MUMBAI: The folks at Disney Star India’s Star Vijay are mighty happy – and, yet, very upset. Happy, because the channel has raced ahead of southern leader Sun TV in terms of viewership ratings in week 24. Upset, because they are allegedly being fingered on the ground with Star Vijay being placed lower down in the LCN band by certain distribution platform operators.

Sources close to Disney Star reveal that in the just concluded week 24 Star Vijay racked up 772 Grps as against Sun TV’s 749 in the Chennai, TN/Pondicherry urban 15-30 demographic. Triumphant, the Star Vijay marketing team splashed their one-week win all over digital media. Bang came the riposte from Sun TV. Sources close to Star Vijay say that the southern behemoth immediately bumped it down to a lower LCN (no 56 from 38) on Sun Direct while pulling the Tamil channel from LCN 75 to LCN 96 on its cable TV platform SCV or Kal Cables.

This, according to industry experts, could have a detrimental effect on Star Vijay’s ratings in the coming week. The Disney Star India team was reportedly appealing to both platforms to place the channel back on the higher LCN - to no avail.

Indiantelevision.com reached out to Sun Direct and SCV officials but they refused to comment. Sources close to the Sun TV network, however, stated that Star Vijay has gained a lead just in urban markets and for one week only.

“So why is it going around trumpeting that it Is the leader?” one of them asked. “We totally disagree with their claim.”

Sources close to Disney Star India reveal that the mouse house has written to broadcasting regulator TRAI complaining about the southern powerhouse’s LCN shifting tactics.

The question now is: with the two adversaries staring at each other eye to eye, who will blink first?