On 27 March the Zee Network took its music channel Zee Music digital. However, the process was not all that simple. The network had to do some jugglery to ensure the transition. It switched off the Panamsat-4 beam for Zee Music retaining only the digitised beam from Asiasat-3S for Indian cable operators to relay on their cable TV networks.
Replacing Zee Music on PAS-4 is the Zee Network co-promoted Urdu Television Network. The channel was earlier beaming off AsiaSat 3S 105.5 degrees East, on transponder number IV (the down link frequency is 3660 megahertz). UTN will be mainly focused on west Asian audiences. The UTN space on Asiasat 3 has been replaced by an info card.

Zee Music, the 24 hour "Indian Hindi family Music Channel" went digital today while remaining a free to air channel.

The decision to turn digital was to give its viewers sharper pictures and better audio quality, fulfilling the Zee Network‘s endeavour to provide the best in quality entertainment, according to a company release.

The channel is beaming off Asiasat 3 on Transponder 13V. The downlinking frequency is 4.135 GHz, FEC is 2/3 and Symbol Rate is 15 Mbauds.

The southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh yesterday witnessed the launch a new Telugu channel christened Manna TV on state-of-the art Ku band-based satellite communication network.

The state‘s chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu did the honours on the occasion of Ugadi, Telugu New Year, according to the Press Trust of India.

As part of pilot transmission, Manna TV will commence telecasting long distance education programmes of Dr BR Ambedkar Open University and the University Grants Commission (UGC) respectively. It will also provide information about various state government departments and help farmers with prompt and timely update on weather and seasonal conditions.

In his inauguration address, Naidu thanked the Indian Science Research Organisation (ISRO) for agreeing to his government‘s request for providing the Ku band linkage. He said apart from literary and informative programmes, the channel would also focus on beaming entertainment programmes. The Ku band connected channel - which now caters to the needs of students belonging to 46 junior colleges, 12 degree colleges, 56 high schools and 94 government departments - will be expanded to more university colleges and schools from the next academic year.

The countdown has begun for the launch of India‘s long delayed Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) tomorrow from Sriharikota, India‘s spaceport 100 km north of Chennai in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

National broadcaster Doordarshan will telecast the launch live. DD‘s national network will start the telecast of the launch at about 3.15 pm.

A curtain raiser programme on GSLV will also be telecast, a release from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said on Monday.