Tamil TV channel Puthiya Thalaimurai blacked out on TN govt cable network

Leading Tamil news channel Puthiya Thalaimurai has been abruptly blacked out by cable TV network operator Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation Ltd (TACTV), sparking concerns on press freedom in the state.

Since Friday, viewers across Tamil Nadu have been reporting that Puthiya Thalaimurai, normally available on Channel 44 of the government-run TACTV (popularly called ‘Arasu Cable’), has disappeared from their screens.

Puthiya Thalaimurai, since Tuesday morning, has been carrying headlines with screenshots of blank TV screens with a cryptic message,“no signal or unscrambled channel”.The channel has reported that despite repeated complaints and formal representations by its technical and administrative teams to TACTV officials from October 3 to 6, there has been no explanation or official response.

Unbiased journalism

Renowned for its unbiased journalism and as the voice of public sentiment, Puthiya Thalaimurai, a sister concern of The Federal, commands a massive viewership in Tamil Nadu.

The blackout – which landed without prior notice – has sparked outrage across the state, with media bodies, Opposition leaders, and even alliance partners of the ruling party decrying it as a blatant assault on the fourth estate.

Also read | 'India stifles free expression, media freedom': Report on Commonwealth nations

Viewers in multiple districts, including Chennai and other urban centres, reported the outage. "We tune in to channel 44 for Puthiya Thalaimurai every day, but now it's just static," said a subscriber from Coimbatore, echoing a chorus of grievances reaching the channel's offices.

Nonpartisan stance

Puthiya Thalaimurai has long set the benchmark for comprehensive and balanced political coverage in Tamil Nadu. It has consistently sought to give equal space to the ruling party, the opposition, and emerging political movements.

In recent weeks, there were intermittent disruptions of its telecast on the Arasu Cable network. Official sources have told the channel that its extensive coverage of opposition activities and its detailed reporting on actor Vijay’s growing political movement may have irked sections within the ruling establishment.

The channel, since its inception, has maintained editorial independence and has persistently thwarted attempts to suppress criticism or favour any camp. This has often placed Puthiya Thalaimurai at odds with those in power. Whether it was the Anna University sexual harassment case in Chennai or the custodial death of Ajith Kumar in Sivaganga, the channel continued to question official accounts and pursue uncomfortable truths.

'Flawed model'

The government-run cable model is inherently flawed, noted senior journalist Priyan.

"Media outlets have faced similar issues under J Jayalalithaa and Edappadi Palaniswami regimes. When the DMK comes to power, they prioritise allied channels on TACTV while pushing opposition ones to the bottom. A similar thing happens under the AIADMK,” Priyan noted.

Also read | Press Council makes 4 suggestions to ensure protection for journalists

Around 7 years ago, under the AIADMK government, Puthiya Thalaimurai was similarly temporarily dislodged from the Arasu Cable bouquet — an act then condemned by journalist associations and opposition parties alike.

Industry sources indicate that of Arasu Cable’s 14.9 lakh subscribers statewide, nearly 12.4 lakh use Standard Definition (SD) set-top boxes and only about 2.5 lakh use High Definition (HD). Puthiya Thalaimurai is now reportedly available only on HD boxes, effectively cutting off over 80% of Arasu subscribers from accessing the broadcast.

Political reactions

The Opposition AIADMK has sharply criticised the MK Stalin government over the blackout. "The DMK government is hell-bent on ensuring no critical coverage of its missteps airs on any media platform,” said AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.

“The media, as the fourth pillar of democracy, plays a vital role in highlighting governmental failures. Instead of viewing it as an opportunity for course correction, resorting to blackouts for vendetta is reprehensible.”

The Chennai Press Club, echoed this sentiment in a strongly worded X post: "Private and government cable operators, along with DTH providers, are obligated to deliver all channels, including news networks, to the public. Denying or abruptly halting service to qualified news channels constitutes suppression of freedom of expression. If Puthiya Thalaimurai was indeed removed from TACTV without notice two days ago, it is an outright violation of press freedom.”Various district journalists associations too have condemned the black out.

BJP slams Arasu Cable

The BJP unit in the state was quick to criticise TACTV. State unit chief Nainar Nagendran wrote on X: "Shocking revelations indicate the DMK government has deliberately sidelined Puthiya Thalaimurai in TACTV's Tamil channel lineup, relegating it to the 'other languages' category. As elections approach, the DMK files cases against critics and now escalates by blacking out channels to silence opposition voices. This exposes the true face of Dravidian authoritarianism.”

Also read | Govt orders takedown of videos, posts on Adani citing Delhi court order

His party colleague and predecessor K Annamalai said: "In the tragic Karur temple stampede where lives were lost due to public mismanagement, Puthiya Thalaimurai exposed the DMK government's lapses – and now, the regime has blocked it out across Tamil Nadu on TACTV.”

Intra-alliance voices

Even within the ruling alliance, questions are surfacing. VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan expressed hope that the state government would “act appropriately”.

Former TNCC chief KS Alagiri observed that if the state government is indeed behind the blackout, it is "condemnable." "The matter should be immediately brought to the notice of the Chief Minister, and the channel should be restored," he added.

A Kumaresan, former Editor of Theekkathir, the mouthpiece of the CPI (M), said in an article that attacks on the media are an all-pervading, continuous event, with Tamil Nadu being no exception. The CPI (M) is also part of the INDIA bloc.