Zee News, which has secured exclusive rights to the full transcript of the explosive Tehelka tapes, will be screening the tapes beginning Thursday, industry sources confirmed today.

The full tapes were compiled after a sting operation to expose corruption in defence deals carried out by the website tehelka.com and come to four and a half hours of footage. The tapes are to be shown in one-and-a-half-hour segments (ads and breaks included) on prime time Thursday through to Sunday.

The tapes, which have shaken up the government and led to the resignation of India‘s defence minister George Fernandes as its biggest fallout, have been at the centre of a bidding war that included rival channels Star News and Aaj Tak from the India Today group.

Responding to growing viewer demand, Cartoon Network will expand to a 24-hour television service effective 1 July 2001, it was announced today by Ian Diamond, senior vice-president and general manager, Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, Inc. (TENA).

TENA is pursuing content aggregation across multiple platforms including television, interactive media, publishing, consumer products and promotional licensing, with a view to establishing Cartoon Network as an entertainment superbrand in this region.

The company is currently exploring alternative distribution platforms to deliver TCM Turner Classic Movies as a premium offering in markets that present that opportunity. Until now, TCM and Cartoon Network have been a shared service in most Asian markets, with the Hollywood classic movies being featured from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am.

"The 24-hour service is in line with Cartoon Network‘s global strategic mission to elevate cartoons and animation to the level of general entertainment that appeals to both kids and grownups at different levels. The enhanced daypart will enable us to customise our programming and marketing efforts to better suit viewer needs," said Ian Diamond.

The 24-hour launch will be marked by the debut of several new programme franchises and an enhanced lineup of Cartoon Network originals, Japanese animation and other acquired shows. 2001 Network premieres include new Cartoon Network shows Sheep in the Big City, Samurai Jack, Time Squad, The Powerpuff Girls, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Ed Edd n Eddy, and Mike Lu n Og; and new programme franchises Boomerang, Cartoon Cartoon Fridays, Toonami, Acme Hour and Power Zone. External acquisitions include Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Trouble Chocolate and GI Joe. Many of these are also Asian television premieres.

The Star bouquet of channels, which has been blacked out in Kolkata due to a continuing dispute with cable operators over subscription fees, should be back on air within the next few days, Arun Mohan, executive vice-president, distribution, says.

Mohan says that his team is working out independent arrangements with a number of sub-operators which will see a resolution to the stalemate. Mohan added that Mumbai-based multi-systems operator (MSO) Hathway, in which Star had a 26 per cent stake, will invest in setting up a base in Kolkata to prevent a repeat of the present situation in future.

Star‘s problems have been compounded in Kolkata because RPG Netcom, which has 75 per cent C&S penetration and rival Zee Telefilm‘s Siti Cable, which has the remaining 25 per cent, have worked in tandem to put a spoke in the channel‘s plans.

Matters came to a head when Star increased its rates by Rs 9 per month to RS 30 from 1 March for the package comprising Star Plus, Star News, Star Movies, Star Gold, Star World, National Geographic and Channel V.

According to Star, the Kolkata cable operators have formed a unionised cartel and actually declare only 25 per cent of their total subscriber base thereby directly pocketing 75 per cent of the end-users‘ subscriptions and at the cost of the broadcasters.