise.
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