News Corp continue global expansion

Rupert Murdoch's Asian TV channel, Star TV, have become the first foreign broadcaster to apply to transmit from Indian soil.
The application must be approved by the Indian Cabinet, but this is not expected to be a problem as the proposal is viewed as being within the bounds of the country's current broadcasting policy.
According to the Indian government guidelines, any television channel aimed at Indian audience, irrespective of ownership, equity structure or management control, can uplink from India.
Star, which broadcasts throughout Asia and beyond, currently broadcasts to India from Hong Kong, with the signal bounced in from outside.
In related news, News Corp reportedly plan to reach a million subscribers in both Brazil and Mexico with their satellite television service by the end of 2003 - a 40% boost on their current 700,000 subscribers in each country.
In Mexico, Televisa have a 60% stake in Innova, the Sky-TV platform in the country, while News Corp control 30%. Sky Brazil has Organizacoes Globo and News Corp as strategic partners. Liberty Media maintain a 10% stake in each venture.
Elsewhere in South America, News Corp claim 75,000 subscribers in Chile and 40,000 in Colombia, but recently pulled out of Argentina due to the currency devaluation and a deep economic recession.
(GB)