It’s RCV for Madurai
Amidst chanting of vedic hymns, chief minister M. Karunanidhi’s son and DMK strongman in the south M.K. Azhagiri launched his family-owned Royal Cable Vision (RCV), touted as an archrival to the Maran-owned Sumangali Cable Vision (SCV), here on Monday. Signalling the launch, his wife Kanti Azhagiri lighted the traditional kuthuvizhakku and cut the ceremonial ribbon to mark the inauguration of the new office premises in Agrini, a recently-promoted residential colony, after the rituals were over. All his family members including his son Dayanidhi alais Durai, daughter Kayalvizhi and son-in-law Venkatesh were present.
MLAs Gouse Batsha and Moorthy, Mayor Thenmozhi, Deputy Mayor P.M. Mannan and almost all DMK councillors were in attendance. However, mediapersons were not permitted inside the venue.It was a low-profile affair meant for his family members and loyalists. While a few die-hard supporters of Mr Azhagiri erected banners and buntings announcing the new cable network almost all party functionaries including ministers K.R.Periyakaruppan and Tamilarasi splashed the vernaculars with advertisements.
CABLE TV WAR HOTS UP
Azhagiri’s Royal Cable Vision (RCV) was launched with great fanfare. It immediately targeted the Sumangali Cable Vision (SCV) of the Maran brothers which has been reigning supreme in most parts of the state till now. With the local cable operators told to shift loyalty from SCV to RCV, there is big confusion in the temple town and other southern districts. “Azhagiri’s aim is to black out Sun TV from all cable operators receiving signals from RCV and promote Kalaignar TV in its place. Jaya, Vijay and Raj will be shown on RCV but not Jaya’s other channels like Plus and Max. But we are confident that public pressure will force them to end up showing Sun TV as well,” commented an SCV official.
According to DMK sources, all party MLAs in South Tamil Nadu have been instructed to persuade cable operators in their area to switch over to RCV in the coming days. The police in Madurai and neighbouring areas have also received unofficial instructions to lend their muscle to ‘operation enlistment.’ “What the SCV did in the past, RCV is repeating now,” quipped a DMK functionary. The arrival of RCV is bound to eat into SCV’s estimated subscriber base of seven lakhs in Madurai and four lakhs in Tirunelveli. More importantly, RCV will be the vehicle to promote Kalaignar TV, which could not make much of an impact even eight months after launch last year. With these two cable networks fighting it out for operators and subscribers, the Arasu Cable Corporation is in a quandary how to proceed in such a strife-torn scenario. To be on the safe side, Arasu has decided to roll out its services initially at Thanjavur, Vellore and Coimbatore, where RCV is not in the fray.