Marans issue: Jaya Govt revives Arasu Cable TV corp

Chennai, Jun 3: Apparently targeting the Maran brothers, the Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu today (June 3) announced its decision to nationalise private cable TV operations and revive the state-run Arasu Cable TV Corporation.

In his customary address spelling out AIADMK government's policies, Governor S S Barnala said there has been an "overwhelming demand" from the public for revival of Arasu Cable TV Corporation and government would do so "in public interest." Private cable TV operations will be nationalised without affecting local cable operators, Barnala said.

The move is apparently directed at the Sumangali cable Vision (SCV) owned by Marans (Union Minister Dayanidhi and his brother Kalanidhi) which dominates the multi-crore cable TV business.

The Arasu Cable TV Corporation was started in July 2008 by the previous DMK government when Karunanidhi family's relationship with Marans had soured. The spat followed publication of a survey in a Tamil daily owned by the brothers which gave the edge to Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin over his sibling M K Alagiri to be the DMK patriarch's political heir.

After the patch-up between the families of Karunanidhi and Marans, the Corporation had remained dormant. The nationalisation of cable TV business was one of the promises made by the AIADMK in the April 13 Assembly polls.

PTI