While there have been reports of a drift—rather than a rift—between theMaran and Karunanidhi families, it is only two years after senior DMK leader andformer union minister Murasoli Maran’s death that there has been a publicacknowledgement of the growing distance. It was the late Maran, Karunanidhi’snephew, who had insisted that Karunanidhi’s family be made stakeholders 15years ago. Today, while many believe that Karunanidhi’s divestment owes to hisdisillusionment with the lack of coverage for his son and DMK deputy generalsecretary M.K. Stalin on Sun TV’s news bulletins and on the 24-hour channelSun News, it is actually the Maran camp which seems to have sought and securedthe "amicable settlement", according to party insiders. With the expansionof Sun’s media plans, Kalanithi Maran should be happier to have theKarunanidhi family out of his way.