Overseas communications carrier and sole uplinking service provider Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd is working on providing digital uplinking facilities to encrypted channels from Indian soil. As part of that the company has selected a range of Taridan Scopus Codico platforms which are to be installed in Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai. The service will initially be available from Chennai‘s Ambattur uplink site where playout rooms will be provided at a price. It will be extended to the two other cities as and when the facilities are upgraded. No rates have been decided for the Multiple Channel Per Carrier (MCPC) services.
Prior to this, in nine different cities, Scopus had installed digital SCPC (Single Channel Per Carrier) systems that improve signal reach and quality.

The current installation covers the three major metros and Scopus has installed a number of MCPC systems. VSNL is using a Conditional Access System provided by Irdeto. Scopus digital platforms also enable VSNL to provide IP data services over these networks.

"VSNL is a very large part of the changing media landscape in India and now that we are part of their overachieving team, I am convinced that our digital tools will propel them even further," says Arie Vered, Scopus Sales and Marketing Director. "VSNL‘s selection of Scopus advances our growing interests in Asia and is a major confirmation for Scopus‘ technology and reputation."

Scopus has teamed up with MCBS (India) for project implementation and technical support.

Leading Malayalam language channel Asianet is putting together plans to launch a news channel within the next three to four months, chief operating officer Mohan Nair said on Saturday.

"We have a full-fledged news dissemination structure already in place for our news programmes so to convert that into a dedicated channel should not be a problem," Nair said. "Towards this end we have just got VSNL (Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited - in charge of international telecommunication services in India) clearance for a transponder," he added.

"The news bulletins on Asianet get the highest viewership after our hit serial ‘Sthree‘ so we are confident a 24-hour news channel will do well," Nair said.

On how his channel was doing vis-a-vis arch rival Surya of the Sun group, Nair said though they were facing stiff competition, they were still ahead in the channel wars.

Questioned on whether Asianet planned to join the gameshow bandwagon, Nair said Asianet would stick with what has worked for it till now, namely serials. Surya is launching a gameshow hosted by Malayalam film star Mukesh on the lines of the popular "Koteeswaran" on Sun, the leading Tamil language channel.

Nair admitted that an area of concern for the company was Asianet Kaveri, the Kannada language launched in June 2000, which was still to really take off. He ascribed it to the fallout from the kidnapping of popular Kannada film star Rajkumar who was released on 15 November after 108 days in captivity. During the kidnap period there was a virtual shutdown of the Kannada film industry, Nair explained. "This resulted in producers contracted to provide programming for Asianet being unable to do so causing a severe software shortage for the channel, forcing us to air re-runs. This really crippled us at a time when the channel was trying to establish itself and we haven‘t really managed to recover the lost ground," Nair said.

Twenty weeks since Kerry Packer‘s HFCL Nine Broadcasting launched their serial on Doordashan Metro, the INTAM Television Viewer Ratings (TVRs) reflect that many of Nine Gold‘s serials are increasingly making their presence felt in cable and satellite homes.

Hoping to build on its gains, Nine Broadcasting has pitched for a 10-year contract for DD Metro with Prasar Bharati, the Economic Times reported on Saturday. It remains to be seen how newly installed CEO Anil Baijal responds to the offer. Considering how the profile of DD Metro has improved in this period, it will be an offer he finds difficult to refuse.

The TVRs indicate that Channel 9‘s programmes are scoring over that of DD1 with nearly 26 of its serials among the top 50 in all television homes. Telecast for three hours every day on DD Metro‘s prime time segment between 7.00 PM to 10.00 PM, 14 programmes are among the top 20 with two of its serials - "Superstars" and "Kundali" - sharing the second position with DD1‘s "Jai Hanuman" at 9.4 per cent TVR. In all non C&S homes DD1‘s "Suraag" leads with 27 per cent TVR followed by "Kundali" at 23 per cent.

Nine Broadcasting‘s five soaps figure among the top 50 in Ahmedabad (all C&S homes), with "Chonch Ladi Re Chonch" aired on Sundays at 8.33 PM with 8.9 TVRs while Star Plus‘s family soap "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi" tops the chart at 21 per cent (Wed 10.32 PM).

Nine Broadcasting has paid Rs 1.21 million for the three hours of air-time on DD Metro.