News Headline
Murdoch wins clearance for Star TV China expansion
MUMBAI: Rupert Murdoch may be having problems getting clearance for his Star News and DTH projects in India but in China he appears to be making major gains. Relative to the context of the media closet house that China is, it needs noting, which is not really saying much.
The media tycoon’s Star TV has won approval for a big expansion in China, which brings Murdoch another step closer to achieving his ambition of broadcasting Chinese-language programmes across the Communist state.
Star TV has been given permission to beam Xingkong Weishi, its Mandarin language entertainment channel, to all hotels above three stars and into residential compounds where foreigners and overseas Chinese live, the Financial Times has reported. News Corp has said it plans to invest well over $100 million in the channel over the next three to four years.
The channel is currently restricted to a tiny area in the southern province of Guangdong, where its satellite signals are piped by a local cable TV company to about 1 million viewers. It will now be able to reach about 500,000 hotel rooms as well as foreign communities, including 250,000 Taiwanese living in and around Shanghai, China’s biggest city and commercial hub.
The approval signals acceptance by Beijing of the programmes that Star has tailor-made for Xingkong Weishi since it was launched in March last year.
Star TV was the first foreign television company to win the rights to broadcast into China, along with AOL Time Warner, which also gained permission to launch a channel in a limited area in Guangdong.
The FT report says it is not clear whether AOL Time Warner, with its 24-hour Mandarin language entertainment channel CETV, has also won approval for a nationwide “footprint”.
Murdoch has stayed the course on his China vision for over a decade now despite an excruciatingly slow opening up on the part of Beijing of its airwaves. To curry favour with the authorities in China, Murdoch was willing to drop a BBC news channel’s satellite delivery into China. He also vetoed News Corp’s plans to publish a book by Chris Patten, the last colonial governor of Hong Kong, who irked China’s top officials in the run-up of the handover of Hong Kong to China with his strong espousal of democratic principles. It’s another matter of course that Patten’s discovery of the virtues democracy for the colonial outpost smacked of political opportunism, coming as it did at the fag end of Britain’s rule there.
It is the same dogged patience Murdoch has shown in his dealings with China that in all probability will see his Star News as well as DTH plans ultimately taking off in India.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
