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ASIASAT'S. STAR WARNED THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD BREACH AND INVALIDATE WSTV'S CONTRACT WITH THEM, WHICH RULES OUT ANY COMPETITIVE DUPLICATION OF THE SERVICE. WSTV CONTEND THAT THE PROPOSED ARABSAT CHANNEL IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE WILL BE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SERVICE. IN THE FACE OF LEGAL ACTION BY THE BBC, STAR HAVE NOW GIVEN AN UNDERTAKING NOT TO TERMINATE THE CONTRACT UNILATERALLY, PENDING A FULL COURT HEARING TO SETTLE THE DISPUTE. THIS WILL NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL NEXT YEAR. WSTV ARE CONFIDENT THEY WILL WIN AND ARE PROCEEDING WITH PLANS FOR THE ARABIC SERVICE.
4.
DESPITE THIS TEMPORARY TRUCE, IT IS LOOKING INCREASINGLY UNLIKELY THAT WSTV'S PARTNERSHIP WITH STAR WILL BE EXTENDED BEYOND THE INITIAL THREE-YEAR PERIOD OF THE CONTRACT, ENDING IN DECEMBER 1994, WHEN EITHER SIDE CAN EXERCISE AN OPTION TO TERMINATE. WSTV ARE EXPLORING ALTERNATIVES BUT IT WILL NOT BE EASY TO FIND ONE WHICH PROVIDES COVERAGE AS WIDE AND AS COST-EFFECTIVE AS THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH STAR TV ON ASIASAT.
5. FOR THEIR PART, AS POSTS WILL KNOW, NEWS CORPORATION HAVE A MAJOR INTEREST IN BRITISH SKY BROADCASTING AND ITS OWN NEWS CHANNEL SKY NEWS. SO FAR CONFINED TO EUROPE, SKY NEWS IS DEVELOPING WIDER INTERNATIONAL AMBITIONS AND IS ABOUT TO START BROADCASTING IN SOUTH AFRICA UNDER AN AGREEMENT WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION. IT NOW SEEMS LIKELY TO BE BROUGHT INTO THE STAR TV NETWORK ON ASIASAT SOONER OR LATER, ALONGSIDE OR IN PLACE OF WSTV. BSKYB, INCLUDING SKY NEWS, ARE ALSO PART-BRITISH AND BRITISH-BASED. WHILE WE HAVE CLOSER
What abou/CONTACT WITH WSTV, WHO ACTIVELY SEEK THE OFFICIAL SUPPORT IN
The Flo's With of Comfort
OVERSEAS MARKETS AVAILABLE TO ANY EXPORTER, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE EVEN-HANDED IN OUR DEALINGS WITH WSTV AND ANY UK COMPETITOR AND ARE NOT SEEN TO BE TAKING SIDES OR FAVOURING ONE
ENSTVICOMPANY AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS.
6.
IN REPLY TO ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WSTV/STAR DIFFERENCES, NEWS DEPARTMENT ARE SIMPLY SAYING THAT THIS IS A LEGAL DISPUTE BETWEEN TWO INDEPENDENT COMPANIES AND POINTING OUT THAT WSTV OPERATES COMMERCIALLY AND IS NOT GOVERNMENT-FUNDED.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
7.
IT REMAINS WSTV'S AIM TO PROVIDE GLOBAL COVERAGE IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, THOUGH THEIR TARGET DATE HAS SLIPPED FROM THE END OF THIS YEAR TO LATE 1994. IN ADDITION
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