Justice Patil of the Bombay High Court today posted for Friday the hearing of the contempt case filed by Hinduja Group MSO InCableNet against ESPN Software over increased subscription rates.

InCableNet had taken the matter to court after ESPN Star Sports switched off its signals on 5 January, 2002, saying the MSO had refused to sign on to the increased subscription package that went into effect from 1 January where the monthly tariff for the ESPN and Star Sports channels was pegged at Rs 24 from the earlier Rs 16.

InCableNet however says ESPN Software has not forwarded the contract after the sports broadcaster was sent a letter seeking details about the terms and conditions of the renewal.

And there the matter rests waiting for the final judgment which might well be on Friday.

PROTEST MARCH: The Maharashtra Cable Sena and the TV-satellite and Broadband Cell of the BJP have announced they will take out a protest march tomorrow to the ESPN Star sports office to protest against the recent subscription hike.

"The hike, made without any prior notice or negotiatons, is completely unwarranted and makes the services unaffordable to the common man and small cable operators," Maharashtra Cable Sena president Ramakrishna Keny and BJP‘s TV-satellite and Broadband Cell convenor Ashok Singh have been quoted as saying.

The hike from Rs 16 to Rs 24 per subscriber per month comes less than nine months after the last increase, Keny and Singh have said, pointing out that it is unaffordable for the consumers.

The Cable Sena has further called for a complete blackout of ESPN-Star Sports channels from Wednesday if the hike in charges is not withdrawn.

Viewers can now spice up their breakfasts with business and technology news from around the world with CNN‘s new breakfast show that goes on air from 28 January.

Titled News Biz Today, the programme will provide a continual mix of live breaking and headline news, business stories, sport, weather and analysis. The new show may however be of little use to Indian viewers as it will be aired between 6 and 9:30 am Hong Kong time, which works out to 3:30 am to 7 am IST.

Anchors Stan Grant and Jill Neubronner will include new technology segments on the fast paced shows, introducing a new programming format to the network‘s Asia Pacific line up. CNN‘s technology correspondent Kristie Lu-Stout and other staffers from across the region will feed live updates into the show, which will also feature live crosses to US, European and other key financial markets to update viewers on the latest international business and financial developments and their impact on the region.

The new show comes close on the heels of a recent Pan Asian research conducted by Asia Market Intelligence, which shows CNN as the leader among international news channels in Asia for the fifth consecutive year, according to CNN International Asia Pacific senior VP Ian Macintosh. The new morning show will help viewers start their day well informed, he says.

CNN in the Asia Pacific operates from a fully integrated digital newsroom in Hong Kong, where more than 32 hours a week of programming are produced, including six prime-time regional programs broadcast live daily.

It‘s a tie-up which has ample scope. Crown Media, the parent company of made for TV movie channel Hallmark, has signed on media sales company the Rohinton Maloo run MediaScope to ramp up its ad sales in India.

Hallmark has been around in the Indian cable and satellite TV marketplace for two years. And it has been making gradual progress. The past year saw its penetration climbing 50 per cent to nine million homes, claims Hallmark parent company Crown Inc V-P & director ad sales Gregory Ang.

"Both (distribution and viewership) have reached critical mass and it is vital that we have the right advertising sales representatives to consolidate our position as an advertising vehicle that reaches a crucial demographic," says Ang.

Ang says that MediaScope‘s background makes it the ideal candidate for the two-year extendable deal. From 1992, it marketed ad sales for Star TV in India till the takeover by News Corp. MediaScope also launched Cartoon Network and re-launched CNN on behalf of Time Warner in India. In 2000, it kicked-off the ad sales for HBO in India for an initial six months.

MediaScope managing director Rohinton Maloo is all ready with his pitch to advertisers. Says he: "We are planning to capitalise on Hallmark‘s unique positioning. Currently, it is the only channel that addresses children and parents simultaneously. Consequently, using it will be very cost effective for advertisers."

Maloo also plans to leverage the 480 retail Hallmark outlets in Mumbai for promotions, the first of which will take off for Valentine‘s Day. Something which has worked very well in Asia Pacific for the network, according to Ang.

From 13 million homes in the region last year, the channel now reaches 18 million homes. Ang attributes the success to an integrated marketing and an on-ground presence through Hallmark Cards‘ extensive retail network - a unique tie-up that no other channel can boast of.

The rights holders of programmes including Sesame Street and Clifford - the Big Red Dog can also link into Hallmark Channel‘s media sales, says Ang. The channel is distributed to more than 83 million homes in 100 markets worldwide, he claims.

Maloo is confident that MediaScope will be up to the task and make a mark on Hallmark‘s ad sales graph. Says he: "The past few months have seen a spurt in advertising activity from the automobile, insurance and investment sectors, as well as growth in kid-focused advertising. This bodes well for the Hallmark Channel, which offers advertisers the perfect communication environment based on its world-class original movies, series and kids programme blocks."