Wednesday, September 06, 2006

3 Months since shutdown

Today is September 6th 2006 and we have completed 3 months since the shutdown of CBNsat. It was on a day like this on June 6th 2006 at approximately 9:20PM CBNsat was unfairly sealed and shut by the authorities acting under the influence of certain individuals.

Ever since that fateful day, the customers of CBNsat have not given up hope and have continued to fight for their rights. This blog which was formed to assist the customers of CBNsat to share information about the CBNsat service had to change its goal and fight for the rights of its customers.

We have managed to reach several milestones during this short time. Probably this is the first time in Sri Lanka that a blog has been used extensively as a tool for people to meet up and share information with a specific goal in mind. We have also been able to facilitate the formation of CBNsat Subscribers Unite which is probably the first time that the general public has formed a group and stood for their rights as consumers. We salute CBNsat Subscribers Unite in their endeavor to restore the rights of CBNsat subscribers.

We were able to get all the blogs belonging to TV Radio Sri Lanka onto www.kottu.org (a listing of all Sri Lankan blogs), but unfortunately the CBNsat and LBN blogs were removed from the site by the Kottu administrators on the reasons that we are publishing copied newspaper articles. However we did explain to the Kottu Admins that it is necessary for us to publish the newspaper articles since it facilitates the sharing of information regarding the reports of CBNsat and LBN. However they did say it was a temporary measure but as of now the CBNsat and LBN forums still continue to be removed from Kottu and only the TV Radio Sri Lanka and Comet Cable forums are on Kottu.

This has been an eventful 3 months and as of yesterday we have sent an email to Mr. Muhunthan Canagey, CEO CBNsat and we are eargerly awaiting his reply for some issues that we had raised. We trust we will get a reply.

We urge H.E President Mahinda Rajapakse to expedite the MoD response and provide relief to the customers of CBNsat. Sir, please meet with representatives of CBNsat as well as representatives of CBNsat Subscribers Unite since you yourself said that solutions to problems should be reached through negotiation. So please grant them appointments.

It is disappointing to note that News 1st & Live @ 8 have not responded in any way to the emails that we sent. We are eagerly awaiting their reply for the questions and requests raised by us.

As a blog we will not give up our fight to restore the services of CBNsat and we hope that neither of you will also, we have come 3 months as one unit and the situation looks bleak at this point in time but remember they will eventually run out of excuses. We have received information that CBNsat has not given up, and is continuing to put pressure on the authorities and it looks like they are very confident of resuming services.

Lets stick together and keep on fighting and see justice served.

CBNsat Subscribers Unite + CBNsat Blog + CBNsat = Victory

Admin
Tv Radio Sri Lanka

21 comments:

Alf said...

We are always with CBNSat. But where is CBNSat??

Alf said...

Look at this article. Posted at LOB web site.


LBO >> Economy

Best Biz
06 September 2006 09:59:24

Maldives easiest place to do business in South Asia, Sri Lanka trails in fourth place


Sept 06 (LBO) - The coral atoll of Maldives was the easiest place to do business in South Asia, followed by Pakistan and Bangladesh, while Sri Lanka trailed at fourth place, in a ranking by the World Bank.

Maldive Islands earned first place in four out of ten topics the Bank had used to measure how easy it was to do business.

It scored first in ‘dealing with licenses’, ‘employing workers’, ‘paying taxes’ and ‘trading across borders’, while Afghanistan was ranked first in ‘starting a business’, Bangladesh in ‘getting credit’ and ‘protecting investors’.

Sri Lanka ranked fourth overall in South Asia ahead of Nepal, India, Bhutan and Afghanistan and failed to make top place in any of the ten topics.

However Sri Lanka earned second place in ‘closing a business.’

In global rankings Singapore earned the top slot, followed by New Zealand United States, Canada and Hong Kong/China.

The World Bank said in many countries doing business had become easier compared with last year.

“Two hundred and thirteen regulatory reforms—in 112 economies— reduced the time, cost, and hassle for businesses to comply with legal and administrative requirements,” the World Bank said.

Africa was reforming faster than Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.

Sri Lanka retained 89th place out of 175 countries in the year in which Maldives was ranked 53, Pakistan 74, Bangladesh 88, Nepal 100, India 134, Bhutan 138, Afghanistan, 162.

"The report points out that in many economies, the costs of doing business are so prohibitive that most entrepreneurs are forced to operate outside the formal economy," World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz said in a statement.

"The report is a critical tool for developing countries to determine where more reforms are needed."

The rankings track the time and cost to meet government requirements in business startup, operation, trade, taxation, and closure.

They do not track variables such as macroeconomic policy, quality of infrastructure, currency volatility, investor perceptions, or crime rates.

Curious Kani said...

There are few things which we haven't tried so far as the consumers.

1. We are not organized in a manner in which every customer get to know what is happening in and around CBNsat.

2. Very few people are united and most others don't know about Customers unite.

3. We haven't done a poster campaign

4. We haven't done a protest campaign

MANIL said...

Yes RABBIT,a poster campaign would have a big effect and the problem would be funding

yakuza said...

whats goin on.Any news on the next hearing

yakuza said...

hope the goverment will get out of the way and let the countrys law system handle the current situation.

Max Payne said...

On this day, I would like to thank Lisura + cbnSAT subscribers' union for the things that they have done sofar to get cbnSAT back on air and wishing them all the best in future activities.

PS- I give you my full support on anything to get cbnSAT back on air.

No matter what, let's stay together and get cbnSAT back.

chami_tv said...

Now there is a new normal tv line on to colombo and kandy called MGM on UHF. That is boradcasting Tensports and some other programmes. you can watch it now pls try to tune in on uhf channel 38 (closer ) in colombo and 56 in kandy.

And a new radio sation also coming on this month call max FM. TRC seems to be very quick on issuing licence to others.

chami_tv said...

sorry just got the info correctly. its channel number 30 in uhf from colombo. and 56 from kandy. and u can clla the on 5551001, they are from Nugegoda. I wonder how they got the permission. they broadcasted ten sports live yestre day.

chami_tv said...

Some times I feel if the CBN SAT Lawyers are making the correct arguments at the court hearings. Let’s take for an example the last time when the Media minister informed the court that the file has been given to defense ministry. But the lawyers appearing for cbn sat has only asked about a time frame.

They could have point out the conflict of interest situation pertaining the issue as the owner of SATNET is the director of the center for media center in defense ministry and that can easily be an unbalance situation regarding the clearance of cbn. Importantly CJ doesn’t know any of those issues. Remember its not the justice that wins but the correct arguments at any of court hearing, I am telling this because I have a personal experience in such a case when I was at University where not the justice but the active and factual lawyers won a case for Colombo university.

Why do not they (CBN) take such issues even for media about how Start TV Lankas’ Owner is given the opportunity to clear one of his major competitors name. May be they may think that it will be a big trouble of charge against an individual but they should first understand who is the real enemy, and the fight should be with the real enemy.

It was only buy Sundy time FT sections once covered the story of Comet broadcast Fashion tv while media minister says those are not suitable to Sri lanka and thus cancelled CBN in all the other timed it has been a pretty ordinary effort by cbn sat in making the public awareness on what’s really going wrong here.

Even the last time appeal for the president was done when he was not in Sri Lanka. And the way the authorities leveled charges against cbn first about license then about channel finally about terrorism is only known to the subscribers and to the public. It’s high time to them to take a public campaign, press conferences, all at once.


I do not mind if the employees of CBN SAT do a demonstration picket in front of Star tv lanka at fife road Colombo 5 against unethical business and protection of their jobs, which will definitely be a show to the public what has going wrong. They can take a media coverage on this at least by Swarnavahini and TNL + derana. Also some articles on News Papers. Remember we should understand that this is a upside down country and we should used methods which works.

Also I am not sure over just sending of an email to Live at 8. Which is just a primary way in communication in terms of sri Lankan media. Why don't we go to Sirasa and swarnavahini and meet the team leaders of news section and discuss. Or call as the union on 2507418 the Live at 8 number And the communication must be in sinhala I know some of the people there ho are handling the news reporting but all in sinhala Englsh and also the web bogs are all alien to the them just need an aggression + news from mere general public, I must say that this web bog is a good one for us to unite and fight but for others in the media so we should seen as general public urging for rights.


When we are doing any thin in the life they should be dedicated and practical + 100% input should be given. A half way jobs some times even can back fire on you. Remember when you are trying to cross a river you must try all possible way to cross. A half way through means you are troubled in an escalated point.

Let us take more practical actions and fight with the real enemy according to the way things can done in this kind of country.

Other point is we are a mere group of people who are using a modern method of communication (Blog) and its not a subject that is practically known to common sri Lankans. To make an impact on this we should go in more Sinhalese oriented method in out side of the blog. That is the only we can make this a national issue. I am not trying to make anybody discourage but this is media business and government in sri lanka . Any thing to gain the method is pure aggression and pressure. If that is the system in this country then we should obey it.

The other factor is why can't CBN still make an appointment with president. Why can't they use the associations of BOI investors or Ceylon chamber of commerce in this regards. All these issues we have to discuss and adhered to. Take India for an example recently all of there cable tv providers at Mumbai switch off the transmissions because of a police interference. And it was covered all internationally and locally in very huge manner. But the issue of cbn remains a silent storm and fight for a bunch of bloggers which should have been a national issues as we all knowing the real impact and advantage of DTH technology. So its up to CBNSAT Subscriber union and CBN Employees to take a more practical approach which will be felt to the whole country. And use methods which will really work. Giving 100 percent in for anything we do but for practical methods. I am sure the President still may not knowing the Hulla handling these and he is misadvised by his advisors regarding cbn, as always happens for al the presidents in sri lanka.

Max Payne said...

I agree with u chami_tv. I think we should get to gether @ someplace and discuss about this. Shall we arrange a meeting for all members and kick off future plans.

Alf said...

I totally agree with TOPFAN. We should act now and this is our last chance!!!

Max Payne said...

Hi guys, I think we should have a meeting with the president and explain the whole story before wasting more time. I don’t think that he is aware of the situation and huluballa and baluwardana are playing fool of him.

It's funny that we are (CBNsat) expecting the clearance from huluballa who represents MOD in this matter, since he is the one who wanted CBNsat closed. They tried everything and after Rupavahini Corporation cleared CBNsat from everything, huluballa took this MOD clearance approach to find another way to close it. Why can’t everyone see this. I mean on the 18th I’m sure that huluballa will close CBNsat or postpone the clearance report saying some stooped reason such as he has to visit the hospital room no 33.

So it’s our duty to make everyone aware of this whole crap. We should find alternative ways rather than using this blog to educate Sri Lankans and if possible the whole world. We should directly address the problem rather than shooting nowhere. We should directly point out that huluballa, media balla and baluwardana (oh forget balu srinimal, just a hechman who let his boss use his wife) are white-collar Terrorists. We should point out that these terrorists use the legal system of the country (including President) to achieve their own personnel dirty goals by using their powers given by innocent people. These are the ones who destroy this country and not the fluctuations of the gas price.

We have two options. One is to wait till 18th and let they close CBNsat. The other one is to setup a meeting with President and make him aware that something is going behind his back. Further ask Mr. President to punish these white-collar terrorist, so that others wont do stooped things in the future.

Guys wake up. We need to discuss about this meeting.

chami_tv said...

I think First a meeting between us in any nature is important. And I think one better place is CBN SAT Itself. I think police is not there any more even if they are there do not think we have problems. Can some one from cbnsat union arrange a meeting there.

+ lets put our freedays in display in the blog that we can make a consensus on a day. President office thing we have to get an appointment from some body who is closer to president. Lets try some body who ha cbn from the list of subscribers at cbn sat and contat him.

chami_tv said...

One other news I read a scoller on ITN yesterday at 7.00 news that the an acting chief justise called Ananda Jayasighe has sworn in. I wonder how this will make an impact +ve or -ve on the next sc hearing

yakuza said...

dont think the new cheif justice will be a issue in this case

Lankadata said...

cbnsat's strategic mistake
1. Being Tamils it was important to have at least one big Sinhala name as the Chairman. This had to be done at inception

2. Now that it has hit the fan...
Not too late to get a son of a minister at least as director.

3.Also it is time to get the mainstream print media on board. Without them it is difficult to get this injustice out there and in the face of the powers that be. Regular press conferences and news releases should help.

When you look at these points, it looks like the CBNSAT guys do not know how to do this type of business in this type of country. Otherwise how is it that SATNET, COMET and TVLANKA are still running?

Alf said...

I wish there would be a dcision on the next SC hearing. This has been dragging on so much now. If a dicision is given we can make our minds and look for alternative ways to get the entertainment.

Very sad to see the way CBNSat Mgt is handling this issue. Very poor show.

chami_tv said...

I think sworn in of new acting cj will have a -ve and effective impact on next hearing.

He has been appinted by President and he i relatively new and will not want to make any missunderstanding with president which will make future bad imapct on him when he goes for a permanant post.

So you guys think he will not be biased on state, and when lawyers says they president has given orders bla bla bla...

Well guys they all are humans you know????

Looser said...

Do we have any hope on CBNSat?

I think the statments made by CBN customers are very similar political debates. We don't get what we want in this country.

If HE MR doesn't want to talk to CBNSat management, i think that's the end of it.

CBNSat Management should try their best to reach MR otherwise there is no hope.

I think 90% of the customers given up about this now. Loosing 17500 is nothing compared to the jobs of CBN employees. Our country will never grow up as long as these politicians live.

Hey even the blog admin also so silent these days, I think they have realized the situation.

CBN was the best I ever had and hope it will come back soon. But you know................

chami_tv said...

NOT only CBN we should also not give up. The "Kiiler Punch" is what we need. never be relaxed or satisfied with what have achieved but going for the "killer Punch" to get CBN on the air. In this fight there is no way of 80% success neither is 99% its all about getting cbn on the air at 100%.
If that not's been achived ALL OUR WORK IS not HALF WAY DONE it not done. I will contact or visit cbn on this coming week and meet senior mgt. let them explain what whould be done in next court hearing. If that fails at the court with postponemts lets go with alterantives.

we shall not give up. Lets go the killer puch.