B4U Networks has terminated its distribution deal with Modi Entertainment Network (MEN) blaming it for what it says is the surreptitious manner in which the channel distributor reached an agreement with French channel Fashion TV deal to the exclusion of the former.

According to network distribution head Debashish Dey, B4U's contract with Fashion TV runs till 2005 and the deal signed between FTV and MEN on 9 August was illegal. B4U has served a legal notice on FTV for breach of trust, says Dey. Queried as to what was the status of music channel MCM in the imbroglio, Dey could provide no details.

Henceforth, both B4U Entertainment (soon to be B4U movies) and B4U Music would be handled by the network itself, Dey said.

Dey alluded to MEN's earlier loss of distribution and marketing rights for sports channel ESPN and the recent loss of its deal to monitor distribution of national broadcaster Doordarshan's Metro channel while stating that FTV would regret breaking its ties with B4U.

Officials from MEN were unavailable for comment on the issue.