NEW DELHI: With the clock ticking towards the 31 March 2003 termination of the NDTV-Star India alliance, Rupert Murdoch‘s company is making all the arrangements for the smooth transition to the new Star News feed.
As part of this process, Star has applied to the government for permission to use international gateway Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) for port to port uplinking.

Currently the arrangement is that NDTV sends the signal through VSNL to Hong Kong, from where it is uplinked onto the Asiasat satellite.

Star India officials however, offered no comments, when asked about the latest developments.

Though Star, surprisingly, has not applied for a direct uplink licence, in 1997, Newscorp boss Rupert Murdoch did consider using Bangalore as an uplink station.

Watch this space for a detailed report to follow.

NEW DELHI: The case of the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2002, is getting curiouser. Yesterday, though it was listed as part of the day‘s business it did not come up for discussion. It is not on today‘s listed business and will not come up for the rest of the week either.

It now transpires that information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj decided to withdraw the bill for wider consultations after it became clear that Opposition leaders (with the tacit support of some influential ruling party members) would not allow the bill‘s passage without wider discussions.

The draft is now likely to be referred to a House Select Committee before it is brought up for passage.

Earlier indications were that the CAS bill would continue to be listed every day till it was passed.

The Hindu Business Line reported that parliamentary affairs minister Pramod Mahajan yesterday informed the Opposition members that the Bill - which was to be moved by Swaraj in the afternoon - had been taken off the list of business for the week.

The amendments to the Act were passed in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) on 15 May through a voice vote. The I&B ministry will now have to try and evolve a consensus with the Opposition party members before it can get the bill cleared.

NEW DELHI:Close on the heels of Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India announcing four new shows, it is the turn of Zee TV to follow suit with three new programmes set to launch over the next few weeks.

Leading the pack for Zee will be The Simply Shekhar Show
(see earlier report Shekhar Suman turns producer with two shows on Zee ).

Zee is promising the show will take Shekhar‘s original on SET - Movers & Shakers - a step further. A fun-filled variety entertainment show touching upon contemporary issues ranging from politics, sports, films, television, science and technology, research and weird inventions, music, business, etc within the country and all over the world in a light hearted manner is what The Simply Shekhar Show aims to be.

HONG KONG: The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) has announced it will be sponsoring the 2002 International Emmy Awards regional voting in Hong Kong for the Asian movies and mini-series category. This category, judged in Hong Kong, attracted 14 semi-finalists from across Asia and was reflected in similar voting in London, Paris and Miami.
Hosted by Casbaa-member company Media Financial Services (MFS) and supported by Casbaa member Bloomberg Television, the International Emmys event is organised by the International Council of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The 2002 final Awards will be made in November at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, an official release says.

"The objective of stimulating quality local programming is one of the highest priorities on the Casbaa agenda," said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO, Casbaa. "This has been a great opportunity to work with a global body dedicated to promoting the highest standards for TV production. We are certainly proud that our organization has been invited to help select and supply judges for this prestigious event."

Among Casbaa member companies sitting on the judging panel were I-Cable, Star Group, TVBI, APV, Walt Disney International and Columbia Tristar Asia Pacific. Bloomberg Television in Hong Kong supplied the venue for the Hong Kong round of judging, while MFS acted as the official host.

"This is a very important milestone for the development of television in Asia and we are delighted to be working with Casbaa on this project and hope to work them in future years," said Michael Spiessbach, chairman of MFS.

"We are very pleased to partner with CASBAA in what we hope is the first of many projects we initiate in Asia," said MJ Sorenson, director of marketing and communications for the International Council. "CASBAA‘s high level membership is important for us as we are seeking to grow an Asian base of broadcasters, producers and distributors."

NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) adjourned today without the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2002, failing to come up for discussion yet again.
As reported earlier, the CAS bill will continue to be listed every day till it is passed, government sources aver. "The okay may come through sometime this week," a senior I&B ministry official told indiantelevision on Tuesday in the forenoon, adding, "Unless some members (of the Rajya Sabha) insist on a lengthy debate on the issue." The amendments to the Act were passed in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) on 15 May through a voice vote.