JAN 23: D-DAY FOR SATELLITE VIEWERS IN MIDDLE EAST

STAR, PEHLA, FIRSTNET AND AL AWAEL VIEWERS MERGE INTO LARGEST
PAY-TV AUDIENCE IN THE REGION

keralamonitor.com

Dubai, 19/1/2002: The movers and shakers behind four of the Middle East's largest satellite pay-TV networks confirmed the date of the full joint encryption of their channels broadcast across the region. Star, FirstNet, Pehla and Al Awael will fully encrypt on the Arab Digital Distribution (ADD) satellite platform as of January 23. Star Select ceased to be available on the Orbit platform as of 16 January as Star Select exclusively moved to expand itself by joining FirstNet, Pehla and Al Awael on the same platform.

The new full encryption of Star's 11 channels and "merger" with FirstNet, Pehla and Al Awael will create both the region's largest line up of premium pay-TV channels seen to date as well as the largest potential pay-TV audience. It will also be given at the lowest entry price ever offered in the Middle East by a single pay-TV operator starting at SR/Dhs 59 a month.

Middle East subscribers to FirstNet and Pehla currently have complimentary unrestricted viewing access to the entire STAR Select bouquet, as an introductory offer until the end of January 2002 when the new "merged" encryption is effective. FirstNet, Pehla and AlAwael will add a combined number of 66 movie, sport, music and entertainment channels including STAR Select's exciting bouquet of 11 premium entertainment channels including: STAR World; STAR Movies; Granada UKTV; National Geographic; FOX Sports; Fox Kids; Adventure 1; CNBC Europe; SKY News; [V] International and The History Channel.

Within the market outlined above there are also over 6 million Asian expats spread across the GCC in approximately 750,000 TV households. 'This is a crowning moment for satellite Pay-TV in the Middle East. This move creates the largest potential pay-TV audience in the Gulf, Levant and North Africa as well as forming the biggest combined range of English, Arabic and Hindi entertainment channels ever existing for Middle East viewers, thereby catering for all demographic viewing tastes" noted John Tydeman, CEO of ADD.

FirstNet, Pehla and Al Awael are managed by Arab Digital Distribution (ADD) and is backed through its holding company, Arab Media Corporation (AMC) by the multi-million dollar Dallah Albaraka Group and HRH Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal. Dallah Albaraka Group was founded by renowned Saudi Arabian businessman Sheikh Saleh Kamel, who also established Arab Radio and Television Network (ART) in 1993 a company in which HRH Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal is also a major shareholder. ART is a privately owned company with administrative headquarters in Jeddah - KSA, technical headquarters in Amman-Jordan, playout and uplink facilities in Avezanno, Italy, and production facilities throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and North America.

ART was formed with the objective of creating and transmitting high quality Arabic television content around the globe. In less than 8 years the company has already made in-roads into North and South America, Europe, Africa, Australia and the entire Middle Eastern markets where it has established itself as a market leader. ADD was established to implement pay television across the region drawing on the strength of the array of ART channels complemented by the best Arabic, Asian and Western pay-TV channels. ADD's growth will further consolidate and strengthen the core business objectives the group holds for itself.

Arab Digital Distribution has been established to provide pay television, interactive and digital services across the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. ADD currently offers five pay television bouquets comprising over 60 television channels across these regions, to provide the best in value, entertainment and choice within each market.
STAR pioneered satellite television in Asia and in the process catalyzed explosive growth in the media industry across the entire region. Coupled with the opening up of Asian economies, access to satellite television redefined the viewing experience of millions. Providing more people with more choice than ever before, STAR set new standards in content, production and variety.

Launched in 1991 with five television channels, today STAR broadcasts more than 30 services in eight languages, providing viewers with a comprehensive range of sports, music, movies, news, entertainment and documentaries. Reaching more than 300 million people in 53 countries across Asia, India and the Middle East, over 70 million people watch STAR everyday.

STAR controls over 25,000 hours of original programming - a rich and unreplicable content asset that gives STAR a winning edge in today's multi-media, connected marketplace. The scale and diversity of offering creates unprecedented opportunities for partners and marketers, connecting them with anyone, anywhere in Asia.

STAR continues to be a media pioneer. In 2001 the company launched the first 24-hour commercial FM radio network in India, and STAR is the force behind the digitisation of cable distribution systems in Asia that pave the way for the introduction of advanced television services. Indeed, Asia's connected future is taking shape at STAR.
New or current subscribers to Star, FirstNet, Pehla or Al Awael can take advantage of special introductory offers for those wishing to activate a subscription to the new line up being offered

January 19, 2002

NATION-WIDE PULSE POLIO IMMUNIZATION PROGRAMME ON JANUARY

keralamonitor.com

New Delhi: January 20, 2002 will be observed as a nation-wide Pulse Polio Immunization Day. On that day about 16 crore children under the age of five will be administered polio vaccine through nearly 30 lakh volunteers at 6.5 lakh booths all over the country. A similar round of immunization was held on December 2, 2001.

India has made rapid and dramatic progress in its war against polio. Compared to 1934 polio cases in the year 1998, only 239 cases have been reported last year. Moreover, only 61 districts out of nearly 600 districts have reported a polio case, and 24 out of 35 States/UTs have remained polio-free in the year 2001. The country hopes to eradicate Polio by the end of 2002.

Today, global attention is focussed on India, as it is one of the few remaining countries with persistent polio virus circulation. Interruption of polio transmission in India is crucial for the world to attain the global target of a polio-free world by the year 2005.