TV Lanka, a worldwide digital satellite television channel has made its debut on the LMI1 satellite.
The state of the art 24-hour channel is being promoted by Electroteks, a global satellite communication network. It will be one of the first worldwide digital satellite TV channels operating from the region, media reports say.

The Sri Lankan media also say that the network will operate two full time digital video and six audio/music channels to run cultural and entertainment programmes in addition to news. TV Lanka, reports say, will be used to boost the Sri Lankan image worldwide and could be a catalyst to promote Sri Lanka in the SAARC countries. It is projected as a free to air channel for Sri Lankan expatriates in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

TV Lanka, the reports say, is a fully Sri Lankan owned and operated service without any foreign skill or funding.

Sri Lanka already has the government owned and operated Independent Television Network (ITN), Young Asia Television (YATV), ETV 1 and ETV 2 and the Telshan Network‘s TNL TV.

The International Festival of Films on Art and the Lives of Artists, the event that critically evaluates the latest productions in cinema, television, video and infographics dedicated to the world of visual arts, kicks off in Asolo, Italy, on 2 May, 2002.
The ‘Asolo Project‘, that organises the annual four-day film fest, has invited global entries for the competition. The eligibility criteria for the entries stipulates short, average-length and long films, with or without a subject, produced between 2000 and 2001. Films in both 35 and 16 mm with either optic sound track or with magnetized tape will also be admitted. The deadline for submissions is 28 February, 2002, according to an official release.

The festival, being held each year since 1973, aims to develop a well-thought out critical perspective by focussing on the positive confluence and combinations of the diverse communicative visual forms. The five sections in the festival comprise -

?Films on Art for audio-visuals, on subjects such as painting, sculpture, architecture, music, cinema, theatre, dance and any other form of artistic expression;
?Video Art and Computer Art, for works using electronic and computer audio-visual means as direct artistic expression;
?Computer Net Art, for works of art on the web that are transmitted via internet;
?Experimental cinematographic, television, video and info-graphic productions made in specialised courses of cinema schools and special institutes of higher education.

More details about the festival can be had from www.artfilmfestival.com.

CNN has reason to rejoice. PAX 2001, the research study conducted by Asia Market Intelligence, has given CNN numero uno status among international news channels in Asia for the fifth consecutive year. Viewing frequency for the news network has increased this year, with more viewers tuning in on a daily basis than in previous years, the study notes. The research results, released today, says CNN International reaches more business decision makers than all the other major international news channels combined. Quoting statistics, the study points out that the channel reaches 36 per cent of business decision makers in the week just ended, compared to 14 per cent watching BBC World and 13 per cent tuning into CNBC.

PAX 2001 is a syndicated cross-media survey, providing measurement of TV and print across major markets in Asia including Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul, Singapore and Taipei. The report notes that over a third of CNN viewers watch the network every day and 38 per cent of business decision makers watch the channel daily.

Says an understandably delighted Turner International‘s Asia Pacific senior VP Nick Morgan: "By providing targeted research, PAX 2001 is a very useful tool for advertisers as it gives marketers detailed profile information on business decision makers and affluent viewers in Asia. This year‘s results reaffirm that CNN is the network of choice for these premier audiences, proving that our investment in delivering live breaking news and programming that is regionally relevant is a formula that works."

The channel airs 32 hours of regional programming produced and broadcast from its multi-media newsroom in Hong Kong including Talk Asia, Asia Business Morning, Asia Tonight and Biz Asia.