The BBC announced today that it has selected Xansa as the preferred supplier for the BBC's outsourced finance and accounting services. The new contract will run for a period of ten years.
It is the result of the re-tendering of services that were successfully outsourced to Medas, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EDS, in 1997.
Subject to contract signature:
Xansa will work closely with the BBC to deliver finance and accounting services across the BBC, including purchasing and sales transaction processing, artist and contributor payments, financial management and project accounting, payroll processing and expenses and customer support.
The ten-year contract will cost the BBC approximately £8.5m per annum, and will generate savings for the BBC in the region of £20m per annum.
This will be a major contribution to the BBC's target of releasing £355m of savings to invest in programmes and services.
The BBC is currently conducting a simplification of its business processes as part of its Future Finance programme, which is delivering further savings of £17m.
Xansa will provide their services from a blend of locations in the UK and India. All voice contact (Customer Support) with Xansa will remain in the UK; other services, including transaction processing, will be carried out at Xansa's location in Chennai, India.
In this way the BBC is taking advantage of the significant savings of globalisation while maintaining the benefits of more local customer support.
The original outsourcing of these services to Medas in 1997 was seen at the time as being a ground-breaking deal which included a successful implementation of a common systems platform (SAP) across the BBC.
Medas also successfully transformed the BBC's transaction processing operation, delivering a fit-for-purpose and efficient service to the BBC.
Xansa was selected from a shortlist of four companies (Capita, EDS, Infosys BPO and Xansa) after a rigorous evaluation process against a number of criteria which included value for money, cultural alignment with the BBC, service delivery capability; the ability to drive improvements to the BBC's business and financial processes, and transition and exit planning.
Xansa will act as prime contractor working with Siemens Business Services.
We are confident that this will bring advantages to the BBC in terms of simplicity and lower cost for making changes to the BBC's IT infrastructure.
Zarin Patel, BBC Group Finance Director, said: "I congratulate Xansa on winning this major contract. The BBC will benefit from Xansa's proven expertise in managing outsourced Finance and Accounting Services, and we look forward to developing a close relationship with them.
"I believe this is an excellent deal for the BBC, and I am confident that Xansa will help us further to transform our finance and business processes.
"By moving our transaction processing to India we are demonstrating that we are prepared to take bold and imaginative decisions that offer the licence-fee payer great value for money, while still maintaining the highest quality of service delivery.
"I would like to thank our colleagues in Medas for their valuable support over the last nine years: in that time they have helped us transform the BBC's finance and accounting processes, delivered a sound SAP implementation, managed our transaction processing, expenses and business systems and left us with a fit and stable operation to build on in the future."
Alistair Cox, Chief Executive of Xansa, said: "We are delighted that Xansa has been selected as preferred partner to deliver Finance and Accounting Services across the BBC.
"Our expert technology and back office services allows our clients to do more with their own business and we are confident that we will, as the UK leader in F&A services, enable the BBC to minimise its administrative costs and to free up funds to invest in its own core business of creative programming.
"We are particularly pleased to be the BBC's first offshore BPO partner, and this week's award win as offshore operator of the year is another terrific endorsement of our leading offshore position and capability."
Notes to Editors
BBC Finance
The BBC recently announced a significant number of changes to BBC Finance (BBC's finance division), as part of the corporation's drive to make significant cost reductions across its support divisions.
The Future Finance programme changes include:
The creation of a new specialist Finance Centre in Ty Oldfield (at the BBC's HQ in Cardiff), which came into existence in July 2006;
The introduction of new, simpler business procedures and a reduction in internal trading.
A reduction in the number of posts in BBC Finance from around 650 in 2005/6 to 310 in 2006/7, to 260 in 2007/8.
These measures will contribute to an anticipated saving within BBC Finance of £17m by 2008.
About Xansa
Xansa is the UK leader in the delivery of outsourced Finance and Accounting (F&A) services. With clients including BT, Lloyds TSB, MyTravel and the NHS, Xansa has many year experience of delivering F&A in both the private and public sector.
Xansa is an outsourcing and technology company with over 8,000 people in the UK and India.
Xansa has a 44-year history of delivering IT solutions to major clients across the private and public sector. Its portfolio of services includes: business and technology consulting, IT services, IT outsourcing, business process outsourcing, F&A outsourcing, and HR solutions.
Xansa is listed on the London Stock Exchange with revenues for 2006 of £357.3 million.
Medas and the BBC
Medas is a wholly owned subsidiary of EDS.
Medas was founded in 1997 to provide financial transactions processing for the BBC and also support the IT systems that facilitate that processing.
The company became fully operational in March 1998 following the transfer of nearly 400 finance staff from the BBC, in addition to the 80 IT staff who transferred in March 1997.
Medas operates from two sites: Ealing (West London) and Cardiff.
The services Medas provides to the BBC are in summary:
Accounts Payable
Accounts Receivable
Contributor Payments
Expenses and Advances
Financial Accounting
IT systems support and development
Payroll
Xansa have indicated that they will treat all existing Medas staff with fairness and sensitivity, and that normal TUPE regulations will apply.
BBC Press Office
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/
stories/2006/10_october/20/finance.shtml
Monday, October 30, 2006
Chennai is awash with FM radio stations
The second coming
R. Ravikumar
Chennai is awash with FM radio stations, with more to come. Find out how they all plan to add ears to their lives.Your late mornings will never be the same again," avows an FM station. "We will rekindle the romance in you every day after you dispatch your children to school and husband to work," it goes on, addressing lonely housewives."The traffic at Anna Flyover is moving at a snail's pace, so please avoid that junction if you can," a friendly note of caution to those at the wheel, from another FM station.Of late, the FM radio space in Chennai has been bustling with activity following the implementation of Phase II of FM radio privatisation. The transition to a revenue-sharing regime from the earlier fixed-fee licensing model seems to have changed the business dynamics, and the space is now drawing more players. The Chennai FM story could well be replicating the cities across the country.As of now, apart from AIR's Rainbow FM, there are five FM stations - Suriyan FM (from the Sun group), Hello FM (from Malar Publications) , Big FM (Adlabs Films Ltd, a Reliance ADAG company), Radio Mirchi (Entertainment Network India Ltd) and Radio City (from Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd). In addition to these, Muthoot Finance Ltd, which has got a licence, and Radio Mid-Day West (India) Ltd, a Radio One-BBC World combine, are all set to venture into the space soon. All for a share of just a little over 2.4 per cent of the Rs 13,200-crore ad industry.Though ad avoidance by listeners in radio is almost nil in comparison with 68 per cent in newspaper and 44 per cent in TV, and local reach makes radio a very effective medium of advertisement, the share of 2.4 per cent is very small."Many media planners may not be considering radio as one of the primary media for communication. They have been primarily focusing on mass media such as print and TV. Especially after the recent flow of channels into markets beyond metros, it is high time radio is studied and looked at more seriously," says Siddhartha Mukherjee, Director - Communications, TAM Media Research.According to TAM Media Research, of the overall ad industry size of Rs 13,200 crore in the year 2005, radio could manage to rake in just Rs 317 crore, which is 20 per cent more than the Rs 220 crore registered in 2004.However, according to Tarun Katial, Chief Operating Officer - FM Initiative, Adlabs Films Ltd, the ad pie will certainly grow over a period. "Ad revenue is purely based on the reach of the medium. In 2005, there were less than 30 frequencies in just seven cities. It's now going to reach over 330 frequencies across the country," says Katial. He sees the medium getting 15 per cent of the ad spend by 2010. Prashant Panday, Deputy CEO, Radio Mirchi, also says the ad pie will grow to 14 per cent by then. "Even without any proper mechanism in place for audience research, it will grow to 7 per cent. Once a research mechanism falls into place, it will certainly reach 13-14 per cent," he says.According to Radio AdEx, a division of TAM Media Research, during January-December 2005, FM radio ad revenues were in the range of Rs 90 crore in Mumbai, Rs 87 crore in Delhi, Rs 30 crore in Kolkata and Rs 21 crore in Chennai.But, during the period there were only three FM channels in Chennai (Rainbow, Suriyan and Radio Mirchi). According to industry sources, during January-August 2006, the ad revenues in Chennai alone grew by 31 per cent in comparison with the same period in the previous year.K. Srinivasa Ragavan, Station Director - Chennai, All India Radio, says Rainbow FM earned Rs 1 crore during 2005, and is growing at 80 per cent. "The FMCG sector and Government service organisations contribute over 50 per cent of the total ad revenues," he says.In the previous fiscal, Radio Mirchi registered Rs 120-crore revenues and Rs 35.5 crore in the first quarter of this year, which, according to Panday, is a growth of 69 per cent over the same period last year. Of the total revenues, Chennai's contribution is 10-12 per cent, he says. "And the contributions mostly come from FMCG, auto, telecom, retail and the durables segments."L.V. Navaneeth, Station Head - Chennai, Radio One, sees revenues flowing in from retail, banking and finance and telecom. "Retail is one of the larger categories, followed by finance, banking, telecom, FMCG, consumer durables and even the media industry," he says.However, Mukherjee of TAM Media says, on the basis of January-September 2006 data, that it is quite clear conventional media such as press and TV too take much help from radio to reach out to their audience.While Big FM charges up to Rs 1,800 for a 10-second slot, Radio Mirchi charges, for an evenly distributed campaign (across prime time, afternoon, evening and late night), rates of Rs 1,100-1,200 per 10-second slot. For a campaign with a higher prime time component, the rate could go up to Rs 1,600-2,000.For a campaign that does not use prime time at all, the rate may be Rs 700-800. "Pricing is also a function of the size of the deal, time of the season and so on. The biggest determinant of pricing, however, is client returns - we gain only when the clients come back again and again," says Panday."We are doing missionary work in spreading research numbers to our advertising agency and media agency partners. We are pioneers of research in the country. We also offer clients brand solutions and suggest ways and means of using radio effectively. We develop radio commercials for clients who need this service at no cost. And lastly, all the marketing that we do goes towards building listenership, " he adds. Big FM too claims to provide advertising solutions.
http://www.thehindu businessline. com/catalyst/ 2006/10/19/ stories/20061019 00020100. htm
------------ --------- ----
Alokesh Gupta
R. Ravikumar
Chennai is awash with FM radio stations, with more to come. Find out how they all plan to add ears to their lives.Your late mornings will never be the same again," avows an FM station. "We will rekindle the romance in you every day after you dispatch your children to school and husband to work," it goes on, addressing lonely housewives."The traffic at Anna Flyover is moving at a snail's pace, so please avoid that junction if you can," a friendly note of caution to those at the wheel, from another FM station.Of late, the FM radio space in Chennai has been bustling with activity following the implementation of Phase II of FM radio privatisation. The transition to a revenue-sharing regime from the earlier fixed-fee licensing model seems to have changed the business dynamics, and the space is now drawing more players. The Chennai FM story could well be replicating the cities across the country.As of now, apart from AIR's Rainbow FM, there are five FM stations - Suriyan FM (from the Sun group), Hello FM (from Malar Publications) , Big FM (Adlabs Films Ltd, a Reliance ADAG company), Radio Mirchi (Entertainment Network India Ltd) and Radio City (from Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd). In addition to these, Muthoot Finance Ltd, which has got a licence, and Radio Mid-Day West (India) Ltd, a Radio One-BBC World combine, are all set to venture into the space soon. All for a share of just a little over 2.4 per cent of the Rs 13,200-crore ad industry.Though ad avoidance by listeners in radio is almost nil in comparison with 68 per cent in newspaper and 44 per cent in TV, and local reach makes radio a very effective medium of advertisement, the share of 2.4 per cent is very small."Many media planners may not be considering radio as one of the primary media for communication. They have been primarily focusing on mass media such as print and TV. Especially after the recent flow of channels into markets beyond metros, it is high time radio is studied and looked at more seriously," says Siddhartha Mukherjee, Director - Communications, TAM Media Research.According to TAM Media Research, of the overall ad industry size of Rs 13,200 crore in the year 2005, radio could manage to rake in just Rs 317 crore, which is 20 per cent more than the Rs 220 crore registered in 2004.However, according to Tarun Katial, Chief Operating Officer - FM Initiative, Adlabs Films Ltd, the ad pie will certainly grow over a period. "Ad revenue is purely based on the reach of the medium. In 2005, there were less than 30 frequencies in just seven cities. It's now going to reach over 330 frequencies across the country," says Katial. He sees the medium getting 15 per cent of the ad spend by 2010. Prashant Panday, Deputy CEO, Radio Mirchi, also says the ad pie will grow to 14 per cent by then. "Even without any proper mechanism in place for audience research, it will grow to 7 per cent. Once a research mechanism falls into place, it will certainly reach 13-14 per cent," he says.According to Radio AdEx, a division of TAM Media Research, during January-December 2005, FM radio ad revenues were in the range of Rs 90 crore in Mumbai, Rs 87 crore in Delhi, Rs 30 crore in Kolkata and Rs 21 crore in Chennai.But, during the period there were only three FM channels in Chennai (Rainbow, Suriyan and Radio Mirchi). According to industry sources, during January-August 2006, the ad revenues in Chennai alone grew by 31 per cent in comparison with the same period in the previous year.K. Srinivasa Ragavan, Station Director - Chennai, All India Radio, says Rainbow FM earned Rs 1 crore during 2005, and is growing at 80 per cent. "The FMCG sector and Government service organisations contribute over 50 per cent of the total ad revenues," he says.In the previous fiscal, Radio Mirchi registered Rs 120-crore revenues and Rs 35.5 crore in the first quarter of this year, which, according to Panday, is a growth of 69 per cent over the same period last year. Of the total revenues, Chennai's contribution is 10-12 per cent, he says. "And the contributions mostly come from FMCG, auto, telecom, retail and the durables segments."L.V. Navaneeth, Station Head - Chennai, Radio One, sees revenues flowing in from retail, banking and finance and telecom. "Retail is one of the larger categories, followed by finance, banking, telecom, FMCG, consumer durables and even the media industry," he says.However, Mukherjee of TAM Media says, on the basis of January-September 2006 data, that it is quite clear conventional media such as press and TV too take much help from radio to reach out to their audience.While Big FM charges up to Rs 1,800 for a 10-second slot, Radio Mirchi charges, for an evenly distributed campaign (across prime time, afternoon, evening and late night), rates of Rs 1,100-1,200 per 10-second slot. For a campaign with a higher prime time component, the rate could go up to Rs 1,600-2,000.For a campaign that does not use prime time at all, the rate may be Rs 700-800. "Pricing is also a function of the size of the deal, time of the season and so on. The biggest determinant of pricing, however, is client returns - we gain only when the clients come back again and again," says Panday."We are doing missionary work in spreading research numbers to our advertising agency and media agency partners. We are pioneers of research in the country. We also offer clients brand solutions and suggest ways and means of using radio effectively. We develop radio commercials for clients who need this service at no cost. And lastly, all the marketing that we do goes towards building listenership, " he adds. Big FM too claims to provide advertising solutions.
http://www.thehindu businessline. com/catalyst/ 2006/10/19/ stories/20061019 00020100. htm
------------ --------- ----
Alokesh Gupta
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
SLAF bombs broadcast tower in Vanni
Two Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombers Tuesday destroyed the main broadcast tower and transmitter of the Thamileelam Radio that broadcasts the official broadcast of the Liberation Tigers, the Voice of Tigers (VoT), Thamileelam Vanoli, a commercial Tamil service and a Sinhala language broadcast. Political Head of the LTTE, S.P. Thamilchelvan, who visited the broadcast station along the A9 Road in Kokkavil, 15 km south of Kilinochchi, charged the Sri Lankan Government for attacking the broadcast station with a "planned agenda to suppress the freedom of expression prior to the talks scheduled in Geneva."
LTTE Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan visited the attack site and condemned the Sri Lanka Air Force bombing as a planned attack on Freedom of Expression. The broadcast station broadcasts Thamileelam Radio in Tamil and Sinhala from Vanni and the Voice of Tigers. The radio stations continued to broadcast the services.
LTTE Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan visited the attack site and condemned the Sri Lanka Air Force bombing as a planned attack on Freedom of Expression. The broadcast station broadcasts Thamileelam Radio in Tamil and Sinhala from Vanni and the Voice of Tigers. The radio stations continued to broadcast the services.
Two employees were wounded in the attack.
Sri Lankan bombers dropped bombs and fired mortars, hitting the tower and the building 25 times, destroying the main 500 feet high broadcast tower and the main transmitter at Kokkavil Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m.
3 million USD (more than 300 million Sri Lankan rupees) worth of broadcast equipments were damaged in the attack, according to officials at Thamileelam Radio.
However, the Thamileelam Radio and VoT continued their broadcasts as usual.
An electricity generator, and two vehciles of the station were also destroyed in the attack.
Rajasingham Surendran, 23, from 4th Mile Post, Murasumoddai and another employee identified as Harithas wounded in the bombardment, were rushed to Kilinochchi Hospital.
Harithas was in unconscious state due to the shock caused by explosion, medical sources said.
===============
Main tower of the broadcast station at Kokkavil.
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Source: [TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 October 2006, 10:38 GMT]
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=19944
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LTTE Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan visited the attack site and condemned the Sri Lanka Air Force bombing as a planned attack on Freedom of Expression. The broadcast station broadcasts Thamileelam Radio in Tamil and Sinhala from Vanni and the Voice of Tigers. The radio stations continued to broadcast the services.
LTTE Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan visited the attack site and condemned the Sri Lanka Air Force bombing as a planned attack on Freedom of Expression. The broadcast station broadcasts Thamileelam Radio in Tamil and Sinhala from Vanni and the Voice of Tigers. The radio stations continued to broadcast the services.
Two employees were wounded in the attack.
Sri Lankan bombers dropped bombs and fired mortars, hitting the tower and the building 25 times, destroying the main 500 feet high broadcast tower and the main transmitter at Kokkavil Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m.
3 million USD (more than 300 million Sri Lankan rupees) worth of broadcast equipments were damaged in the attack, according to officials at Thamileelam Radio.
However, the Thamileelam Radio and VoT continued their broadcasts as usual.
An electricity generator, and two vehciles of the station were also destroyed in the attack.
Rajasingham Surendran, 23, from 4th Mile Post, Murasumoddai and another employee identified as Harithas wounded in the bombardment, were rushed to Kilinochchi Hospital.
Harithas was in unconscious state due to the shock caused by explosion, medical sources said.
===============
Main tower of the broadcast station at Kokkavil.
+++++++++++++++
Source: [TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 October 2006, 10:38 GMT]
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=19944
+++++++++++++++
"புலிகளின் குரல்" வானொலி நிலையம் மீது விமானத்தாக்குதல்
இலங்கையில் கொக்காவில் பகுதியில் இன்று காலை ஒலிபரப்பு நடந்து கொண்டிருந்த வேளையில், "புலிகளின் குரல்" வானொலி நிலையத்தின் மீது இலங்கை அரசின் வான்படையினர் தாக்குதல்களை நடத்தியதாக விடுதலைப் புலிகள் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.
இந்தத் தாக்குதலின் போது அதனுடைய ஒலிபரப்பு கோபுரம் முற்றாக அழிந்து விட்டதாகவும், கலையகங்களும், ஒலிபரப்பு நிலையத்தின் மற்ற சில பகுதிகளும் கனிசமாக சேதமடைந்ததாகவும், புலிகளின் குரலின் பொறுப்பாளர் நா.தமிழன்பன் பிபிசி தமிழோசையிடம் தெரிவித்தார்.
இந்தத் தாக்குதல்கள் நடைபெறும் என எதிர்பார்க்கப்பட்டதால்,மாற்று ஒலிபரப்பு ஏறபாடுகள் தயாராக வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தன எனவும், இந்தத் தாக்குதலினால் ஒலிபரப்பு பாதிக்கப்படவில்லை எனவும் அவர் தெரிவித்தார். இதே போன்ற தாக்குதல்கள் முன்னர் பல முறை நடந்துள்ளதாகவும், அதனால் அதை எதிர்கொள்ள தயார் நிலையிலேயே இருந்ததாகவும் அவர் தெரிவித்தார்.
தாக்குதல்கள் நடந்த பின்பும், குறிப்பிட்ட அலைவரிசையில் அனைத்து ஒலிபரப்புகளும் திட்டமிட்டபடி ஒலிபரப்பாகியதாகவும், தமிழன்பன் கூறினார். இந்தத் தாக்குதலில் தங்களுடைய நிரந்திர பணியாளர்கள் யாருக்கும் எந்த பாதிப்பும் ஏற்படவில்லை என்வும், தற்காலிக பணியாளர் ஒருவர் காயமடைந்ததாகவும், மற்றொருவர் தாக்குதல் நடந்த அதிர்ச்சியில் பணியாற்ற இயலாத நிலையில் இருப்பதாகவும் அவர் மேலும் தெரிவித்தார்.
இந்தத் தாக்குதல்கள் குறித்து இலங்கை போர் நிறுத்தக் கண்காணிப்பு குழுவிடம் முறைப்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டு அவர்கள் நேரில் வந்து பார்வையிட்டு விபரங்களை அறிந்து கொண்டு போனதாகவும் அவர் தமிழோசைக்கு வழங்கிய பேட்டியில் கூறினார்.
இதனிடையில் "புலிகளின் குரல்" வானொலி நிலையம் மீது நடத்தப்பட்ட தாக்குதல், அரசுக்கும் விடுதலைப் புலிகளுக்கும் இடையில் ஜெனீவாவில் சமாதான பேச்சுக்கள் ஆரம்பமாகவுள்ள சந்தர்ப்பத்தில் அரசு திட்டமிட்ட வகையில் கருத்துச் சுதந்திரத்தை நசுக்குவதற்காக நடத்தப்பட்ட ஒன்று என்று விடுதலைப் புலிகளின் அரசியல்துறை பொறப்பாளர் சு.ப.தமிழ்ச்செல்வன் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.
================
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/tamil/news/story/
2004/05/040528_tamil_currentaffairs.shtml
இந்தத் தாக்குதலின் போது அதனுடைய ஒலிபரப்பு கோபுரம் முற்றாக அழிந்து விட்டதாகவும், கலையகங்களும், ஒலிபரப்பு நிலையத்தின் மற்ற சில பகுதிகளும் கனிசமாக சேதமடைந்ததாகவும், புலிகளின் குரலின் பொறுப்பாளர் நா.தமிழன்பன் பிபிசி தமிழோசையிடம் தெரிவித்தார்.
இந்தத் தாக்குதல்கள் நடைபெறும் என எதிர்பார்க்கப்பட்டதால்,மாற்று ஒலிபரப்பு ஏறபாடுகள் தயாராக வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தன எனவும், இந்தத் தாக்குதலினால் ஒலிபரப்பு பாதிக்கப்படவில்லை எனவும் அவர் தெரிவித்தார். இதே போன்ற தாக்குதல்கள் முன்னர் பல முறை நடந்துள்ளதாகவும், அதனால் அதை எதிர்கொள்ள தயார் நிலையிலேயே இருந்ததாகவும் அவர் தெரிவித்தார்.
தாக்குதல்கள் நடந்த பின்பும், குறிப்பிட்ட அலைவரிசையில் அனைத்து ஒலிபரப்புகளும் திட்டமிட்டபடி ஒலிபரப்பாகியதாகவும், தமிழன்பன் கூறினார். இந்தத் தாக்குதலில் தங்களுடைய நிரந்திர பணியாளர்கள் யாருக்கும் எந்த பாதிப்பும் ஏற்படவில்லை என்வும், தற்காலிக பணியாளர் ஒருவர் காயமடைந்ததாகவும், மற்றொருவர் தாக்குதல் நடந்த அதிர்ச்சியில் பணியாற்ற இயலாத நிலையில் இருப்பதாகவும் அவர் மேலும் தெரிவித்தார்.
இந்தத் தாக்குதல்கள் குறித்து இலங்கை போர் நிறுத்தக் கண்காணிப்பு குழுவிடம் முறைப்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டு அவர்கள் நேரில் வந்து பார்வையிட்டு விபரங்களை அறிந்து கொண்டு போனதாகவும் அவர் தமிழோசைக்கு வழங்கிய பேட்டியில் கூறினார்.
இதனிடையில் "புலிகளின் குரல்" வானொலி நிலையம் மீது நடத்தப்பட்ட தாக்குதல், அரசுக்கும் விடுதலைப் புலிகளுக்கும் இடையில் ஜெனீவாவில் சமாதான பேச்சுக்கள் ஆரம்பமாகவுள்ள சந்தர்ப்பத்தில் அரசு திட்டமிட்ட வகையில் கருத்துச் சுதந்திரத்தை நசுக்குவதற்காக நடத்தப்பட்ட ஒன்று என்று விடுதலைப் புலிகளின் அரசியல்துறை பொறப்பாளர் சு.ப.தமிழ்ச்செல்வன் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.
================
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/tamil/news/story/
2004/05/040528_tamil_currentaffairs.shtml
SL Air Force bombs LTTE radio station
PK Balachandran
Colombo, October 17, 2006
The Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) on Tuesday destroyed the LTTE's radio
station called Voice of Tigers (VOT), which broadcasts Tamil and
Sinhala programmes daily, and carries Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran's annual
Hero's Day oration on November 27.
After visiting the wreckage in Kokkavil, 15 km south of the LTTE
headquarters at Kilinochchi, the Head of the Political Wing SP
Tamilselvan said that it was an assault on the freedom of expression.
"It is part of a planned agenda to suppress the freedom of expression
prior to the talks scheduled in Geneva," the pro-LTTE Tamilnet website quoted
Tamilselvan as saying.
The aerial attack occurred at 9.30 am. Bombs and cannon fire hit the
station and the 500 ft transmission tower 25 times. The radio station had lost SLRs 30 million (INR 15 million) worth of equipment as a result. The damaged equipment included two vehicles and power generator. Two staff members were injured.
Tamilnet however said that the VOT did not stop its broadcasts!
The Sri Lankan Military did not report the incident. All that the National Security Media Unit said was that the Air Force attacked two LTTE naval bases in Mullaitivu and a military camp in Mankulam with great accuracy.
Will Prabhakaran broadcast his Hero's Day speech?
The LTTE radio station might have been attacked to prevent Prabhakaran
from making his Hero's Day speech where he takes stock of the political and
military situation and outlines the LTTE's plans for the future.
The VOT station had been licensed by the Sri Lankan government after
the peace process was initiated in February 2002. This was done with the active involvement of the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Norwegian peace broker Erik Solheim, for whom this was a way of bringing the LTTE into the Sri Lankan legal system and mainstream.
But the measure was attacked vehemently by the then Sri Lankan
President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the Sinhala and English media as appeasement
of terrorists.
http://www.hindustantimes.com
/news/181_1822878,0000.htm
-----------------------------
Alokesh Gupta
New Delhi
Colombo, October 17, 2006
The Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) on Tuesday destroyed the LTTE's radio
station called Voice of Tigers (VOT), which broadcasts Tamil and
Sinhala programmes daily, and carries Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran's annual
Hero's Day oration on November 27.
After visiting the wreckage in Kokkavil, 15 km south of the LTTE
headquarters at Kilinochchi, the Head of the Political Wing SP
Tamilselvan said that it was an assault on the freedom of expression.
"It is part of a planned agenda to suppress the freedom of expression
prior to the talks scheduled in Geneva," the pro-LTTE Tamilnet website quoted
Tamilselvan as saying.
The aerial attack occurred at 9.30 am. Bombs and cannon fire hit the
station and the 500 ft transmission tower 25 times. The radio station had lost SLRs 30 million (INR 15 million) worth of equipment as a result. The damaged equipment included two vehicles and power generator. Two staff members were injured.
Tamilnet however said that the VOT did not stop its broadcasts!
The Sri Lankan Military did not report the incident. All that the National Security Media Unit said was that the Air Force attacked two LTTE naval bases in Mullaitivu and a military camp in Mankulam with great accuracy.
Will Prabhakaran broadcast his Hero's Day speech?
The LTTE radio station might have been attacked to prevent Prabhakaran
from making his Hero's Day speech where he takes stock of the political and
military situation and outlines the LTTE's plans for the future.
The VOT station had been licensed by the Sri Lankan government after
the peace process was initiated in February 2002. This was done with the active involvement of the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Norwegian peace broker Erik Solheim, for whom this was a way of bringing the LTTE into the Sri Lankan legal system and mainstream.
But the measure was attacked vehemently by the then Sri Lankan
President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the Sinhala and English media as appeasement
of terrorists.
http://www.hindustantimes.com
/news/181_1822878,0000.htm
-----------------------------
Alokesh Gupta
New Delhi
Sunday, October 15, 2006
160-Meter Experiment Will Explore Marconi`s 1901 Transatlantic Success
A 160-meter beacon will take to the air this fall and winter from
Cornwall, England, to explore how Guglielmo Marconi was able to span
the Atlantic by wireless for the first time on December 12, 1901.
Radio history says that`s when the radio pioneer at a receiving
station in Newfoundland successfully copied the Morse code letter
``s`` sent repeatedly by his team in the Cornwall town of Poldhu.The
latter-day venture is a cooperative effort of the Poldhu Amateur
Radio Club and the Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland. The Poldhu
club`s Keith Matthew, G0WYS, said the 2001 centenary of Marconi`s
achievement reopened discussion into the mechanism by which the 1901
spark transmitter signal propagated.
``The winter of 1901 coincided with a sunspot minimumm and it was
realized that this coming December 2006 should show similar
conditions to those of December 1901,`` he said. Just how Marconi was
able to receive the transatlantic transmission has long been a topic
of discussion and even controversy, especially given the frequency
Marconi is likely to have used, thought to be between 800 and 900
kHz, and the time of day, afternoon in Newfoundland.
``The beacon will help understand the possibility of low sunspot
number transatlantic medium wave propagation 24 hours a day, but
especially 1400 through 1800 UTC,`` Matthew said. The 160-meter
amateur band is being used, he explained, because Marconi`s original
frequency today is a highly populated piece of the radio spectrum.
Matthew has announced that starting on or about November 1 and
continuing through next February, the GB3SSS beacon will transmit on
1960 kHz.
=================
http://www.bnr.bg
=================
Cornwall, England, to explore how Guglielmo Marconi was able to span
the Atlantic by wireless for the first time on December 12, 1901.
Radio history says that`s when the radio pioneer at a receiving
station in Newfoundland successfully copied the Morse code letter
``s`` sent repeatedly by his team in the Cornwall town of Poldhu.The
latter-day venture is a cooperative effort of the Poldhu Amateur
Radio Club and the Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland. The Poldhu
club`s Keith Matthew, G0WYS, said the 2001 centenary of Marconi`s
achievement reopened discussion into the mechanism by which the 1901
spark transmitter signal propagated.
``The winter of 1901 coincided with a sunspot minimumm and it was
realized that this coming December 2006 should show similar
conditions to those of December 1901,`` he said. Just how Marconi was
able to receive the transatlantic transmission has long been a topic
of discussion and even controversy, especially given the frequency
Marconi is likely to have used, thought to be between 800 and 900
kHz, and the time of day, afternoon in Newfoundland.
``The beacon will help understand the possibility of low sunspot
number transatlantic medium wave propagation 24 hours a day, but
especially 1400 through 1800 UTC,`` Matthew said. The 160-meter
amateur band is being used, he explained, because Marconi`s original
frequency today is a highly populated piece of the radio spectrum.
Matthew has announced that starting on or about November 1 and
continuing through next February, the GB3SSS beacon will transmit on
1960 kHz.
=================
http://www.bnr.bg
=================
The Automatic Link Establishment International QSO Party
HFLINK spomsors a new International Amateur Radio event called AOTAW
(ALE On The Air Week) October 13-23. All ham radio operators
worldwide are invited to participate in 10 days of amateur radio
Automatic Link Establishment on VHF and HF. AOTAW is an open
operating event for hams to explore ALE communications and equipment.
The experience gained by operator participation in AOTAW is useful
for emergency and disaster relief communications.
What is ALE? ALE enables hams to directly call each other on HF or
VHF using their callsigns like a ``telephone number.`` ALE uses a
short audible digital signal to call. ALE is not dependent on the
Internet, telecom infrastructure, or repeaters. Free PC-ALE software
by G4GUO is available for ham transceivers, and other transceivers
are available with ALE built-in.
Who is using ALE? There are now hundreds of amateur radio operators
worldwide with ALE stations. The international HFLINKGroup with about
1000 members, provide support and information exchange for ALE
operators. ALE is rapidly becoming a world standard for HF
communications, so it is especially important for hams who are
interested in interoperability with government and non-government
organizations.
==============
Source: http://www.bnr.bg
==============
(ALE On The Air Week) October 13-23. All ham radio operators
worldwide are invited to participate in 10 days of amateur radio
Automatic Link Establishment on VHF and HF. AOTAW is an open
operating event for hams to explore ALE communications and equipment.
The experience gained by operator participation in AOTAW is useful
for emergency and disaster relief communications.
What is ALE? ALE enables hams to directly call each other on HF or
VHF using their callsigns like a ``telephone number.`` ALE uses a
short audible digital signal to call. ALE is not dependent on the
Internet, telecom infrastructure, or repeaters. Free PC-ALE software
by G4GUO is available for ham transceivers, and other transceivers
are available with ALE built-in.
Who is using ALE? There are now hundreds of amateur radio operators
worldwide with ALE stations. The international HFLINKGroup with about
1000 members, provide support and information exchange for ALE
operators. ALE is rapidly becoming a world standard for HF
communications, so it is especially important for hams who are
interested in interoperability with government and non-government
organizations.
==============
Source: http://www.bnr.bg
==============
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
சர்வதேச வானொலி-அக்டோபர் 2006
இந்த மாத நமது சர்வதேச வானொலி இதழ் வெளிவந்துவிட்டது. தேவைக்கு அழைக்கவும். +91 98413 66086
Friday, October 06, 2006
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Radio One Advt in The Hindu
The Hindu Metro Plus published the Radio One (BBC joint venture) RJ hunt advertisement in page five on 05-10-2006 issue.
Monday, October 02, 2006
TBWA India wins Hello FM
TBWAIndia has won the advertising duties for Hello FM. The radio station is owned by Malar Publication, a part of the ‘Daily Thanthi’, which is foraying into FM radio broadcasting in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry under the brand name, Hello FM 106.4, by September 2006.
The ‘Daily Thanthi’ is one of the largest circulated Tamil newspapers in the country and has been in existence for over 70 years. Sovereign Media Marketing is the company that markets the ‘Daily Thanthi’.
TBWAINDIA did not participate in the pitch by making a creative presentation, but put into effect the agency’s philosophy and planning tool, Disruption. Nine agencies were in the fray for the business, but their names could not be ascertained. The size of the business is estimated to be Rs 3 crore.
Balasubramanian Adityan, managing director, Hello FM, says, “TBWA’s understanding of the business was unique and it has been assigned the comprehensive exercise of brand building and communication for the seven licences won by the radio station.”
“TBWAIndia offered to disrupt Hello FM. At first, it was a bit startling, but the end result is a truly disruptive brand, right down to the content and personality. Estimating the number of FM stations that are going to hit the people of Tamil Nadu in the months to come, a disruptive brand becomes the need of the day. TBWA has shown commitment to the brand and has been a true partner in every aspect of the programming, too. We are happy that we agreed to TBWA’s disruption policy,” says Rajeev Nambiar, chief operating officer, Hello FM.
Remy, content head, Hello FM, says, “It is easy to differentiate the channel from others and for creatives to stem from the disruption positioning. It has also formed the basis for our programming.”
Commenting on the win, George John, chairman and chief executive officer, TBWAINDIA, says, “Disruption is going deeper into the depths of the brand and developing a way that forges a path ahead for the brand and makes it fundamentally stronger in solving brand issues. It paves the way for great work and great relationships. I am happy when a prospective client agrees to a Disruption day instead of the usual pitch format.”
Kaustav Das, vice-president, South, TBWA India, remarks, “Hello FM is special for TBWA India because here’s one brand where everything from content to communication is Disruptive. Disruption is most versatile and arguably the world’s best planning process. It can be used to evolve disruptive products, disruptive marketing plans or disruptive communication.”
The media mix for Hello FM will consist of traditional TV, press and outdoor along with some unconventional media that are in sync with TBWA’s Disruption and Connections philosophy.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Source:http://agencyfaqs.com/
perl/radio/onair.html?id=
15752&ntype=af
The ‘Daily Thanthi’ is one of the largest circulated Tamil newspapers in the country and has been in existence for over 70 years. Sovereign Media Marketing is the company that markets the ‘Daily Thanthi’.
TBWAINDIA did not participate in the pitch by making a creative presentation, but put into effect the agency’s philosophy and planning tool, Disruption. Nine agencies were in the fray for the business, but their names could not be ascertained. The size of the business is estimated to be Rs 3 crore.
Balasubramanian Adityan, managing director, Hello FM, says, “TBWA’s understanding of the business was unique and it has been assigned the comprehensive exercise of brand building and communication for the seven licences won by the radio station.”
“TBWAIndia offered to disrupt Hello FM. At first, it was a bit startling, but the end result is a truly disruptive brand, right down to the content and personality. Estimating the number of FM stations that are going to hit the people of Tamil Nadu in the months to come, a disruptive brand becomes the need of the day. TBWA has shown commitment to the brand and has been a true partner in every aspect of the programming, too. We are happy that we agreed to TBWA’s disruption policy,” says Rajeev Nambiar, chief operating officer, Hello FM.
Remy, content head, Hello FM, says, “It is easy to differentiate the channel from others and for creatives to stem from the disruption positioning. It has also formed the basis for our programming.”
Commenting on the win, George John, chairman and chief executive officer, TBWAINDIA, says, “Disruption is going deeper into the depths of the brand and developing a way that forges a path ahead for the brand and makes it fundamentally stronger in solving brand issues. It paves the way for great work and great relationships. I am happy when a prospective client agrees to a Disruption day instead of the usual pitch format.”
Kaustav Das, vice-president, South, TBWA India, remarks, “Hello FM is special for TBWA India because here’s one brand where everything from content to communication is Disruptive. Disruption is most versatile and arguably the world’s best planning process. It can be used to evolve disruptive products, disruptive marketing plans or disruptive communication.”
The media mix for Hello FM will consist of traditional TV, press and outdoor along with some unconventional media that are in sync with TBWA’s Disruption and Connections philosophy.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Source:http://agencyfaqs.com/
perl/radio/onair.html?id=
15752&ntype=af
Thursday, September 28, 2006
RADIO FREE ASIA RELEASES ITS ELEVENTH QSL CARD
RFA’s eleventh QSL card honors Guglielmo Marconi
RFA’s Technical Operations Division is proud to announce the release of the company’s
eleventh QSL card in honor of the Father of Radio, Guglielmo Marconi. The card is scheduled for distribution from July 1 to August 31, 2006. Marconi was born on April 25, 1874, in Bologna, Italy. In 1901, people still thought the curvature of the earth would prevent radio signals from traveling more than 200 miles, but in July of 1901, Marconi was able to transmit across the Atlantic Ocean; this helped accelerate the development of the wireless industry. In 1909 Marconi shared the Nobel Prize for physics with Karl Ferdinand Braun. More information about Marconi, his life, and his work is available at the following Internet link:
http://nobelpr ize.or g/nobel_pr izes/physics/laur eates/1909/marconi-bio.html
Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a private, nonprofit corporation that broadcasts news and information to listeners in Asian countries where full, accurate, and timely news reports are unavailable. Created by Congress in 1994 and incorporated in 1996, RFA currently broadcasts in Burmese,Cantonese, Khmer, Korean to North Korea, Lao, Mandarin, the Wu dialect, Vietnamese, Tibetan (Uke, Amdo, and Kham), and Uyghur. RFA strives for accuracy, balance, and fairness in its editorial content. As a ‘surrogate’ broadcaster, RFA provides news and commentary specific to each of its target countries, acting as the free press these countries lack. RFA broadcasts only in local languages and dialects, and most of its broadcasts comprise news of specific local interest.
RFA encourages listeners to submit reception reports. Reception reports are valuable to RFA as they help us evaluate the signal strength and quality of our transmissions. Radio stations, like RFA, usually confirm accurate reception reports by mailing a QSL card.
RFA welcomes all reception report submissions at www.techweb.r fa.org (follow the QSL
REPORTS link) not only from DX’ers, but also from its general listening audience. Reception reports are also accepted by email at qsl@r fa.org, and for anyone without Internet access, reception reports can be mailed to:
Reception Reports
Radio Free Asia
2025 M. Street NW, Suite 300
Washington DC 20036
United States of America.
Upon request, RFA will also send a copy of the current broadcast schedule and a station sticker.
BIG 92.7 FM hits city airwaves
Chennaiites get their fourth FM station with BIG 92.7 FM, a part of Adlabs Film Limited, hitting the city's airwaves today.
To connect with listeners, it has signed on the vivacious and talented actor Asin as the brand ambassador for Tamil Nadu, the first such move by any FM station in the country.
Having bagged licenses to roll out in 45 centres across India, the radio station, already launched in Delhi and Hyderabad, is next headed to Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata, besides the "virgin" territories of Jammu, Srinagar and Aligarh over the next month.
Announcing the launch at a press conference here, company Chief Operating Officer Tarun Katial said BIG 92.7 FM had aimed to touch 200 million listeners, that is every fifth Indian across the country, every third urban Indian and every eighth Indian in rural areas.
With an investment of Rs 400 crore dedicated to transmission equipment, infrastructure and licensing, the proposed network would be the largest ever, he added.
Company Regional Head-South Lakshmi Sharath said the programmes of BIG 92.7 FM were based on extensive research and in-depth analysis of the preferences of the people of Chennai.
The shows on the radio station would not only offer local flavour and city-connect through relevant content and interesting information and updates, but would also play music which appealed to the local tastes, she added.
The station had roped in popular TV personalities Uma Riyaz Khan and Chetan, besides famous radio jockeys like Balaji and Dheena.
Some of the interesting programmes that are in store include 'Alaipayuthe' - a special time for women to rekindle the romance in their lives and 'Ragasiyamai- where in one can share a secret which he/she wanted to get off his/her chest.
BIG 92.7 FM launched in Chennai
ARRIVES IN CHENNAI: Ms Lakshmi Sharath, Regional Head, South, BIG 92.7 FM, and Mr Tarun Katial, Chief Operating Officer, at the launch of the radio channel in Chennai on Wednesday. — Bijoy Ghosh
BIG 92.7 FM began its nation-wide roll out from here on Monday. Speaking to newspersons after the launch, the Chief Operating Officer, Mr Tarun Katial, said the station would be spending close to $1 million to promote the new channel in Delhi alone. "The programming will be different in each and every city where we are present. We will have a presence in all the six metros by the middle of October," Mr Katial added.
BIG 92.7 FM, the FM radio venture of Adlabs Films Ltd, backed by an investment of Rs 400 crore, will roll out 45 radio stations by March 2007, according to Mr Tarun Katial, its Chief Operating Officer.Speaking at the launch of BIG 92.7 FM in Chennai, Mr Katial said that the investment would go into transmission equipment, infrastructure and licensing. The company has launched the FM stations in Delhi and Hyderabad.
Next month, BIG 92.7 FM will be launched in Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata as well as in virgin markets such as Jammu, Srinagar and Aligarh. He said that 1,000 towns and 50,000 villages would be covered by the end of the financial year.
In the south, stations will be set up in Pondicherry, Tirupati, Thiruvananthapuram, Visakhapatnam, Mangalore and Mysore.
The company plans to take FM radio as a medium of entertainment to rural areas, which had not yet experienced it.
The company has undertaken a research of each of the markets and the programmes are tailored to region-specific tastes.
In Chennai, for instance, there would be a slot for Carnatic music as well as tie-ups with some concerts, Ms Lakshmi N. Sharath, Vice-President, South Operations, BIG 92.7 FM, said.
Key shows will be hosted by personalities such as Mona `Jassi' Singh and Gaurav `Nandu' Ghera in Delhi, Kaushik and Sheilajit in Kolkata, Uma Riaz Khan in Chennai and Jhansi in Hyderabad. Besides popular music and talk shows there will be weather and traffic updates.
BIG 92.7 FM has signed on film actor Asin as a brand ambassador for Tamil Nadu.
BIG 92.7 FM began its nation-wide roll out from here on Monday. Speaking to newspersons after the launch, the Chief Operating Officer, Mr Tarun Katial, said the station would be spending close to $1 million to promote the new channel in Delhi alone. "The programming will be different in each and every city where we are present. We will have a presence in all the six metros by the middle of October," Mr Katial added.
BIG 92.7 FM, the FM radio venture of Adlabs Films Ltd, backed by an investment of Rs 400 crore, will roll out 45 radio stations by March 2007, according to Mr Tarun Katial, its Chief Operating Officer.Speaking at the launch of BIG 92.7 FM in Chennai, Mr Katial said that the investment would go into transmission equipment, infrastructure and licensing. The company has launched the FM stations in Delhi and Hyderabad.
Next month, BIG 92.7 FM will be launched in Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata as well as in virgin markets such as Jammu, Srinagar and Aligarh. He said that 1,000 towns and 50,000 villages would be covered by the end of the financial year.
In the south, stations will be set up in Pondicherry, Tirupati, Thiruvananthapuram, Visakhapatnam, Mangalore and Mysore.
The company plans to take FM radio as a medium of entertainment to rural areas, which had not yet experienced it.
The company has undertaken a research of each of the markets and the programmes are tailored to region-specific tastes.
In Chennai, for instance, there would be a slot for Carnatic music as well as tie-ups with some concerts, Ms Lakshmi N. Sharath, Vice-President, South Operations, BIG 92.7 FM, said.
Key shows will be hosted by personalities such as Mona `Jassi' Singh and Gaurav `Nandu' Ghera in Delhi, Kaushik and Sheilajit in Kolkata, Uma Riaz Khan in Chennai and Jhansi in Hyderabad. Besides popular music and talk shows there will be weather and traffic updates.
BIG 92.7 FM has signed on film actor Asin as a brand ambassador for Tamil Nadu.
Monday, August 07, 2006
AIR First Day Cover
Indian Posts and Telegraphs published the First Day Cover for All India Radio Silver Jubilee Celebrations on 8 June 1961. Here is the Stamp for your view.
Thanks to www.swlcs.de/philatelie/paurein.html
Map of AIR stations
Map of AIR stations as on 31st Dec 2005 - shows 222 stations
http://www.geocities.com/alokeshgupta/AIR_STNS.pdf
Source : Ministry of Information & broadcasting Annual Report 2005-06, Govt
Of India.
-----------------------------
Alokesh Gupta
New Delhi
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Sangean to introduce 'first DRM Radio' in Europe this October
After a long wait, a major manufacturer has at last announced plans to release what it calls 'the first DRM Radio' in Europe in October 2006.
The DRM-40 will have DRM coverage on longwave, mediumwave and shortwave. It will also have DAB coverage, which Sangean describes as “the digital alternative for the FM band.”
We think this is actually a misleading description, as the DRM Consortium is working on extending the DRM specification to include the current FM band, whereas DAB uses much higher frequencies. The radio will have RDS, according to Sangean. There’s also a USB connection and an SD-card slot, meaning that the radio can play and record MP3 files.
The DRM-40 uses the same case as the existing DPR-1 DAB receiver, which means the size will be 180×260x90 mm. Sangean says the weight will be 1700 gramm.
The recommended retail price in Europe, including VAT, will be 299 euros. The website gives the following capsule summary of the features:
RM / DAB Band III / FM / AM / LW / SW
RDS, AMSS and Radio text or DLS
MP3 Playback and recording on SD
Humane wake System on Radio or Buzzer Alarm
12 Alarm Settings
Timed recording
Clock with Auto Update
EPG, Pause Plus, SPDIF and Key Lock
6 Presets for each Waveband
with SD slot and USB connection
with SAI und USB connection
with RF-antenna and BAR Antenna
Audio Out and headphone Connection
With AC-adapter / operates also on DC (Batteries not included)
We hope to acquire and test one of these radios as soon as they become available.
In the UK, this radio will be sold as the Roberts MP40.
It’s not clear if there are any differences in the specification.
Some years ago the boss of Sangean visited Radio Netherlands, and at that time he told them that Sangean would make customised versions for any OEM customer ordering a minimum of 500 units.
The DRM-40 will have DRM coverage on longwave, mediumwave and shortwave. It will also have DAB coverage, which Sangean describes as “the digital alternative for the FM band.”
We think this is actually a misleading description, as the DRM Consortium is working on extending the DRM specification to include the current FM band, whereas DAB uses much higher frequencies. The radio will have RDS, according to Sangean. There’s also a USB connection and an SD-card slot, meaning that the radio can play and record MP3 files.
The DRM-40 uses the same case as the existing DPR-1 DAB receiver, which means the size will be 180×260x90 mm. Sangean says the weight will be 1700 gramm.
The recommended retail price in Europe, including VAT, will be 299 euros. The website gives the following capsule summary of the features:
RM / DAB Band III / FM / AM / LW / SW
RDS, AMSS and Radio text or DLS
MP3 Playback and recording on SD
Humane wake System on Radio or Buzzer Alarm
12 Alarm Settings
Timed recording
Clock with Auto Update
EPG, Pause Plus, SPDIF and Key Lock
6 Presets for each Waveband
with SD slot and USB connection
with SAI und USB connection
with RF-antenna and BAR Antenna
Audio Out and headphone Connection
With AC-adapter / operates also on DC (Batteries not included)
We hope to acquire and test one of these radios as soon as they become available.
In the UK, this radio will be sold as the Roberts MP40.
It’s not clear if there are any differences in the specification.
Some years ago the boss of Sangean visited Radio Netherlands, and at that time he told them that Sangean would make customised versions for any OEM customer ordering a minimum of 500 units.
Roberts Gemini 1 DAB Digital Radio
DAB and FM wavebands
PausePlus and rewind functions
Timed recording function
Digital optical output socket (Toslink)
Listen to a station whilst recording another via external recording device
Large easy to read multi-function LCD display
Digital record/playback using built in memory or via external SD card slot (Card included)
12 station presets
Menu display/selection of all major functions
Search/manual tuning
Clock/alarm functions
Sleep/snooze functions
Rotary control for station/menu selection
Rotary volume, bass and treble controls
External DAB aerial socket
Analogue audio 1 and 2 output sockets
Headphone socket
Uses 4 x LR20 (D size) batteries (not included) or via mains adaptor (included)
Size 190w x 260h x 130d mm
Weight 1.74Kg
+++++++++++++
Source:http://www.robertsradio.co.uk/rd1.htm
+++++++++++++
Chennai gets a fourth FM channel
Radio City targets 30% share in 2 years
Radio City is targeting a market share of 30 per cent of the FM radio market, which is estimated to be Rs 600 crore in the next two years, according to Ms Apurva Purohit, CEO, Radio City.
She said that currently the FM radio market is about Rs 250 crore and Radio City has a 40 per cent share. This year with more FM licences being awarded, the FM radio market is likely to be about Rs 350 crore.
She was talking to reporters at the launch of Radio City 105.8 FM in Chennai. Ms Purohit said that the company had done extensive research on listeners' preferences and research has shown that most listeners are partial to film music.
The programming would be city-specific with customised Tamil and English programming, reflecting the `true sound of Chennai'. It will also be tying up with the police department for traffic updates.
Ms Purohit said that Radio City would go beyond traffic updates and take up social issues. In Bangalore, for instance, the station campaigns for more car pools to reduce the traffic density on the roads.
Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd, funded by India Value Fund, promotes Radio City, which is present in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Lucknow and Hyderabad. In the second phase of expansion of FM Radio, Radio City has bagged the licences to broadcast in 16 more cities. Radio stations will open soon in Jaipur, Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat and Nagpur apart from smaller towns in western India.
++++++++++++++++++
Chennai gets a fourth FM channel, with Radio City at 105.8 MHz. Chennai already has Radio Mirchi 98.30 MHz, Suriyan FM 93.8 MHz and Raibow FM 107.1 MHz as commercial FM stations. Other than this Anna University (90.4 MHz), Loyola (90.8MHz), MOP Vaishnava(91.2 MHz) colleges too have their FM channels, though I haven't listened to any of them.
Radio City was originally promoted by STAR, and now is owned by Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd, part of GW Capital which bought out STAR's stake.
(http://chennai.metblogs.com/archives
/2006/07/radio_city_enters_chennai.phtml)
++++++++++++++++++
She was speaking to media persons after the launch of Radio City, here, yesterday. Actor Surya lit the traditional lamp to mark the inauguration of India's first and leading FM radio brand.
Promoted by Music Broadcast Private Limited, Radio City was recently launched in Hyderabad. 'The feedback from Hyderabad shows that Radio city is doing extremely well', Apurva said.
Radio City will soon be launched in 16 more cities in the country. Apart from music, Radio City will air programmes on current affairs and plans to take up take up social initiatives like the campaign against plastics started by Radio City Lucknow.
'All our RJ's are college students or those who just passed out from college. The young people will surely find it interesting to talk to them', Apurva added. 'Namma City namma life', is the essence and spirit of radio city.
(newstodaynet.com/11jul/rf1.htm)
Radio City is targeting a market share of 30 per cent of the FM radio market, which is estimated to be Rs 600 crore in the next two years, according to Ms Apurva Purohit, CEO, Radio City.
She said that currently the FM radio market is about Rs 250 crore and Radio City has a 40 per cent share. This year with more FM licences being awarded, the FM radio market is likely to be about Rs 350 crore.
She was talking to reporters at the launch of Radio City 105.8 FM in Chennai. Ms Purohit said that the company had done extensive research on listeners' preferences and research has shown that most listeners are partial to film music.
The programming would be city-specific with customised Tamil and English programming, reflecting the `true sound of Chennai'. It will also be tying up with the police department for traffic updates.
Ms Purohit said that Radio City would go beyond traffic updates and take up social issues. In Bangalore, for instance, the station campaigns for more car pools to reduce the traffic density on the roads.
Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd, funded by India Value Fund, promotes Radio City, which is present in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Lucknow and Hyderabad. In the second phase of expansion of FM Radio, Radio City has bagged the licences to broadcast in 16 more cities. Radio stations will open soon in Jaipur, Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat and Nagpur apart from smaller towns in western India.
++++++++++++++++++
Chennai gets a fourth FM channel, with Radio City at 105.8 MHz. Chennai already has Radio Mirchi 98.30 MHz, Suriyan FM 93.8 MHz and Raibow FM 107.1 MHz as commercial FM stations. Other than this Anna University (90.4 MHz), Loyola (90.8MHz), MOP Vaishnava(91.2 MHz) colleges too have their FM channels, though I haven't listened to any of them.
Radio City was originally promoted by STAR, and now is owned by Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd, part of GW Capital which bought out STAR's stake.
(http://chennai.metblogs.com/archives
/2006/07/radio_city_enters_chennai.phtml)
++++++++++++++++++
She was speaking to media persons after the launch of Radio City, here, yesterday. Actor Surya lit the traditional lamp to mark the inauguration of India's first and leading FM radio brand.
Promoted by Music Broadcast Private Limited, Radio City was recently launched in Hyderabad. 'The feedback from Hyderabad shows that Radio city is doing extremely well', Apurva said.
Radio City will soon be launched in 16 more cities in the country. Apart from music, Radio City will air programmes on current affairs and plans to take up take up social initiatives like the campaign against plastics started by Radio City Lucknow.
'All our RJ's are college students or those who just passed out from college. The young people will surely find it interesting to talk to them', Apurva added. 'Namma City namma life', is the essence and spirit of radio city.
(newstodaynet.com/11jul/rf1.htm)
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Malar Publications to launch its first FM station in Chennai, appoints Ramesh SK as Content Head
Malar Publications Ltd, publisher of the Tamil daily 'Malai Malar', is planning to start its FM radio foray from Chennai in August this year. It has also roped in Radio Mirchi's Ramesh SK (better known as Remy) as Head of Content for its radio venture.
"Preparations are underway to launch our first FM station in Chennai by August end," informed Rajeev Nambiar, COO, Malar Publications. Malar has won licenses for FM operations in seven cities - Coimbatore, Madurai, Pondicherry, Tiruchy, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin.
Under FM Phase II expansion, the Government has allowed interim transmission in the four metros and in the cities of Hyderabad and Jaipur, in which players can start operations by setting up their own infrastructure before the common infrastructure by BECIL is ready.
Ramesh, who has 10 years' experience in the advertising industry, was Head of Programming at Radio Mirchi Chennai. He had earlier worked with Lintas, Chennai as its Creative Director. He also has five years' experience in the television industry, of which two years he spent with Tamil channel Raj TV as VP, Marketing. Ramesh also had a three-year stint with Sri Lankan Shakti TV as Station Director in Colombo and was in-charge of programming and marketing.
Commenting on Ramesh's appointment, Nambiar said, "I know Ramesh from his Lintas, Chennai days. I call him a creative Professor of Radio who can articulate experience and learning in contemporary style. Ramesh is a person who considers local as hip and that it can wear an attitude. As content head is the nerve centre of radio, we are happy to have him in our team."
Ramesh on his part said, "Radio offers a lot of promise both for the radio industry in general and for our brand in particular, considering the fact that we are truly a home grown brand in the context of FM radio being a very local medium." ["KARAN"]
"Preparations are underway to launch our first FM station in Chennai by August end," informed Rajeev Nambiar, COO, Malar Publications. Malar has won licenses for FM operations in seven cities - Coimbatore, Madurai, Pondicherry, Tiruchy, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin.
Under FM Phase II expansion, the Government has allowed interim transmission in the four metros and in the cities of Hyderabad and Jaipur, in which players can start operations by setting up their own infrastructure before the common infrastructure by BECIL is ready.
Ramesh, who has 10 years' experience in the advertising industry, was Head of Programming at Radio Mirchi Chennai. He had earlier worked with Lintas, Chennai as its Creative Director. He also has five years' experience in the television industry, of which two years he spent with Tamil channel Raj TV as VP, Marketing. Ramesh also had a three-year stint with Sri Lankan Shakti TV as Station Director in Colombo and was in-charge of programming and marketing.
Commenting on Ramesh's appointment, Nambiar said, "I know Ramesh from his Lintas, Chennai days. I call him a creative Professor of Radio who can articulate experience and learning in contemporary style. Ramesh is a person who considers local as hip and that it can wear an attitude. As content head is the nerve centre of radio, we are happy to have him in our team."
Ramesh on his part said, "Radio offers a lot of promise both for the radio industry in general and for our brand in particular, considering the fact that we are truly a home grown brand in the context of FM radio being a very local medium." ["KARAN"
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