STAR TV had switched off five pay channels here after cable operators under RPG Netcom, which controls 70 per cent of the local market, refused to accept them as a package. STAR Movies, STAR News, STAR World and National Geographic continue to be off the air in most areas of Calcutta serviced by RPG Netcom. Last week, STAR gave the five channels to some areas. Rival Siti Cables of Zee has not been affected by STAR's blackout. Meanwhile, Turner International's movie channel Home Box Office is finally on TV screens here.

The Indian launch was announced on March 22, but the channel was not shown in Calcutta because operators wanted it to be free-to-air for 120 days.Officials of the Forum of Cable Operators said HBO will now be free to air for 30 days.

"HBO management has negotiated with us, and it will be free to air for a month. However, the channel's existence depends on feedback from the viewers," an FCO official said.

Surprisingly, the FCO management says that it was not demand for Kaun Banega Crorepati that made them accept STAR Plus as an a la carte channel at Rs 8 per point.

The FCO is still determined to resist STAR's move to sell five pay channels as a package. But we still want a maximum retail price for each pay channel, FTA time, and freedom to choose our own package," an official said.

On the other, broadcasters as well as media analysts feel that the operators have no chance of resisting STAR's move. "Kaun Banega Crorepati demolished the operators' morale," industry officials said. "Today or tomorrow they are bound to accept the channels as a package." He said the package deal will help the operators. "They will be the losers in an a la carte system," he pointed out.

STAR's area manager for sales, Rajiv Sharma, said, "STAR had lost a lot of money and are planning to get profitable by introducing attractive, and interesting programmes," he said.