BENGALURU: Subscribers of local cable television in the state got a jolt on Thursday when their TV screens went blank from morning as part of the one-day blackout announced by cable tv operators across the country. 

The South India Federation of Cable Operators’ Association is protesting against the new tariff policy by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) which will come into effect on February 1. The blackout affected subscribers of conventional cable connections and not those who use direct-to-home services. 

According to industry estimates, there are 60 lakh subscribers in Karnataka, most of whom were unable to view any programming on Thursday. In southern states, the blackout was near total, said V S Patrick Raju, president of Karnataka State Cable TV Operators’ Association.

The protest in Karnataka went as per plan despite a court injunction which was issued against the same. The cable operators claimed they had not received a copy of the order. 

Under the new rules, consumers can select and pay only for channels that they want to watch in contrast to the current system where cable operators offer a pack of channels for a monthly fee. Consumers will have to pay a minimum of `130+taxes for 100 free-to-air channels and select other channels.