CABSAT exhibitors optimistic about business opportunities in Middle East
The eighth edition of the Middle East International Cable, Satellite, Broadcast and Telecommunications Exhibition (CA
Starts 3rd October
Ratikant Basu‘s beleaguered Broadcast Worldwide (BWW) - which runs the Tara bouquet of regional channels - has roped in Eternal Dreams, a channel operations and marketing agency, to generate ad sales for its ailing Tara Marathi channel.
BWW has signed a three month contract with Eternal Dreams on an assurance that the agency will generate ad sales of Rs 1000,000 per month for the channel. Tara Marathi, which currently has only 20 per cent of original programming per day, has introduced some new shows in an effort to revive the channel. Ambitious plans to revamp the channel have been aborted for the time being due to an acute shortage of funds. Industry sources say that Prachar Advertising was earlier funding Eternal Dreams, but has since backed out.
While the company has gone in for a revamp of Tara Punjabi, Tara Marathi‘s plans to beef up its news programming and bring in a strategic investor seem to have been put on hold.
The eighth edition of the Middle East International Cable, Satellite, Broadcast and Telecommunications Exhibition (CABSAT 2002) concluded at the Dubai World Trade Centre Exhibition Complex yesterday.The event attracted around 4500 trade professionals, where four country pavilions representing UK, Korea, Taiwan and Bavaria were set up. Exhibitors who attended the event said that there was a regional boom in the cable, satellite, broadcast and telecommunications sectors in the Middle East. Companies struck an optimistic note regarding business opportunities in the region and exhibitors who have been displaying their wares regularly at the event noted an improvement in the quality of visitors this time round.
American Satellite major Intelsat has claimed that CABSAT visitors showed keen interest in broadband solutions and is confident that the visit will pay off though the company does not currently have a presence in the region. The company indicated that it would be back next year with more staff to field inquiries.
Procast, which participated in CABSAT for the first time this year said it was negotiating with Orbit to air 10 channels in Dubai. If this deal goes through, it would be one of the largest ever of its kind in the UAE. SMT Electronic Technology, a regular CABSAT exhibitor, anticipates to close deals valued at approximately US $1 million. The company wants to make a dent in the European markets and was able to meet potential clients from Turkey during the exhibition, according to a press release.
Global Interactive Technology (GIT) used the exhibition to launch
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