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NT Bureau
Chennai, Sept 23:

        Cable TV operators throughout the State blacked out the telecast of Sun TV till noon today and its bouquet of channels for the second day today in protest against the launch of Sun DTH service, which has triggered panic among the cable operators, who now see a threat to their future.

        With the Sun TV group announcing an attractive package of DTH products, all hell had broken loose and the cable TV operators went on the war- path. There were reports of violence in many places and the telecasts were disrupted or blacked out.

        At several places, the cable TV telecast was disrupted for the second consecutive day today. In various places, the operators held protests in front of the offices of Sumangali Cable Vision (SCV), the cable arm of Sun TV Group. In Puducherry, the operators organised a fast yesterday raising slogans against Sun TV.

        A section of cable TV operator threatened to set parallel cable TV control rooms wherever the SCV is operational.

        Shakilan, president, Tamizhaga Cable TV Operators General Welfare Association, had recently said, 'this is a straight attempt to monopolise the entire business by Sun TV group'.

        The operators have also decided to hold protest demos in all the district headquarters tomorrow (24 September).

        Meanwhile, in a press release here, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi assured that the welfare of the cable operators would be protected. He said their woes would be redressed once the Thamizhaga Arasu Cable TV Corporation comes into being.

        He urged the cable TV operators to show restraint and not fall prey to forces acting with ulterior motives.