Subhash Chandra‘s Zee Network‘s plans to launch a separate encrypted beam for markets in the Middle East, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal under the Zee International banner finally took off today with a technical launch. This is to be followed by a formal launch in the Middle East by the beginning of May, in Bangladesh by the middle of May and in Pakistan as soon as cable operators are allowed to receive channels from Indian channels.

Zee International channel will open up markets for their full advertising potential and for enhanced pay revenues. Till now, Zee TV has been accepting advertising from these markets only in its late prime (post 11 pm) time slots. The separate beam will help Zee TV monetise all 24 hrs of its programming for airtime slots from these markets.

Currently most advertisers in these markets do not advertise on Indian channels because:

• Advertising rates in India are much higher, especially during prime time.

• India‘s prime time is 1/2 hour behind Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan and 1 ? hrs ahead of Middle East.
  

This means that advertisers in these markets do not derive maximal benefit by advertising on the top-rated programmes on India prime time.

Says Sandeep Goyal, Group CEO, Zee Telefilms: "As we had announced earlier, we are now ready to launch the Zee TV International beam. We have already started getting immense response from advertisers in the Middle East market, with clients taking up sponsorship of programmes like Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, Nilaam Ghar, Kohi Apna Sa, etc. We may not be able to offer the channel in Pakistan till the time the market opens up. However, we are already in the process of offering the same channel in Bangladesh and will soon start tapping the local advertising market there."

The channel will consider some content customization of the beam. Market relevant programming in Bangla, Punjabi and Urdu will be added to cater to viewers in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Similarly, Zee TV may, at a future date, enhance some of the movie content on this beam, as Indian movies have a high fan following in all these markets. Zee has a 3000+ strong movie library while Bangla and Punjabi content may be cherry picked from its Alpha Channels.

S‘PORE GOVERNMENT CORP‘S STAKE IN ZEE 5.11 %:
The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation‘s holding in Zee Telefilms has crossed the 5 per cent mark and now stands at 5.11 per cent of the total paid up capital of the company.

This has been a creeping acquisition by Singapore Investment and Zee made the mandatory announcement on the Bombay Stock Exchange yesterday.

The controversy started last month when the French company accused NDS of cracking its pay-TV smart card software and helping create counterfeit versions by distributing the security codes on the internet. Canal Plus‘s case appears to have gathered momentum as Oliver Kommerling, an employee of NDS-owned ADSR, threatens to turn whistleblower. He said in his deposition that he had a written report showing that "NDS engineers disassembled and analysed" the security software used by Canal Plus smart cards.

Kommerling said that he was told by NDS employees that the Canal Plus code was cracked by NDS technicians in Israel. He has alleged that Chris Tarnovsky, an NDS employee, arranged for the Canal Plus codes to be published on a website, www. DR7.com.

Even if the charge is validated, Canal Plus has to prove that Tarnovsky did the needful under instructions from NDS management. Rupert Murdoch‘s sons, James and Lachlan, are on the NDS board. Meanwhile, NDS continues to maintain that it was in no way involved in the piracy of smart cards, used to enable Vivendi and ITV Digital pay-TV services.