The first ever TV commercial to be filmed entirely in space will be aired in Japan from 1 January 2002.

The ad has been created by Dentsu Inc for Otsuka Pharmaceuticals? Pocari Sweat Drink and reportedly cost 100 million yen ($ 786,000) to make. The ad features two Russian astronauts drinking the beverage at the International Space Station. The astronauts left for the station in October this year on board the Soyuz TM 33 from the Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan.

Dentsu Inc officials have described the project as "the first effort by Japan to shoot a TV commercial in space," along with "the world?s first attempt to support a full-fledged commercial with high-vision shooting combined with real-time remote direction." A US firm has already produced a TV commercial featuring simple images filmed at a space station.

A camera that shot footage appropriate for high-definition television sets was installed by the National Space Development Agency in the Russian service module of the ISS, the officials said. During the 50-minute filming period, Dentsu instructed the astronauts by linking up with the ISS via a telecommunications channel, they said.

The ISS is a venture sponsored by 16 countries, including Japan, Russia and the U.S. It is scheduled to be completed in 2006.

Sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has signed an agreement with Tai Chiang International Corporation (TCIC) to be the new distributor of both its ESPN and STAR channels in Taiwan. The contract with TCIC, effective 1 January, 2002, will replace the partnership currently held with Videoland.

Under the agreement TCIC will exclusively distribute the ESPN and Star Sports channels on cable and SMATV throughout Taiwan.

TCIC is a subsidiary of Yong Tong Communication Co. Ltd, Taiwan?s largest channel distributor since 1999 and a leading sub-distributor since 1994.

ESPN Star Sports may finally have some decent competition. There has been talk in the industry for a while now that a sports channel - backed by Sharjah cricket series? head honcho Abdulrahman Bukhatir - may be launching in the near future.
National broadcaster Doordarshan?s DD Sports channel is there of course but being government backed, the equation is not quite the same.

Industry sources indicate a deal is in the final stages of negotiations which will see the channel being launched as part of the Zee bouquet. No dates have been fixed though.

Taj Sports, the company that Bukhatir set up to produce sports television programming out of Sharjah, which includes cricket, is said to be the channel?s promoter company. Chris McDonald, former ESPN Star Sports senior V-P, advertising and integrated sales, and the man Bukhatir hired to head Taj Sports, will be running the show, the sources say.

What the channel will be providing - if and when it takes off - as far as programming is concerned is still unclear (other than the Sharjah cricket series that is). One could of course argue that that would still be better than what Sony?s MAX offers by way of cricket (Bangladesh and Seven?s cricket in Hong Kong).

With HBO, Cartoon Network and CNN having just been added to Zee?s bouquet with the announcement of a joint venture with Turner International (India) Private Ltd, Zee will be able to offer a complete subscriber package if the Sports channel takes off.

It should be recalled however, that Zee has been trying unsuccesfully to launch a sports channel for well on two years now. This time the tale may be different though; what with Bukhatir supposedly bankrolling the channel.