There are rumours going on that CBNSat has been asked by the government to stop the service. Is this not a BOI approved project. Is this what a reponsible government will do? If they do not want the service to start then they should have not given the license to operate. There are several people who have purchased connections in view of the World Cup.
There are rumours also that a director of Comet Cable has influenced the government to get this disruption done.
Today is can be called the darkest day in the history of the Cable TV Industry. No one will forget this day 7/6.
There are rumours also that a director of Comet Cable has influenced the government to get this disruption done.
Today is can be called the darkest day in the history of the Cable TV Industry. No one will forget this day 7/6.
23 comments:
Well, what do we expect in a country that boasts the most interfering and oppressive regime in South Asia?
Sri Lanka is going down the drain while the sisters in Nepal, Pakistan and India are rising above the surface.
When the Government raided TV and Radio stations in Nepal last year, all media stood up and shouted. Here, there's a deafening silence, as broadcasters are too afraid to stand up for press freedom. Well, boys - don't hold your breath, because if you don't react in time....you're next.
Just another lame attempt to stop a professional business which is pwning competition.
So how bad is it? Does this mean no CBNsat for the rest of our lives?
btw quote from www.wow.lk
"CBN Sat under investigation for proper license and broadcast equipment, says police IGP. CBN Sat officials were not available for comment-JNW - 2006-06-07 15:46:54"
And read this too http://www.lbo.lk/fullstory.php?newsID=1715132768&no_view=1&SEARCH_TERM=10
Take a read . . .
http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?newsID=1715132768&no_view=1&SEARCH_TERM=10
Well, I guess we can be fairly sure Chandra Fernando is NOT a CNBsat customer...
CBNsat case: CID, SLTRC ordered to appear before Court
COLOMBO: Colombo Additional Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya yesterday ordered the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Director General of the Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (SLTRC) to appear before Court.
The Court made this order following the CID's search of the headquarters of the CBNsat private satellite TV service on a search warrant and stoppage of the transmission yesterday.
President's Counsel M.L.M. Ameen submitted that the CID had misdirected the search warrant and the CID had gone beyond its powers to stop the transmission. He pleaded to grant permission to re-start the transmission.
The Judge observed that the Court should listen to both the parties and he issued notice on the Director of CID and the SLTRC Director General to appear before the Court.
Source : http://www.dailynews.lk/2006/06/08/news38.asp
I think Mr. Laxman Hulugalla is definitely behind this move. As the industry people know he is a very famous under-cutter. He was linked with the infamous Channel 9 case also. And he is the chairman of SATnet. He was behind President Ranasinghe Premadasa and then with CBK & RW and now he is seen with President Mahinda Rajapakse. So we could see who ever is in power this man is there. I think it's high time to the President to identify rats like this which will destroy our countrys' economy and future.
I ALSO THINK HULUGALLE IS THE MAN,HE IS TRYING TO IMPROVE ON 500 OR SO CONNECTIONS AND MOST OF THE HOTELS ARE CONVERTING TO CBN,
WILL PEOPLE HAVE A TRUST ON A GUY LIKE HIM AND HE DEFENIETLY IS NOT GOING TO IMPROVE ON THE 500
I think the courts will give historic decesion as per todays DAILY MIRROR the CID guys have come with a search warrant and ceased the transmission,I feel searching and seizing are altogether differant and CBN as per the legal manager has a valid licence.
If they did not have any hidden agenda i think the service will be restored or failing Mr.Hulugalle has to take over and uplink the channels for CBN customers.
Guys no way that we are going to buy SATnet instead we would prefer the old styled COMET or LBN.
Today is going to be the d day for CBNsat,just hope for the best.
DailyMirror News Article:
CBN satellite television sealed off
Thursday, June 08,2006
colombo: Controversy surrounded the sudden sealing of the private satellite television station CBN Sat by the CID on Tuesday night with the company taking the matter to courts.
The countrywide operations of the satellite television station came to a standstill on Tuesday night when a group of CID detectives ordered that transmissions be stopped immediately.
The detectives had reportedly produced a search warrant from courts to support their action which included the seizing of some equipment for purposes of examination.
Meanwhile Police Chief Chandra Fernando said the local company was sealed following reports it held no licence to transmit.
CBN Sat legal department manager Dilani Nandasiri told the Daily Mirror the company sought legal action against the sealing of the station.
“The police entered the CBN Sat office at No. 83, George R. De Silva Mawatha, Colombo 13, showing a search warrant obtained from the Hulftsdorp Magistrate and ordered the operations to be shutdown immediately. We were not given any reason neither were we given a hearing,” she said.
Denying accusations the TV station was operating without a licence, Ms. Nandasiri said “We have a proper licence for our transmitting services and authorization for our equipment.”
She said the company has some 100,000 clients and many more were hoping to watch the forthcoming soccer world cup via our channels.
“The damage done to the company’s goodwill and reputation by halting our operations are considerable”, she said.
However the controversy deepened yesterday with certain rumors that the reason for the sealing might be the intention of a state television channel to broadcast the soccer world cup series and the setting up of a rival satellite television station by a leading minister’s son.
Satellite TV service sealed
(June 07, 4.45 pm) The CID has sealed the office of satellite television service provider 'CBN Sat'.
An official of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission told 'Lanka e News' the company was closed as it was operating without a license.
'CBN Sat' offers popular foreign TV channels to local audience using satellite technology for a fixed monthly rental it presently has about 25,000 subscribers.
The company has obtained an E.O.G. license in 2003 and the CID has received a complaint that it was operating outside the stipulated operations. The Company is reported to have been launched with an investment of one billion rupees and the CID is probing how the funds were channeled.
It is also been investigated into whether the company has links with the LTTE and CBN Sat proprietor Kanagi Mukunthan said the company has obtained a valid license and added he is unable make further comments as he is in the process of seeking legal advice from his lawyers regarding the sealing.
It is also reported that a Defence Ministry stalwart has threatened to arrest him over LTTE connections, if he resorted to legal action.
Source:http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=2477
Hey Hey, Please don't call all tamils as terrorists. Only 20% of the tamils are in LTTE controlled areas. Others are living peacefully among the Sinhalese in the south. If CBN is linked with LTTE the investigations should reveal that. We are at the crossroads now and by making such foolish statements you will cover the real picture. NTT (National TV of Tamil Eelam) is uplinked from the jungles of wanni using the vsat equipment provied by the previous government. If the current government want to stop the NTT broadcast TRC could do it easily by jamming the uplink frequency. Is the technical staff at TRC are fools or they hide the real picture from the public for some other reasons. Dirty Politics in the arena again. Dear Mr. President ! If you don't get rid of these idiots form your government you'll have to pay the price.
Sri Lanka’s First Satellite Digital Video Broadcasting Launched
The new digital satellite video broadcasting service provider, Communiq Broadband Network (CBN), launched Sri Lanka’s first Satellite Digital Video Broadcast recently. CBNSat offers BBC and CNN broadcasts directly to homes. Apart from these two channels CBNSat also offers a wide range of channels covering areas of news, education, sports, action and movies for a premium quality service.
Muhunthan Canagey, Chief Executive of CBNSat, explained that the service is now available to all Sri Lankans throughout the Island. CBNSat has the capability and infrastructure to broadcast upto 120 channels. The company will be covering the whole island at once without going by region. Muhunthan says more channels are enlisted to be added to the service.
The viewers of CBNSat’s Satellite Television Network will experience a high level of audiovisual quality, which will be a distinctive advantage. Apart from the Satellite Television Network, CBNSat is geared to provide many other highly advanced services through the utilization of satellite technology. The Sri Lanka public at large would be the beneficiary of these improvements.
The Company is linked with Singer Sri Lanka, a pioneer in consumer electronics and a leading household appliance store. CBNSat has ensured the availability of the complete set of equipment needed to connect to the Satellite Television Network. This includes the satellite dish and decoder, which is available in over 1000 sales outlets island wide.
The CEO of CBNSat said the service provider established in Sri Lanka by CBNSat would provide Sri Lankans throughout the island with a unique experience irrespective of geographical parameters. Subscription will be offered at Rs. 500/- per month.
Marketing Manager Chinthaka Wanasinghe pointed out that CBNSat would also offer distance-learning facility provided to Sri Lankan students to access and view course support programmes on TV. Upon signing up to the digital learning centres, these students could follow courses as simply as watching normal TV.
The CEO of CBNSat confirmed that the CBNSat Digital Satellite already beams to the total region, which extends from Maldives to China while seeking to extend its reception island wide.
Source : http://boi.lk/newsportal/view.asp?NewsID=2093&CatID=2
TO ALL :
PLEASE REFRAIN FROM POSTING NON WORTHY FILTHY MESSAGES ON THIS FORUM. THIS IS A SERIUOS ISSUE AND LET US SAFEGUARD OUR RIGHTS AS CONSUMERS. THE HAND THAT WAS PUT TO CBN WILL TOMORROW COME TO COMET OR LBN. SATNET HAS GOT THE DEALERSHIP FORM DISH TV INDIA AND STAR TV. SO HE WANTS TO UNDERCUT THE OTHER OPERATORS. SO DEAR ALL PLEASE DISCUSS SOMETHING WORTH HERE.
THANK YOU !
I CHECKED RIGHT NOW (20HRS 08/06/2006) AND CONFIRM THAT NTT (NATIONAL TELEVISION OF TAMIL EELAM) IS STILL WORKING. ANYONE WHO HAS A KU BAND SATELLITE RECEIVER COULD CHECK IT BY ENTERING THE FOLLOWING SETTINGS.
FREQUENCY = 11506 V
SYMBOL RATE = 2894
NTT TRANSMISSION IS ON FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS DAILY FROM 19.30HRS
THIS SIGNAL CAN BE RECEIVED FROM THE CBNSAT RECEIVERS ALSO BUT CBNSAT HAVE NOT AUTHORISED THE USERS TO WATCH IT.
THIS CLEARLY SHOWS THAT NTT IS NOT USING CBNSAT INFRASTRUCTURE TO UPLOAD THEIR CHANNEL.
CBN sat has shown us, the Sri Lanka Vs England test series while all other TV stations failed to show these popular Cricket matches on their programmes.
There is a large proportion of the population who do not receive proper signals for local channels Island wide including in major cities. Children had direct access to unaltered educational programmes through the CBN sat.
It is the viewers and the subscribers of the CBN sat who are penalized and suffering for mistakes which they have never committed or responsible. The rights of the subscribers should be respected in the first place. Their freedom to obtain information should be preserved at all cost at an era which is rightly named as the information age. It is absurd to attempt control and closedown any of these avenues at an information age, for what ever the reason they presume is relevant while the internet provides free access to all these information without any restriction.
Then they should ban internet as well. The right thing to do now is to clarify and provide a clear legal states to the CBN sat to operate at least the educational programmes such as the Discovery Channel, History Channel, National Geographic Channel, Travel and Living and the Animal planet until the status of the local channels are clarified, without further harassing the large number of subscribers who are innocent bystanders of this dirty game. Some of those who oppose CBN sat do not allow them to show those educational programs while they never attempt to provide those services to the general public in an acceptable manner. Some of those local Channels are in fact a curse for the minds of young children watching those local programmes.
In this manner, the nation is never capable of progressing as a civilized and developed nation with this type of attitudes of the authorities concerned , undermining all efforts to make use of the benefits of latest technological advances in the civilized world. No wonder the nation will remain as backwards and as an underdeveloped country on this manner for ever.
PRESS STATEMENT OF 09.06.2006 OF COMMUNIQ BROADBAND NETWORK (PRIVATE) LIMITED WHICH CARRIES BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME AND STYLE OF CBNSAT.
1) CBNSat's customers have not since approximately 9 p.m. on Tuesday 6th June 2006 been available to access all channels including BBC, CNN, Discovery etc.
2) To dispel any false rumours or allegations the company wishes to present the facts of what has happened and why customers are not able to access those channels.
3) CBNSat is able to provide its services to its customers primarily through a company called SonicNet Technologies (Pvt.) Ltd.
4) SonicNet Technologies (Pvt.) Ltd. Has a license granted to it by the Minister of Mass Media and Communications in 2003 which authorises it to provide services as set out in the licence.
5) SonicNet Technologies (Private) Limited also has obtained all necessary approvals for all the equipment it uses from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka.
6) It is the company’s position that CBNSat does not require a licence to carry out the activities which it has been carrying out since 27.05.2005.
7) On a complaint made by a person or persons the Additional Magistrate of Colombo issued a search warrant to the Criminal Investigations Department to search CBNSat’s premises. SonicNet Technology (Pvt.) Ltd’s equipment is situated at the same location.
8) CID officers raided the premises of CBNSat and SonicNet Technologies (Private) Ltd. On 06.06.2006. Both companies cooperated fully with the CID.
9) Although the learned Magistrate granted permission for the search to take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. the presence of the CID officers continued till much later in the evening.
10) The Learned Magistrate did not in his order confer any power on the CID to seize or switch off SonicNet’s equipment.
11) Because of the equipment of SonicNet Technologies (Pvt.) Ltd. Being switched off unlawfully and without any reasonable of justifiable ground the customers of CBNSat cannot access the channels mentioned above any longer.
12) A Magistrates’ Court hearing took place on 8th June 2006 at which lawyers appearing for SonicNet Technologies (Pvt.) Ltd. Made extensive submissions. However the proceedings have been adjourned for Monday the 12th of June, 2006.
13) CBNSat is hopeful that the learned Magistrate will make such Orders as are necessary to undo the damage caused by the action taken by the CID in excess of the powers granted to it under the search warrant.
THE STEPS TAKEN SO FAR TO KEEP CUSTOMERS INFORMED
1) Before the equipment of SonicNet Technologies was switched off, CBNSat sent a message to its customers on Tuesday night at approximately 9 p.m. informing them that they would be unable to access the channels due to unavoidable circumstances.
2) CBNSat has instructed its staff to inform its customers that CBNSat has sought legal advice and will be taking appropriate action in Court.
3) CBNSat will issue press releases as often as possible to keep its customers informed of the progress of the legal actions being taken by it and by SonicNet Technologies (Pvt.) Ltd.
As for SonicNet Technologies (Private) Limited, it has also made representations to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission to hold an inquiry and to restore the service pending such inquiry.
Until the CID action is reversed or reviewed, SonicNet Technologies (Pvt.) Ltd. will, unless it is otherwise advised, be unable to switch its equipment back on.
Until SonicNet Technologies (Pvt.) Ltd.’s equipment is switched back on, approximately 20,000 customers of CBNSat in all parts of Sri Lanka and abroad will be unable to access the above channels.
CBNSat deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to its customers but vows that no effort will be spared to restore services as soon as possible.
It is very sad to see whats happening to CBNsat. In my opinion, this must have a direct connection to a competetor..! Or else why on earth the TRC woke up all of a sudden and decided to term CBNsat operation as illegal. If someone starts an operation in an illegal manner, the TRC must identify at the start and warn the public. That is what should happen. By suddenly blocking the transmission, TRC has put all of us (CBNsat subscribers) in a very annoying situation.
I don't even have a normal UHF/VHF anteanna at my home to see the local TV channels. I was 100% depending on the CBNsat...! Now, I'm trying to fix a UHF/VHF antenna at least to see the recorded world cup matches on Channel Eye.
My humble request to all the concerned parties is to restore the CBNsat transmission at least until the world cup is over...!! We were eagerly waiting to watch the world cup from home..!
- One disappointed Sri Lankan
why dont we shut down TRC ???
if there is justice in this country, they should bring back cbn sat!!! i personally think they offered a good set of programmes, which were of use to everyone. they also did business in style. i have mentioned this to my marketting students as a truly exceptional srilankan company.
it is only troublesome to know that such an example had to be brought to halt because of some ruthless politician whos linked to a competitor, who cannot fight cbnsat on professional competitive grounds.
The involvement of political powers to obstruct such businesses should be brought to the notice of the general public, and such politicians should be penalised for mis-using their powers.
people trust and vote for them to be impartial and support good businesses. if such a thing can happen to cbnsat, then no one can be sure of their businesses in the future!
this has to end with monday, and we all wish cbnsat all the very best!
does anyone know whether cid have raided sat net? it is really unfair if cid go to courts on monday and say they need more time!!! i will give them my middle finger if they need more time to raid sat-net!!!! they are the cause for the whole thing!
now lbn is down too! so cid better go to comet and sat net fast!!!
why is the government keeping quiet?
because the government is behind this move. CID will definitely come on Monday and ask 4 more time.
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