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Channel News Asia looks for more MSOs
Chandan Banerjee
Kolkata : The Singapore-based Channel News Asia has begun beaming its service to some parts of India, and will hit the eastern region soon. The digital channel promises up-to-the-minute coverage of politics, finance, business, technology, sports and entertainment. Recently, it launched an international feed to serve viewers from west Asia to India, east Asia and Australia. Channel News Asia, a member of the Media Corp group, is now beamed as a "free-to-air" channel via PALAPA-C2 and UPSTAR-2R. According to Ms Charu Muttreja, country manager for India, the channel will be available in eastern India soon. "We are negotiating with both multi-system-operators (MSOs), RPG Netcom and Siti Cables and are expecting a positive feedback," she said. RPG Netcom and Siti cover Kolkata and some neighbouring districts."In Mumbai, Hathway, Hindujas' In-Cable and Siti have put our channel in a good slot," Ms Muttreja said. She said the channel reaches over 25 countries spreading across five time zones, with a total population of around 2.8 billion people speaking approximately 700 languages and dialects. "Cable TV operators sometimes question the need for another news channel, but we will get good slots on the basis of our quality and credibility," Ms Muttreja said. Fully Asian-owned and managed, the channel has one of the most extensive reporting networks, with 140 scribes based in 11 cities across Asia, she said. "Through Channel News Asia International, we are able to broadcast up-to-the-minute news to viewers outside Singapore. Our online arm channelnewsasia.com also allows viewers around the world to access real-time information and rich video for a truly interactive experience", she said. The channel also features "Inside India", a production of Asian News International, "In Conversation" with a political celebrity,Asian Business News and updated bulletins every hour. Copyright © 2001 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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