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WorldSpace launches digital audio system

Fakir Chand in Bangalore

WorldSpace Corporation, a United States-based global digital audio and multi-media broadcast system, Friday launched its satellite broadcasting service from Bangalore to beam a wide array of multi-lingual programming across the sub-continent.

A world-wide pioneer in direct-to-receiver satellite audio services, the Washington-headquartered broadcasting company had launched a dedicated satellite AsiaStar in March to transmit free-to-air a variety of programmes with digital-quality sound.

The global company has tied up with consumer electronics manufacturers Hitachi, JVC, Panasonic and Sanyo, to ship the digital receivers to India from their facilities in south-east Asia and subsidise them for domestic listeners by 50 per cent.

The powerful L-band geo-stationary satellite, with travelling wave-tube amplifiers and onboard base-band processors, link the receivers. The sets feature flat antennas and use tiny chipsets consisting of two micro-integrated circuits that process the satellite transmissions. The receivers can be powered by AC or DC.

According to WorldSpace executive vice-president and director James R Laramie, the global service delivers digital audio and multi-media programming across 40 channels directly to listeners using these special receivers, to be sold across the country through retail outlets at Rs 5,000 plus.

"The unique medium provides a variety of programme choice and noise-free reception through small, portable satellite receivers. The choice ranges from news to entertainment to education. The digital technology developed by the company is already operating successfully in Africa, where it was launched in October last through its first dedicated broadcasting satellite AfriStar."

To hook up ethnic listeners of all ages, WorldSpace has signed up with a number of broadcasters, including All India Radio, Radio Mid-Day, R M Radio of Asianet group, VRG Spaceradio. While Radio Mid-Day will provide Hindi/English music channel, Menon Impex will provide four southern regional language channels of Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.

"For news, listeners can choose from the best of international broadcasters like BBC, CNN, Bloomberg and global music formats and talk channels, relayed directly by WorldSpace. The programme software is developed at the company's digital studios in Melbourne, Australia and they range from modern rock, contemporary pop hits and global dance," Laramie stated.

The Indian subsidiary is targeting 100,000 receivers in the first year of operations, with five listeners for every set in the ratio of 1:5. "Though the receivers will attract a whopping 57 per cent import tariff, the company will bear the burden to facilitate Indian listeners get hooked up to a new medium gradually," said company's vice-president and co-chief operating officer.

WorldSpace also tied up with PriceWaterhouse Coopers to enable listeners get online help or support from 24x7x365 call centres for tracking as well as interactive voice response applications.

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