NEW DELHI: In a clear set-back to the ministry of information and broadcasting, digitization has once again been pushed back in Tamil Nadu where it had been put on hold from Phase I of Digital Addressable System following a court order.

Kal Cables, a subsidiary of the Sun TV Network, got a reprieve from going digital following an interim injunction by the Madras High Court against a Central government order directing all multi-system operators (MSOs) to switch to digital mode.

Kal Cables was allowed to transmit signals using analogue mode by Justice M Duraiswamy after its counsel and senior advocate A R L Sundaresan argued that state-run Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation Ltd had been granted an extension.

Arasu was granted three months to switch over to the DAS and has since been granted another extension till 17 August 2017.

All MSOs were supposed to switch to digital transmission by March 31.

Kal Cables said preferential treatment extended to Arasu by the ministry was arbitrary.

The matter was put off for further hearing for a week as Additional Solicitor General G. Rajagopalan requested time.