Secondly, Chandra is talking to French media giant Canal Plus which has expertise in providing necessary technology to run digital and digital DTH networks.
Chandra is also believed to be scouting for a site for an earth station for uplinking purpose and is exploring the possibility of using Sri Lanka or Bangladesh as options. Sri Lanka has been host to uplinking bases of other satellite channels. A senior executive of Zee Network has also reportedly gone to Dhaka for this purpose.
Chandra has been spurred by the moves of Star TV which is understood to be finalising details of its own DTH network via a non-Asiasat series of satellite as Asiasat-2 reportedly does not have Ku-band transponders covering the Indian region.
"Yes, talks are on with Canal Plus for technological help and other related areas for which Zee Network chief executive, V. Jindal, was in Paris last week," a senior executive of Zee told Business Standard and added that an agreement has been reached by Chandra with Shinawatra. However, the executive refused to divulge details.
The multi-pronged strategy is a clear indication -- despite assertions to the contrary -- of Chandra's attempt to chart out his own path independent of News Corp and Star TV. In fact, the new DTH service will be in direct competition with Star's proposed DTH network.
Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL), an Indian company producing programmes for Zee TV, is likely to be used to generate software for the proposed DTH channel promoted by Chandra. Neither News Corp nor any other company of Murdoch has controlling stakes in ZTL.
Chandra, who has had differences earlier with New Corp which were later resolved, started charting his own course with the May launch of Music Asia--- a music channel beamed through a Russian satellite formerly used by ATN and promoted by Chandra-controlled TV Asia.
Chandra proposes to start his digital DTH network via Thaicom-3 which is slated to be in orbit by the end of 1996 and has several Ku-band transponders, used for DTH purposes, covering the Indian region. The digital-based transponders can be used to beam a number of channels from one transponder.
According to corporate sources, the plan also involves technological assistance from Canal Plus after an agreement is hammered out with them. While nothing has been finalised yet, Chandra is scouting around in Sri Lanka to set up an earth station for uplinking purpose in an area in north of Colombo.
