MUMBAI: Media baron Rupert Murdoch‘s News Corp is reportedly examining the possibility of launching a new network devoted entirely to the reality genre. The tentatively titled Fox Reality Channel will be cable-and-satellite-delivered, according to a report in Electronic Media.

The digital-tier cable channel is expected to be up and running in the United States by 2005. The reality channel could be tested on satellite in the UK before launching in the US. Internationally it will be a delivered through satellite.

Murdoch‘s Fox Network is considered to be a pioneer in reality programming with shows such as the American version of Pop Idol, Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire, Temptation Island, Cops and America‘s Most Wanted.

On the one hand, a depressed marketplace could make News Corp. and other content providers more conservative in their programming and production planning overall. On the other a channel with the irresistible reality buzz might prove overwhelmingly popular for multiple system operators who need to give customers good reasons to go digital.

Planning for the two channels began last year when News Corp was bidding for DirectTV. The assumption sources made for the bid at the time was that when News Corp added the North American direct broadcast satellite service to its vast existing international satellite capacity, which includes British Sky Broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Star TV in Asia, channel capacity would become available and opportunities for launching new channels would naturally arise.

HAMILTON (Bermuda): In support of the upcoming 2002 UN World Summit on Sustainable Development, Intelsat is sponsoring the global distribution of a half-hour television special called "One Child - One Voice," a UN-endorsed program that inspires grassroots involvement in worldwide environmental issues.

Intelsat has donated satellite capacity and financial aid for distributing the TV special that will be sent to nearly 3,000 broadcasters worldwide for their unlimited use in public education programming. "One Child - One Voice" is a video produced by award winning filmmaker Barbara Pyle that is based upon the true stories of children around the world and addresses a wide array of environmental issues.

The program calls for support of the Tree Of Life campaign, which invites children worldwide to voice their support for the goals of the UN Summit by drawing a leaf on a postcard and sending it to be hung on an artist-created "Tree Of Life". The Tree will be placed in Johannesburg, South Africa at the UN Summit site for world leaders and others to view. This year‘s campaign is expected to be larger than the Tree Of Life campaign surrounding the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, which boasted leaves from over a million viewers from all continents.

The UN Summit will take place in Johannesburg from 26 August through 4 September.

For more information on "One Child - One Voice" contact Barbara Pyle at Bpearthsecure@aol.com or visit www.peoplecountTV.com. South Africa.