ABN to keep broadcasts unscrambled

ABN to keep broadcasts unscrambled

JAKARTA (JP): The Asian Business News (ABN), a Singapore-based
regional business news television service, will not scramble its
broadcasts to Indonesia in the near future, says the company's
executive.

"Indonesian viewers will still be able to watch for free
through their satellite dishes," Paul France, ABN's chief
executive officer, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

France said, however, this policy is not infinite. "It depends
on future developments," he said.

France said that ABN has secured a contract with PT Satelindo
of Indonesia to use the latter's Palapa C-1 satellite which is
scheduled to be launched next October.

"This contract will allow us to continue serving about 13
million homes and 120,000 hotel rooms across the region," he
said.

ABN has to date used Indonesia's B2P satellite which reaches
as far as northern China and southern Australia.

France also said that ABN has not encountered any problems
with Asian governments which have strict regulations over the
flow and contents of information.

"No such cases so far," he stressed.

ABN is backed by several parties, including Dow Jones & Co.
Inc., the owner of the Wall Street Journal and Far Eastern
Economic Review, which controls a stake of 29.5 percent, Tele-
Communications Inc. with 29.5 percent, Television New Zealand Ltd
with 29.5 percent, SIM Ventures Pte Ltd. of Singapore with 10
percent and Hong Kong's Business News Network with 1.5 percent.
(hdj)