Doordarshan on Wednesday launched a satellite channel catering to the needs of the northeastern states of India. The channel was originally scheduled to begin transmission on 23 December but the launch was pushed forward so as not to interfere with the Christmas break. It will initially run for nine-and-a-half hours daily and gradually develop into a 24-hour service.

Union minister for Information and Broadcasting Sushma Swaraj, who was in Guwahati, Assam, on Thursday for ceremonies marking the launch, said the channel would go a long way in curbing the cultural invasion from neighbouring countries like China, Myanmar and Bangladesh, the Asian Age reported.

Addressing a press conference, Ms Swaraj admitted that there are areas in the Northeast where people still view programmes beamed from the foreign countries, posing a serious threat to Indian culture and identity.

Swaraj reiterated that the channel should play a role of catalyst in strengthening the bonds of national integration by removing the sense of alienation prevalent among the peoples of the region.

Former big screen superstar turned TV deity Amitabh Bachchan on Thursday paid off nearly half the dues amount of Rs203.1 million his company, ABCL (rechristened AB Corp), owed to the national broadcaster.

Bachchan has also promised to return the rest of the outstanding dues in three instalments next year during March, June and September.

Bachchan presented a cheque of Rs96.5 million to Prasar Bharati CEO RR Shah in New Delhi at a press conference where Samajwadi Party leader and close friend Amar Singh was present. He had recently given a cheque of Rs5 million to Prasar Bharati. Bachchan said that to pay towards the interest of his dues of Rs 123.5 million, he would participate in Doordarshan‘s public interest programmes.

Among the 75 companies which had outstanding dues against Doordarshan, the government-owned NFDC topped the list owing over Rs630 million followed by ABCL and Multi channel as of November this year

Zee Telefilms Ltd has lined up a new set of programmes for the Year 2001 and is planning to review its strategy and investment in the sports business. The programmes Zee has scheduled spans all its related channels and is in line with the recommendations made by consulting firm AT Kearney that the company restructure its various businesses while building some new core competencies. Towards that end, Zee‘s Alpha brand of regional languages will also feature a wide range of new programmes.

On the sports front Zee is working out new strategies after the huge setback it received in June in the bidding for telecast rights of all ICC-organised cricket matches. Despite posting the highest bid, it was arch rival Rupert Murdoch who walked away with the booty. That effectively killed off any hope Zee had of launching a channel in the near term.

Zee, meanwhile, plans to create newer streams of content in soccer and cricket. The company‘s board of directors was to meet on Friday to review the plans. Zee Chairman Subhash Chandra, in the company‘s annual report for 1999-2000, had said: "We are giving a new impetus to sports, especially cricket and soccer.

The company is also creating newer and newer streams of content in sports, particularly in soccer and cricket." It is learnt that Zee Sports is the frontrunner to obtain the three-year exclusive broadcast rights from WSG Nimbus Pvt Ltd of Singapore, for international cricket played in Sri Lanka, according to the Business Standard.

Zee is believed to have offered to cross-promote the event through its various channels including Zee TV and Zee News across the network. How Zee approaches its sporting ambitions this time round will make for interesting watching.