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NEW
DELHI:Star India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of the Rupert Murdoch-controlled
Hong Kong-based Star Group, has applied to the Indian government
for permission for a port-to-port uplinking facility through
Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. This is one of the first steps
taken by the company preparing for a new life for Star News
post-31 March, 2003.
Confirming the move, government sources told indiantelevision.com
that the application from Star came in recently.
As and when Star India gets the permission, it can uplink
to any destination in the world from India using the various
VSNL hubs round the country. However, it cannot uplink directly
to a satellite bypassing VSNL.
At the moment, it is Prannoy Roy's New Delhi TV (NDTV) that
has permission from the government to uplink through VSNL
from India for content aired on Star News channel.
Interestingly, sometimes back NDTV is also said to have
applied for uplinking permission separately and afresh,
an indicator to the fact that the TV software powerhouse
too is preparing to launch independent initiatives after
March 2003 and, probably, turn into a broadcaster itself.
That Star India has applied for a port-to-port uplinking
facility through VSNL is also indicative of the fact that
the company does not propose to set up an uplinking base
in India in the near future and would continue to use its
uplink facility located in Hong Kong, media analysts said.
From Hong Kong, which also houses the headquarters of the
broadcaster-turned-multi media company, various Star channels
are uplinked to various satellites, including Asiasat-3
whose footprints cover the Indian subcontinent.
At the moment, Indian-promoted channels like Aaj Tak, Eenaadu
and Sun do uplink directly to their broadcasting satellites
from India from their uplink base. Aaj Tak, for example,
Zee Telefilms too, has got permission to uplink some of
its channels directly to a satellite from its uplink base
located at Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi.
Read other report
Star
applies for port-to-port uplinking through VSNL
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