Telecoms minister Ram Vilas Paswan apparently got his just reward for increasing teledensity in India during his two year tenure and piloting the Communication Convergence Bill 2001 into Parliament in a almost sneaky maneuver on the last day of the monsoon session.Paswan was shorn of his telecoms ministry charge on Saturday by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee - as part of a cabinet reshuffle over the weekend - and given the coal and mines ministry reponsibility.

Information technology minister Pramod Mahajan was given additional charge of the telecoms ministry in a move which is seen as the first steps towards the creation of a giant ministry of convergence. Observers expect the information and broadcasting ministry to go next under the convergence ministry umbrella.

Mahajan - who is a fund raiser for the Bharatiya Janata Party - is familiar with broadcasting as he headed the ministry three years ago, but was later replaced by current minister Sushma Swaraj. He told a press conference that "broadcasting does not really come under convergence as it deals with entertainment whereas communications and information technology have closer links."

Mahajan says he would like to see the Communication Convergence Bill 2001 enacted by August 2002.

Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has invited proposals from experienced producers and production houses for event-based television shows that will be made exclusively for Doordarshan‘s National Channel.

The shows will feature big names from the entertainment industry like film stars and playback singers and will be performed in front of an audience. The shows come under the sponsored category.

The proposals should contain the concerned party‘s name and address, what experience they have in managing and producing events, what their past performances have been like. They must also submit a concept regarding the theme of the proposed shows, have an outline on who is participating and what they will be doing and who will host the show.

The last date for submission is 14 September 2001. No proposal will be accepted after this date. Interested producers have to submit the proposals with all the relevant details along with a non refundable processing fee of Rs 25,000 through a crossed demand draft in favour of Prasar Bharati: BCI, payable at New Delhi. In addition, they will have to submit a VHS copy of a show-reel of events that they have produced to the Facilitation Counter of Directorate General, Doordarshan, Doordarshan Bhavan, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi -110001.

Sony Entertainment Television is on the move. It was on 4 August that the channel started beaming in Australia on the South Asia Television platform along with Zee TV and two other channels off the Optus B3 satellite.

Before the end of the month, Sony will also be available in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Maldives, says Shantonu Aditya, senior V-P, franchise channels & distribution.

In Pakistan, Sony is being distributed by Leo Communications, in Bangladesh, through Nationwide Communications and in Maldives it is JSat Communications.

The channel is being beamed off the PAS 10 satellite as is the case in India.