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Murdoch keen to spread distance education in India

B B Nagpal in New Delhi

Media moghul Rupert Murdoch is examining the possibility of using the convergence of information technology with telecom and broadcasting for spreading distance education and health training in India.

In a meeting with information and broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley this morning, the News Corporation head also emphasised the advantages of direct-to-home or DTH telecasting, which he had been trying to enter through STAR TV in India.

Murdoch refused to give details to mediapersons. He, however, said that he was actively considering a small stake in an information technology company based in Bangalore.

He also denied that he had any interest in the print media in India, particularly a multi-edition newspaper about which reports have been appearing in the media.

After the meeting, Jaitley said that the two only had a general discussion and that he had apprised Murdoch about the group of ministers which was examining the issue of DTH.

The meeting of the group slated for today had been postponed as Communications Minister Ram Vilas Paswan was unable to attend.

Murdoch said it was too early to think in terms of going public through an initial public offering for STAR TV in India.

Peter Mukherjea, chief executive, News Television India Limited, the company which runs STAR TV in India, accompanied him during the meeting.

Murdoch is understood to have told the minister that he was ''very pleasantly surprised'' at the sea change in technology in the country since his last visit four years ago.

Rathikant Basu, chairman and chief executive officer, Broadcasting Worldwide (a company in which Murdoch has a stake), had met Jaitley yesterday to prepare the ground for today's meeting. Basu was formerly heading STAR TV operations in India.

The media mogul has already visited Bangalore and Bombay and met several businessmen including Infosys Technologies chief executive officer N R Narayana Murthy.

He also called on S M Krishna and Vilasrao Deshmukh, chief ministers of Karnataka and Maharashtra, respectively.

Murdoch announced plans to set up a station for STAR TV in Bangalore and expand the channel's facilities in Bombay.

UNI

Business