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Operators threaten cable black-out Saturday, March 10, 2001

AHMEDABAD: Cable operators in Ahmedabad have threatened to go on a 'cable hartal' in the city if their demands are not met by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Operators of In Cablenet, Siticable, Hathway and Skynet, held a meeting at Law Garden as part of the Ahmedabad Cable Operators Association on Thursday.

Cable operators collected at Law Garden to protest over the AMC's notice to Skynet to dismantle cables from their control room in Satyam Towers within 24 hours. The Association's president Pramod Pandya says, "The cables are not dangerous and the time period given to Skynet to dismantle them is unreasonable. AMC can not ride roughshod over cable operators. We will not succumb to such pressure".

Association secretary Mayur Joshi, a cable operator from Ambawadi states, "If Skynet cable doesn't start within a week, entire Ahmedabad will not receive any cable transmission. We will effect a complete black-out and if this measure does not yield desired results, we shall take the fight up to state government level."

Answering scribes on why the Association had not reacted faster to AMC's notice to Skynet to dismantle its control room, Joshi said, "The AMC didn't give us any time to think, let alone decide. Now, however, we're all united and will not give into the AMC bossing over us."

Sanjay Patel of In Cablenet, C G Road adds, "AMC can't misuse its authority. A suitable time limit should be given to Skynet instead of a 24-hour notice. Also the reason behind issuing a notice in such a short period is that Skynet has one of the highest viewerships in Ahmedabad. A rival company is trying to extend its presence in the Paldi area."

They claim Skynet has a viewership of about 50,000 subscribers in Vejalpur, Jivraj Park, Mahalaxmi, Paldi and Vikas Gruh areas in the city. On the other hand, it's rival company has a dominating presence in the Vasna area.

Cable operators have vowed to carry on the fight till the question of Skynet dismantling cables from its Satyam Towers office is not resolved.

The building was declared top heavy by experts which spurred the residents to demand that Skynet disconnect its cables as they might prove dangerous to the building and surrounding structures in the event of strong tremors.

 

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