Talk:WorldSpace
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[edit] Receivers made in India too
Could you add on the page that receivers are made by BPL in India too? I'm listening to one just at this moment! --fredericknoronha 18:15, 3 August 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Some background on WorldSpace
I've been following WorldSpace for some time now, and here's a list of articles circulated via me (including those written by others). Feel free to use this as a reference, specially for WorldSpace's involvement in India.
--fredericknoronha 18:20, 3 August 2005 (UTC)
[edit] An article I wrote
Feel free to use any content from here, if suitable:
JOTTINGS: My (second) love affair with WorldSpace * FN in Goa
Having grown up with radio as company has its own implications. In the 'seventies, we in India thought the radio to be a great tool -- one of the few options available in a largely-closed, un-globalised, non-affluent economy.
Jetking had their tiny sets costing about Rs 130, which could barely struggle to get you the SLBC (Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, who doesn't know that?) Mr Dalal in Mapusa had just put together a Tricity Chetana, three-in-one. We were thrilled that it could actually play 33-1/3 and 45 rpm records
- and* also get you some faint stations after fidgeting with
the built-in valves after they heated up sufficiently and glowed red.
A bias against television -- the idiot box, trivial
news-bytes, so superficial in its coverage, so
hogging of one's attention, etc -- means that radio
is still an option. I recall visiting a priest in
(emigration oriented) Sirlim in Salcete as a schoolboy,
and wondering how the they managed to get BBC reception
almost as if it was next-door All India Radio's,
the monopoly of the airwaves for long as far as most
of us in South Asia go. So, the other day, I walked
into an electronic shop at Mapusa, thinking that I
was going in to buy a battery-eliminator. Well, I
ended up buying a (actually, my second) WorldSpace receiver.
What's WorldSpace?
You'll find small ads talking about it, as say on today's (July 6) frontpage of the Herald. (There were times when WorldSpace advertised hugely, including on billboards along the approach to Panjim.) 38 channels for 24 hours in five models? What does that all mean?
It's a satellite radio. Just as you receive TV via satellite, this same technology is now being used to broadcast (is that the right word?) radio. The story is fascinating; the son of an Ethiopian ambassador believes that the 2/3rds world is poor, in significant part, because they're information-poor. So, he goes about and starts this network, that is focussed largely on Africa, Asia, and the Middle-East. See http://www.worldspace.com
What's it like?
When I went into the electronics shop, the first thing that happens is that I run into this oddly-shaped, large fish-like radio set. The first thing, is that reception is crystal clear. "Near CD-quality," as they describe it. I'm already getting bowled over....
The second thing that had me fall head-over-heels over the set was the growing number of talk-channels they had -- NPR Worldwide, BBC Asia, CNN-I, even NDTV 24x7 in its audio format (minus the distracting pictures). For a news-junkie (though not necessarily a *political* news junkie) what could be more interesting?
Next thing one realised was that Kenya-born Adrian (Fernandes, of course, as his tone said it) was over at home. This young instructor at the German-run tech school at Siolim was very comfortable in setting up the WorldSpace receiver. Adrian was over to set up the external antenna. (Made by Kavveri Telecom Products in the tech-confident Bangalore, it requires you to mount the Azimuth/elevation adjustment plate, with a clamp and then adjust gently with their respective plates It and clamps... don't ask what all this mumbo jumbo means.) This time round, I made it a point to go in for the extra Rs 1200 external antenna. So the signal hardly fades in-and-out, as my first time listening experience was plagued by.
Adrian is from Camurlim ("a village between Mapusa
and Siolim, hardly anyone knew it once", as he
told me). We quickly exchanged links and drew
connections. He studied in SFX Siolim and cartoonist
Alexyz's wife Tecla was his teacher. He's passionate
about electronics, and we spoke about radios and
what not. Who says Goa lacks the talent and
interest? I say, it just isn't tapped! Listening
to WorldSpace has been a real pleasure. So far.
Earlier, they offered a handful of channels free
of cost. But there was only a limited choice. Now,
they've gone ahead and made the service almost
wholly 'pay'. That's not entirely a bad thing. It
costs you Rs 1200 per year for the silver service
(which brings all the channels, who wants an
additional BBC World and Bloomberg at $9 per month?)
The choice is good. On WRN, the World Radio Network, one can hear half-hour broadcasts in English from South Korea, the Vatican, China, Hungary, Romania, Canada, Sweden and elsewhere. A nice perspective to the world in our English, UK/US dominated worldviews.
Asia Development network, run by the Equal Access NGO from the US with whom one had contact in another context, has a lot of regional language programmes (Nepali, Afghani or Dari, etc). One thought they spent a lot (too much) of time on music; but an early morning session today changed that impression somewhat. The Nepali broadcast was indeed nice and foot-tapping! There's a much wider scope to discuss development oriented issues in South Asia, though.
WorldSpace has channels aimed at different age-groups. The Hop covers the fifties, the sixties and the early seventies. There are channels like Ritmo, Up Country, Maestro (classical), etc. Radio Amore plays some good, old-fashioned slow music; wonder why so much of musical energies have been invested in just emotion the human race knows -- love.
Each of the 'stations' is treated as a 'channel' (much like TV). First, you make your set 'learn' what channels are available via both the satellites covering Goa (and also Africa, the Middle East, parts of Europe ... there was talk of WorldSpace covering Latin America too, but this doesn't seem to have happened yet). Then, on this set, you can 'feed in' ten channels into the memory.
Somehow, the channel for children's stories seems to have vanished from the set; and that's a pity. What with kids around, and a desire to keep off the excessive and easy-to-lapse-into influence of TV. This channe for children's stories was around the last time one heard the set....
Which brings me to my first, futile romance with WorldSpace.
It must have been 4-5 years ago. With some money to spare, and wanting to give myself a birthday present, one went in for the (then) only available Japanese model from CMM at Panjim. It cost Rs 12,000! Within a year's time, the set got ruined -- possibly a victim to Goan humidity. After all, these are sensitive electronic sets.
Fortunately, the dealers replaced my set. Free.
Setting up the (mobile) antenna was a hassle, and
often one would not get any reception at all. Some
years later, some of the glitches have been sorted
out, and one has to appreciate WorldSpace's
doggedness. (Of course, I was was shaken enough to
hand over the friend to someone who could be more
careful than me; fortunately they're still using it.)
Today, the sets are made in India, by BPL. My Celeste Vibe model costs just under Rs 4000. Add to that a Rs 1200 subscription for a year's service, and almost a similar amount if you want the fixed antenna (worth it, in my view). This set has mono speakers, but a stereo output, meaning it can be piped through a stereo for better listening.
Maybe the jury is still out; maybe I should be waiting a few months before giving a recommendation. But, at this point of time, I'm hugely enthusiastic and head-over-heels about WorldSpace. One issue remains pending though: can Goa convince WorldSpace to have a channel in Konkani, considering the wealth of music we have in that realm? --Frederick Noronha, Goa. July 6, 2005.
--fredericknoronha 19:45, 3 August 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Neutrality?
What's the neutrality dispute? There's supposed to be a REASON for tagging something as POV, you can't just tag it and not say anything. Ryan Salisbury 19:59, 14 April 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Washington DC metro area advertisements
I, for one, am puzzled by the radio advertisements for Worldspace here in the Washington DC metro area. They highlight the disaster relief aspect, whatever it might be, and plug the worldspace.com web site. Thanks for putting the blurb about NGOs and diplomats possibly interested in using Worldspace in their regions because the service is wholly unavailable anywhere near here. There's no news on when Ameristar will ever launch, and that beam will only be availabble for South and Latin America
Interestingly there was supposedly a dispute or conflict with portions of the L-band that are used by elements of the US Military in the regions Ameristar intends to operate--could this be the source of these advertisements? --KJRehberg 22:06, 9 November 2006 (UTC)
