COFI denies cable ops blacking out any news channels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) February 17, 2012 -- COFI denies cable ops blacking out any news channels

Cable Operators Federation of India has rejected the allegations of News Broadcasters Association (NBA), blaming Cable Operators of arbitrarily switching off cable without any reason or blacking out a news channel in Karnataka and Punjab, attacking the right to freedom of speech and expression.

The allegations came after media reported cable blackout in Athani and Belgawi to block News channels showing clippings of the ‘porngate’ scandal in Karnataka Assembly.

Rebutting the charges, Mrs. Roop Sharma, President COFI said that the reports in the media clearly attributed the blackout to the concerned MP who got the electric power switched off in the whole city. Cable Operator is too small an entity to do that and in any case, MSOs DEN and Incable give feed to most of the cable networks in Athani and Belgawi, added Mrs Sharma.

She told that in Punjab it is the MSO Fastway which has the support of the local Akali Dal government and controls 80% of Punjab Cable transmissions as well as distribution of channels. Cable Operators have no hand in such blackouts. These are political moves. In fact, cable operators suffer in the hands of the large MSOs who have the backing of either politicians or broadcasters and are trying to usurp their networks to establish their monopolies.

Government regulations have failed to stop the growth of these vertical monopolies of broadcasters, added Mrs. Sharma

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