It's making new waves, the world over

AFRO-CUBAN, REGGAE, western classical and jazz mixing with Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam? Recipe for a cocktail that tastes sour?

No, they mix well. In fact, so well that the mix is simply delectable. Razor sharp, eclectic and round-the-clock, that too on your age-old companion, the radio.

The best assortment of international music, entertainment and news with handpicked Indian content on an instrument that can be taken anywhere without hassles makes a fresh bid for radio that lost its utility for a short while. But times are changing.

WorldSpace, the international satellite direct-to-receiver broadcaster is now in Chennai too. The company, which now has an Indian arm, recently launched its services in the city before going on with its multi-city promotion.

The service, which reaches all countries of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, now has a strong Indian content besides 10 international channels that belt out all genres of music and news channels like the BBC and CNN.

The Indian launches are hence to promote WorldSpace as a radio service with a substantial Indian content. In India, one can receive 26 channels and in six to eight months, there will be nine more, says Mr. M. Sebastian, Director, Business Development, WorldSpace. Now there are five Hindi channels and one channel each in Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada. Soon to follow are an additonal Tamil and Telugu channel, a channel by BPL and so on.

The Hindi channels have the right urban quality that AIR could never achieve. For instance, one of the channels is Sunrise operating from London. Its general entertainment content is in sync with the urban, NRI aspirations and tastes satiated by the slick flicks from Bollywood. Another channel, RBC, comes from London. Other channels include Millennium Broadcast from Mumbai, Radio Midday and Radio India. WorldSpace combines the inherent advantages of Radio with contemporary programming and cutting- edge technology. The receivers receive the signals directly from the satellite using a proprietary chip, STARMAN. The sets are extremely portable and the antenna is flat and just the size of the palm. In India, four models, with prices starting at Rs. 4990, have been launched.

The international music channels are among the best a person with eclectic tastes can hope for. ``24 * 7'' has music from the best clubs like the London's Underground, Johannesburg's Havanna and Hong Kong's Big City, ``Ritmo'' has music of African origin and features artistes such as Baaba Mali and Bob Marley, ``Ultra Pop'' has the current pop sensations like Britney Spears and Ricky Martin, ``Rife'' has unadulterated jazz, ``Bob'' has rock and ``Up Country'' has country music. Then there is Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and the likes playing round-the-clock on ``Maestro'' and the experimentalists playing fusion, soul, R and B on ``Potion''. ``Earz,'' which has ``veiled'' learning elements is for children and families and ``Letters,'' a platform for the spoken word.

The service is picking up in Chennai, says Sebastian. ``Stay in touch with the world and your own region, wherever you go,'' he says. ``If you have this, you are never out of touch''.

Are you listening ?

By G. Pramod Kumar

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Section  : Southern States
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