Date:12/11/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/11/12/stories/2005111203040800.htm

Back WorldSpace inks pact with Webel Mediatronics

Our Bureau

Over the next two years, WorldSpace will invest about $150 million in technology development and marketing in the Indian market.

Mr Noah Samara, Chairman and CEO, WorldSpace Inc.

Kolkata , Nov 11

WEBEL Mediatronics Ltd (WML) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with WorldSpace India Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of WorldSpace Inc of the US, to collaborate in the arena of satellite radio technology development. WML is a subsidiary of West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation.

The MoU envisages transfer of technology from WorldSpace to WML for assembly, installation, and commissioning of broadcasting infrastructure, including gap fillers that work in conjunction with WorldSpace Satellite Radio service offerings.

According to Mr Noah A. Samara, Chairman & CEO of WorldSpace Inc, WorldSpace and WML will co-operate in manufacturing, deployment and maintenance of modern broadcasting equipment including gap fillers, receivers, and related accessories in India.

The companies would also explore markets both in India and neighbouring countries.

WorldSpace already provides satellite radio offerings in select cities in the country.

WorldSpace India has a range of 40 radio stations across genres - from jazz to classical, and old Hindi film music to rock.

Its Indian programming includes two Indian classical stations as well as regional stations.

Over the next two years, WorldSpace will invest about $150 million in technology development and marketing in the Indian market, Mr Samara said.

The company has already invested around $200 million in and for the development of the Indian market.

On its part, WML has been serving the electronic media for the last 25 years.

Over the years, it has supplied products to Doordarshan kendras and All India Radio stations. It has also pioneered the manufacture of studio equipment and community radio systems in the country.

According to a senior official of WML, the MoU with WorldSpace is the first of its kind in India. It envisages the development of hybrid technology-based digital audio broadcasting systems.

The scope of such digital audio broadcasting systems based on the coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing technology is huge not just in India but in developed, mature markets, he added.