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Virgin Radio to provide content to WorldSpace
BANGALORE: UK’s commercial rock music station Virgin Radio will now be featured as a premium channel on WorldSpace Corporation’s satellite service. This strategic partnership has been announced recently.
According to a company release, the radio station will be available for free during a promotional period, but will later become a cornerstone of WorldSpace’s new international premium subscription service Home Team Radio. This subscription service is specifically created for US and UK expatriates as well as military stationed overseas.
Once the service transitions to a paid subscription, both companies will benefit from additional revenue streams.
With a weekly audience of almost three million people in the UK, Virgin Radio has been providing ‘today’s best music and classic tracks’ since 1993, the release says.
It quotes Lee Roberts, Virgin’s sales director as saying, “Virgin Radio has one of the world’s best media brands and this deal with WorldSpace allows us to reach millions overseas.” Roberts says, with this alliance Virgin can expand into mobile satellite listening across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. “This continues our strategy to expand onto all potential platforms,” he says.
Different targeted versions of Home Team Radio will be offered to customers in the various geographic markets covered by WorldSpace’s two satellites: AfriStar (the Middle East, Africa and Western Europe) and AsiaStar (Asia and the Middle East). Virgin Radio will initially be available on WorldSpace’s AfriStar satellite, the release says.
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.
