Hyderabad: Cable TV operators protest hike

Hyderabad: Cable TV operators are meeting on Monday to protest multisystem operators and broadcasters hiking charges.

Mr S. Jagadishwar Rao from the cable TV operators JAC said. “We are suffering due to their monopoly and are directly answerable to the customers. We established the business with our own investment but it went into the hands of MSOs. Cable operators are suffering under about nine major MSOs across the state,” he said.

JAC leader V. Srinivas Reddy, said that a prominent MSO had stopped services of popular sports, kids, Hindi and Telugu movies channels. “We are suffering between the customers and multi-system operators. As the MSO stopped has major channels, customers are not paying monthly rentals. Due to the monopoly of MSOs, we are losing credibility from customers,” Mr Srinivas Reddy said.

Mr L. Hari Goud and Mr C. Bhadri Yadav from the JAC said that cable operators were suffering. “Due to the MSOs’ behaviour, a few customers approached consumer forums and we are facing cases. For telecasting pirated movies, police is slapping MSOs and registering cases against us,” he said.

Mr Jagadishwar Rao said that the general body meeting would be held at Maharana Pratap Function Hall in Amberpet from morning to evening on Monday. “We shall declare the resolutions including our further action plan to the media after the meeting,” he said.