Maharishi Channel Cable Network (MCCN) has notched up a first by becoming the only channel to adopt the Ku-band platform in India.

The channel has reportedly moved over to Ku-band digital transmission effective 15 December. The channel has shifted to the new platform on EuropeStar satellite. It will continue to be available as a free to air channel and will remain on PanAmSat until the end of February 2002 to enable cable operators to shift to the new mode.

Reports indicate that MCCN will offer the entire equipment package for Ku-band transmission to broadcasters at a special price reduction of 25 per cent. With the change over to the more sophisticated Ku band, MCCN is likely to offer additional channels. Maharishi Satellite Network, which owns MCCN, will probably offer a bouquet of channels instead of the solitary Maharishi Channel being beamed currently. The Network airs vedic wisdom in 19 languages in over 200 countries.

Maharishi Channel also broadcasts four hours a day to the entire world via a global network of eight satellites. These broadcasts via the Maharishi Open University satellite system are in addition to the 24 hours broadcast in India and South Asia. Most of the Maharishi Channel programmes are in Hindi, and are specially designed to reach the 30 million NRIs living all around the world. So far, the channel was being beamed off PanAmSat4 in India, China, South Asia and South East Asia, off Palapa C2 in East Asia, off Thaicom3 and OptusB3 in Africa, Central Asia, Australia and New Zealand, off HotBird3 in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and off Telstar, SatMex5 and Echostar3 in The Americas, including the Caribbean.