MADURAI: The operation of Arasu Cable Corporation was formally inaugurated here on Monday.

Collector S. S. Jawahar inaugurated the office at Ellis Nagar in the presence of Madurai MP P. Mohan.

Later, the Collector told reporters that 50 channels, including pay channels from Zee TV bouquet, were available at present. The analog signal of satellite television channels from Tirunelveli were available in Madurai. Work was on to bring digital signals from Thanjavur. The Arasu Cable Corporation was using Railtel network to transmit the cable signals.

The marketing consultant of the cable corporation, M. Ramesh, said that at present the signals would be made available only to registered cable operators who signed agreements with the corporation. “We will not give our signal to multi-system operators,” he said.

Stating that there was no compulsion for any of the existing cable operators to get their feed, he, however, added that the operators who joined the Government venture would have their business secured.

The monthly rental for the cable facility for end-users would not exceed Rs. 100, he added. The corporation and the cable operators would share the income generated through monthly subscription in the ratio of 35:65. “The revenue sharing will become 50:50 once we get all other popular pay channels in our bouquet,” Mr. Ramesh said.

Besides, using the internet protocol television technology, the Arasu Cable Corporation was testing the head-end in the sky (HITS) technology too.

Stating that the corporation had used underground cable facility of Railtel only to avoid sabotaging by rivals, he said that it had the material and manpower to lay cables to any operator in the district within a day. However, he said that the availability of Government cable television to households was dependent on the local operators. “This facility is to fulfil the requirements of the cable operators. If they do not come forward we cannot do any thing,” he said.

“Local cable television channels will also be beamed through the Arasu Cable Corporation, provided they do not broadcast any news bulletins. Cable operators are not permitted to run news bulletins,” Mr. Ramesh said.