French high on TV list

THE French have emerged as a popular choice in the scramble to take television to the 124,098 households which home Fiji’s 727,000 population. The emergence of the F 511.4 million French proposal at the top of the popularity list comes as a sur prise in view of earlier indications and overtures favouring Television New Zea land.

Fiji’s Minister of Information, Broad casting, Television and Communication, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, said 25 com panies from the United States, New Zea land, Australia, China, Israel, France and Fiji responded to a Fiji Government advertisement calling for applications to set up a national television service for Fiji. “But there were only about seven serious applications which met all the re quirements,” said Kubuabola. By that he meant that the seven proposed; • a self-financing television service controlled by the Fiji Government;

• that the Fiji Government owns sub stantial shares in the venture; and • at no cost to the Fiji Government.

The seven included OTC Internation al (Australia), Pacific Media Develop ment Corporation (Australia), TeleDifus sion de France/Sofirad (France), Ashyam International Press Service (Israel), Christian Television Network (New Zealand), Television New Zealand, and a joint venture between prominent Suva businessman Jim Ah Koy and Cable Television Network (USA).

The China Zhejiang Corporation for International Economic and Technical Co-operation, Bliss Cablevision (USA), Satcom (Fiji), Television Australia, and Supernova Satellite Systems (New Zea land) were amongst the 18 companies which proposed to sell either equipment or services.

Kubuabola said the committee study ing the proposals had narrowed the ap plicants to four; Television New Zealand,

OTC International, Cable Television Network, TeleDifussion de France/ Sofirad. The minister said all four appli cants offer attractive proposals including allowing the Fiji Government to own 51 percent of the joint venture at no cost to the Fiji Government.

Kubuabola was impressed with Tele- Difussion de France/Sofirad’s service in French Polynesia. “I’ve seen the televi sion in Tahiti and I’m particularly im pressed with its emphasis on the kind of programmes which enhance local cus toms and cultures,” he said. “We’re very impressed and it’s the kind of television service which we’re looking for.”

The French proposal includes a televi sion news agency to serve the countries of the Pacific. It says: “This agency could be the television counterpart of the Pac news press agency, and would have a daily news exchange service via Intelsat.”

Suva-based Pacnews was developed by the West German organisation Frieder ich Ebert Stiftung (FES). It involves the exchange of broadast news collected from the South Pacific’s radio stations and transmitted to subscribers). □