LONDON:Cricket fans will be able to listen to live BBC coverage when Test Match Special, normally found on BBC Radio Four LW and BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra (one of the BBC‘s new digital radio stations), is streamed online. Fans can access Test Match Special commentary live on both the BBC and ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) websites - www.bbc.co.uk/cricket and at www.ecb.co.uk. The facility was made available from Thursday, with the first test kicking off between England and India in the npower series.

Star TV is taking potshots at its former ally Zee Telefilms. It has been airing an interstitial on its Star Movies channel which takes a dig at Zee TV‘s pay TV Hindi movie channel channel Zee Cinema.
The interstitial starts with a shot of an office building with a neon sign similar in all respects to the logo used by Zee Cinema except for a small change: the brand it is advertising ‘Bee Cinema‘. An executive in the Bee Cinema office is shown throwing darts at a dartboard blindfolded.

A voiceover tells the viewer that unlike other channels (Bee Cinema), Star Movies does not show its viewers movies they would not like to see. The interstitial goes on to tell viewers to log on to the startv.com website and vote for their favourite movies in the pick of the week section. Star promises that it will will then show these movies according to the viewer‘s preferences and in order of their popularity.

While the introduction of this scheme is commendable, Star‘s swipe at Zee at this juncture seems surprising. For one, we all thought that the trench warfare between Star TV and Zee TV was a thing of the past. But apparently it does not seem to be.

According to some inside sources Star‘s move stems from a desire by the Star Network to get back at Zee for what many insiders believe was Zee‘s hand in the controversial Channel [V] obscenity case.

Others say that the mocking interstitial is just a teaser for the to-be-launched Star TV Hindi movie channel Star Box Office. The ground is being prepared for the launch of the classic-movies-cum new-movies channel. It is to be seen how and whether Zee will react and if we are in for another war between two industry partners-turned-rivals.

In a move to expand its online content and business in the region, CNN Interactive has appointed Bruce Dover to the new position of managing editor for CNN.com Asia Pacific, it was announced today by Scott Woelfel, president and editor-in-chief of CNN Interactive. Based in Hong Kong from August 1, 2000, Dover will be responsible for the expansion, editorial control and direction of CNN.com in the Asia Pacific. He will also be involved with CNN Interactive‘s potential new media business in the region. Dover joins CNN from News Interactive, the Australian online division of News Corporation, where he was the executive general manager since October 1998. Dover played a key role in shaping the strategic direction and growth of the company.

CNN Interactive currently operates a local-language Web site in Asia, CNN.co.jp in Japanese. Other international sites include: CNNNorge, CNN Danmark, Svenska CNN, CNNItalia.it, CNNenEspacom and CNNemPortugues.com.

The changes approved by the Cabinet in the Cable TV Act, 1995 are welcome said Ashok Mansukhani, who once headed MSO InCable. "The focus is on the provider of the content, not on cable TV operators as being culpable for any questionable content," says Mansukhani. "Earlier, a couple of cases had been filed against Star Movies where we were also named as infringers of the law. The amendment forcing broadcasters to adhere to the programming and ad code puts the onus on them."

According to him, the amendments, serve to bring even pay TV channels under the DD programming code. "There is an equalisation between pay TV and free to air TV channels. Earlier on, programmers used to take refuge under the statement that they were pay channels."

He, however, expressed doubt about the fact that the government had left policing of the amendments in the hands of local authorities. "What is all right in Mumbai may be repulsive in Agra. Hence making local designated authorities responsible for content can be a potential landmine field. A central broadcasting standards council should have been set up which will monitor content nationally. This is something the industry has been demanding."

Additionally, what has got Mansukhani‘s goose is the fact that the government (read: DD) is forcibly blocking up three channels to prop up the inefficencies of the state owned broacaster through the amendments.

"Almost 40 per cent of TV sets in India are not cable TV ready," he says. "They can receive only 10-12 channels. By blocking three channels in the prime band the government- in partnership with DD - is limiting the industry from placing the channels of their and the consumers‘ choice. DD has consistently been losing revenue to private channels and this amendment is a blatant effort by the broadcaster to improve its position, reduce competition through a government mandate."

ESPN-Star Sports along with its sponsors will expand its X Games Brand to include new tours in Thailand, Singapore and Taiwan. The ESS event management group is organising the third Asian X Games Qualifier taking place at Phuket, Thailand from 7-10 December. Toyota is continuing with its sponsorship due to the immense success of the previous X games and will take the 2000 Asian X Tour to Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan. Completing the list of confirmed sponsors of this year‘s AXQ is the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

ESS viewers across Asia, Australia, Japan, Europe and Latin America will be able to enjoy the X games, a competing sport of extreme games. The Asian version of the X games began as the qualifying round of the US summer X games which served as a platform for players of these exiting sports to showcase their talents.

Along with their tremendous appeal to attract local people, the X games also translate into prime programming for ESS. A strong proof of this is the fact that Motor Sports giant Toyota is continuing with its sponsorship with a promise that it will sponsor the X games for another two years so that it can identify with the theme of passion and sports which Toyota says goes with its brand.

The X tours consists of three qualifying events to select competitors for the 2000 AXQ. The X tour is slated to stop in Bangkok (12-14 August), Taipei (9-10 September) and Singapore (7-8 September). In addition to this ESS will be organising viewing events in the Philippines and Malaysia.

India‘s number two private Hindi entertainment television channel Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is believed to have been valued at US$2.5 billion, the leading Indian financial daily The Economic Times reported today.

SET‘s promoters -Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and a group of Indian entrepreneurs which includes cine star Jackie Shroff - have reportedly divested five per cent of the company‘s equity in favour of Capital International. Capital International has coughed up US$125 million for the five per cent stake which will be pumped into SET‘s Indian and Singapore outfits through its Japanese arm Capital Japan. SET has operations in India through SET India Ltd and in Singapore through SET Satellite (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

However, that‘ s an issue which will be resolved over time. For the nonce, SET India can be happy that it has managed to get some funds in its kitty which will go a long way in its battle with market leader Zee TV.

None of the officials in SET India or its promoters were willing to comment on the The Economic Times newsreport.