Star India finally made it official today. The Rupert Murdoch-promoted company announced the appointment of Ravina Raj Kohli as president - Star News Channel. Kohli starts work Monday and will be spearheading the new Star News operation scheduled to delink from Prannoy Roy‘s New Delhi Television on 31 March 2002.

Kohli is expected to be in Los Angeles within the next two weeks to get a first hand look at how Murdoch‘s Fox News operation is run. It is the Fox News formula on which the new Star News will be modelled - meaning lots more focus on entertainment, sports and business as an adjunct to politics.

Kohli will report directly to Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea who, while announcing the appointment, said: "We are very pleased to have Ravina join us at this exciting juncture. Ravina‘s experience in the creative business of television will bring to the news category in India a fresh boost and new energy. I am confident that with her leadership, Star News will achieve new heights as the pace-setter in news broadcasting."

"I am ready for the challenge ahead, and look forward to working with Asia‘s most dynamic company, building on the popularity and success of Star News - and breaking new ground," an official release quoted Kohli as saying.

One thing that seems clear is that Star News will not be operating out of the Star India head office in the western Mumbai suburb of Andheri. A likely possibility as far as office premises go is the Worli area of central Mumbai. A whole new complex where the news operations will be housed is just one part of the start-up costs of the news channel which will have a completely new look - new ID, logos and everything else. Star has reportedly earmarked Rs 2500 million for just the first year of operations. That is huge money and is likely to shake up all the players in the business.

Hathway Bhawani Cabletel & Datacom Limited has announced that an offer of 1.6 million equity shares of Rs 10 each for cash at a price of RS 20/- per share aggregating Rs 32 million is on the anvil.

This represents 20 per cent of the present paid up equity capital of the company. The offer for sale document has been filed with market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India for necessary clearances. An official release informs that the proposed offer for sale benefits the company and its shareholders as the company will maintain its listed status on the Bombay Stock Exchange and at the same time offer greater liquidity to the shareholders of the company.

Hathway Bhawani runs two movie-based Cable Channels - BTV (Bhawani Superhit which telecasts popular Hindi Movies) and BVC (Bhawani Viewers Choice). The Company also runs a Religious Channel - BTV Upasana.