COVER STORY (Spotlight Weekly)

SATELLITE TV TRANSMISSION
Finding A Place In The Space Age

As state-owned Nepal Television (NTV) and the private-sector Channel Nepal Network scramble to establish themselves in space, the focus is on the important, but seemingly neglected, issue of the kind of programs plan to offer to an expanded audience. Already plagued by a credibility crisis and low-standard programming, will Nepalese television channels be able to grab the attention of viewers beyond the national frontiers? Are the channels willing to invest in content development? Or will they just fizzle out in the cut-throat cable competition raging in a region where even making their presence felt would be an uphill task?

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

It is a regular Friday evening (July 13). Nepalese households are, as usual, glued to their television sets watching the 325th episode of "Hijo Aajaka Kura" - the satirical drama based on social events and incidents - on state-owned Nepal Television (NTV). The only difference is that Nepalis residing in their homeland are now not alone in accessing this much-acclaimed serial. From workers in Qatar and South Korea to Nepalis in Hong Kong and Singapore and, of course, the large Nepali-speaking community in India, millions of more viewers can have real-time access to the show, thanks to NTV stepping into the satellite age.

Channel operators : In the space age

NTV began satellite transmission on Wednesday July 4, 200. The channel is linked with the American IntelSAT that extends its footprint across Asia.

Not to be outdone, the private-sector Channel Nepal Network, which has been waiting for the governmentís green signal to uplink its programs from Nepal itself, pre-empted NTVís pioneering venture by uplinking from Thailand via ThaiCom satellite the previous day.

In a matter of two days, just as many Nepalese channels stepped into the space age. The fact was received well by the people.

The demand for Nepalese satellite TV channels has been made for long. Given the geographically difficult terrain of the country, it was not only a commercial fad for the state-owned NTV to reach out to satellite.

"Tall hills and mountains punctuate our terrain. Broadcasting through a terrestrial system will mean that our signal will be disturbed by these geographic barriers, making it impossible for us to cover the whole of Nepal," says Durga Nath Sharma, general manager of Nepal Television. "Going for satellite transmission was the obvious choice for us."

NTV had been planning to go for satellite transmission for the last five or six years. But it was after the series of negative publicity that Nepal received through foreign satellite channels in the aftermath of Indian Airlines Flight 814 hijack and the Hrithik Roshan episode that the authorities began to sit up and give serious consideration to the plan.

"In less than one and a half years of planning, we have been able to uplink with the satellite," says Sharma.

Meanwhile, Channel Nepal, owned by Space Time Network - the largest cable operator in the country - had also been working to launch satellite broadcasts. In fact, had it not hit a series of snags, it could well have been doing so since mid-April.

First, the channel was denied a license during the tenure of Jaya Prakash Gupta as communications minister. After Guptaís successor, Shiva Raj Joshi, finally granted the licence, the frequency management division at the ministry came up with more hassles. The channel was made to stop all preparations to go for satellite transmission at the last minute after the division said it had to conduct "final inspection of its equipment."

Pushed to the wall by official stalling, the channel operators decided to uplink their programs from Thailand. The channel is currently said to be transporting its programs to Thailand from where it is uplinked to ThaiCom, a satellite with a global beam. "Our programs can be seen from anywhere in the world," said Bahadur Krishna Tamrakar, chairman of Spacetime Publications, a sister organization of Spacetime Network, which owns the channel, in The Kathmandu Post.

Channel Nepal officials also criticize the government for dilly-dallying with their "equipment inspection" procedure, thereby causing them to invest more unnecessarily for their transmission from Thailand.

Among the two channels that have simultaneously gone for satellite transmission, Channel Nepal will focus more on entertainment while NTV, being the government media, will have more social obligations.

What To Show?

Even as the two Nepalese channels are now available via satellite, the greatest concern is how they are going to survive in the competition. "We have seen the likes of Jain TV and ATN step down from satellite transmission after failing to impress the audience. What is the guarantee that same thing may not happen to NTV tomorrow, if it does not polish its programs soon?" asks Tapa Nath Shukla, a former general manager of NTV.

All agree that programming content becomes the point of primary concern once a television channel goes on air. "In the satellite channels, software is even more important. What will they show? How will they attract new viewers?" asks Yadav Kharel, a prominent movie director and chairman of Nepal Film Development Board.

Nepalese television channels are not exactly known for entertaining programs. Apart from a handful of shows like "Hijo Aajaka Kura", "Geetanjali" and telefilms, NTV does not have any audience-grabbing programs to boast of. In urban areas where the cable lines have made large inroads, NTV is among the least favorite channels. "In the age of MTV and Star TV, very few youngsters are found watching the national channel," says Sagun Shrestha, a youth from Patan.

"The programs of NTV are neither very good nor very bad. We know we have a long way to go in showing quality programs. We are definitely serious about launching new programs to attract a wider audience following the satellite transmission," says Sharma.

According to Kharel, the time has come for the channels to invest seriously in programs. "There are lots of creative people. These channels will have to tap their potential," he says.

Agrees Nir Shah, a former chief of NTV and currently the boss of Shangrila Channel - a private-sector network that has been broadcasting entertainment programs by buying time on NTV. "The concerned authorities now must give attention to uplift the facilities. There has to be studio, technical equipment as well as generous remuneration to pump life into our software content."

Shah, an acclaimed actor and director, says if such facilities are provided, there are many things that could be done to improve Nepalese television programs. "For example, there are subjects like Jung Bahadur and stories like ëSeto Baghí on which very good serials can be made."

As far as NTV is concerned, many believe the channel may not be able to project itself as a source of wholesome entertainment given its social and other obligations. But Channel Nepal, which is fully own by the private sector, could fill the gap.

The opening of the satellite floodgates also means a growth of opportunities for creative artistes. "Be they musicians, directors or artistes, everybody can reap benefits," says Sharma. He also sees the possibility of roping in talent from the Nepalese film industry. "When the likes of Amitabh Bachchan are doing quiz shows on the small screen in India, it only proves how vast this sector has become. We will also like to welcome Nepalese artistes in similar ventures."

Will The Presence Be Felt?

Another concern media-watchers have been expressing is that although Nepalese channels have been uplinked, will they be able to make their presence felt among the international audience? The critical issue is, how will the audiences know that Nepalese channels are available and, more importantly, will they be inclined to receive it? Already there are hundreds of popular satellite channels- one more or one less is not going to make any difference in the way remote controls are flipped in homes.

From language to presentation, Nepalese channels will have to face difficulties in setting up their identity.

There is a general misconception that once NTV or Channel Nepal has uplinked to a satellite, their programs would automatically be seen in households. But the reality is that, as these channels are digital, their signals have to be first decoded and only then can they be received by dish antenna.

"This is where the role of cable operators comes in. If our channels want to be viewed widely, they will have to undergo agreement with big cable operators in India and elsewhere. Even within Nepal, NTV should reach into similar agreements with cable operators, who are now active even in villages like Jumla and Namche," says Shukla.

Sharma agrees. It is not expensive to have a decoder for cable operators and if some of them cannot afford it, we will seek financial support from agencies like District Development Committee (DDC) to buy them the decoders, he says.

Countering The Foreign Media

One of the important reasons why Nepalis wanted their channels to go for satellite transmission was probably the loss (of words) they felt during the negative publicity the country received in the aftermath of Indian Airlines hijack.

But even after their channels are available via satellite, their worry may not end. "We should not expect our channels to compete with BBC or CNN. Besides, there will be the problem of language as well," says Rajendra Dahal, editor of Himal fortnightly.

The Nepalese minnows cannot challenge the reach, the coverage and the expertise of the already established satellite channels, observers say. The only positive outcome is that Nepalis will now have a global voice - whether anybody is listening is altogether a different matter.

Besides, the Nepalese channels are yet to develop the culture of reporting on current affairs. As yet, most current affair programs broadcast through NTV are alleged to be drab and listless. NTV boss Sharma says that the channel will now increase the time of news and also include live interviews to give them a new look.

"It will be naive to think NTV will be able to counter the foreign media reporting. Our coverage and reach cannot be compared with that of established channels like BBC, CNN or Star TV," he says, adding, "However, we will definitely be able to show our side of the story."

Sharma also believes that establishing credibility will be of crucial importance. "We cannot afford to lose credibility in this age of competition."

Advantages And Benefits

Tourism may be one sector that could gain immensely from our television going global. The possibility of launching international promotion campaigns becomes more convenient with the national television channels going on satellite.

NTV has reached an understanding with the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) for producing quality promotional programs. "In fact, we have already made a couple of such programs and we will continue to do that," says Sharma.

Destination promotion through Nepalese channels can be both easy and cost-effective. But the problem here also lies in language.

Many say that satellite transmission would not directly contribute to tourism, as far as markets such as Japan and western countries are concerned. But, they add, that it could help attract Indian tourists. According to Dahal, the Nepalese channels could produce specifically designed promotional items in local Indian languages to target the regional audiences.

Apart from tourism, these channels can also help in fostering Nepalís traditional culture and heritage and introduce them to the world. Above all, the channels can help to flow proper information at times of crisis.

In this age of communication technology, the fact that Nepal was so late in launching its channels on satellite speaks volumes about how close we are with latest technologies. Though late, Nepalese channels have now stepped into the satellite age. It is now up to the concerned authorities how to make Nepalese channels popular with an expanded audience.

Investing in television software is also a sound financial move as popular channels can have no dearth of advertisers who are willing to part generously with their money in order to be heard and seen. Conversely, if software is not properly developed, Nepalese satellite broadcasts will have no meaning as the viewers, already used to surfing channels, are bound to skip them.

"The Danger Is Our Presence May Not Even Be Felt"

— RAJENDRA DAHAL

RAJENDRA DAHAL is the editor of Himal weekly magazine. He talked to SANJAYA DHAKAL about the likely impact of satellite transmission of Nepalese channels on the development of the media in the country. Excerpts:

Now that two Nepali channels have gone for satellite transmission, do you think our voice will be heard across the border?

Voices do not travel due to two reasons. One is the hardware, technology part. Now we have this facility to our avail. We have the hardware part and we can send our satellite signals. But the other thing is the software part. What are we going to transmit? If our programs are not qualitative, if we cannot give proper voice, it may not pay.

Indian satellite TV channels have been accused of providing distorted views of events in Nepal. Will Nepali channels be able to provide a balanced version?

I don't think the charges levelled against Indian media will be levelled at our channels because though we might have larger reach, we may not cover foreign issues. Moreover, there is a danger that our presence may not even be felt across the border. Besides, it would not be fair to compare our channels with BBC, CNN, Doordarshan or Star TV. It would not be wise to have high expectations.

How do you think our current affairs programs should be?

There is a lot of challenge there. The biggest challenge is the language. At least, we could make programs in English. Since our media have not perfected even in the local language, it is difficult to provide quality programs in English and other languages.

How would this affect tourism promotion?

Not much, directly. There could be some response in India. We could address Indian tourists by showing promotional programs in regional languages. The only thing we can do is ensure the flow of proper information. As far as Japan, West Europe and America are concerned, there is little chance of even making our presence felt.

What kind of impact will it have on media development?

This has provided a big opportunity. So, as far as media development is concerned, this will have positive impact.

"Software Development Is The Bigger Challenge"

— YADAV KHAREL

YADAV KHAREL is the premier director and the chairman of Nepal Film Development Board. Kharel sees the satellite transmission of Nepalese channels as both an opportunity as well as challenge. Excerpts from his conversation with SANJAYA DHAKAL:

What kind of content should our newly launched satellite channels broadcast?

I find the software content as the bigger challenge. We have the base to reach a larger audience. But what do we offer them? When even the present programs, which are tailor-made for certain segments of our population, are being criticised as low quality, how can we satisfy the bigger audience. The new audience will be the people of Nepalese origin living in foreign countries and foreign citizens having an interest in Nepal. The programs will have to be made to cater to their taste. Besides, there should be programs of interest to our workers living in places like Japan, Qatar. Diversity in content including culture, geography, special information, news, views and so on has to be developed.

How can the content be improved?

I find that everybody's attention is concentrated on going to satellite. Nobody is serious about what after that? I don't know of the homework they have done in this regard. More investment and more labor are required for software development. They will have to tap creative people.

How will this affect Nepal's film sector and artistes?

By giving bigger reach and coverage, definitely, it will have positive impact. Our films' identity can flourish. Proper marketing will result in good yields to all of us artistes and film-makers.

New Programs In The Offing

After going on satellite, state-owned Nepal Television (NTV) is working hard to give a new look to its program packages. While it has already sold some of its afternoon time to private sector, it is also planning to do the same with its night-time slots. From the beginning of Shrawan (mid-July), the NTV will be broadcasting some new programs to attract audiences. The foremost among these programs is the "Nagad Paanch Lakh" (Cash Five Hundred Thousand). This is the Nepali version of Star TV's "Kaun Banega Crorepati". Here ace comedian Madan Krishna Shrestha will be taking the place of Amitabh Bachchan. Likewise, the television serial on "Seto Bagh" (White Tiger), an acclaimed historic novel by Diamond SJB Rana, by ace director Nir Shah and another serial on the life story of Jung Bahadur Rana are also in the offing. NTV is also planning to dub programs of Discovery and National Geographic Channels as well as the popular Finnish cartoon show "Mommins". The private time-buyers like Shangrila's Day TV is also planning to build more quality software programs to cash in the satellite expansion. The private sector Channel Nepal has also been airing Nepalese films and entertainment programs. At present the channel is on for about six hours a day. The time will be stretched in near future, its officials say.