'STAR TV' set to enter Indonesia next year

'STAR TV' set to enter Indonesia next year

ADELAIDE (Reuter): News Corp Ltd chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch said he expected "great growth" at Hong Kong-based satellite broadcaster STAR TV over the next year and said STAR was planning to soon expand into Indonesia.

"We expect to see great growth in the next year. We have a launch of a new satellite, AsiaSat 2, in a few months' time and STAR will have access to infinitely greater capacity for the launch of new and more local TV services," he said.

He said that within six months, STAR would launch a package of about 15 channels for Indonesia, where "we see vast opportunities for direct-to-home television."

Speaking at News Corp's annual general meeting here, he added that STAR will be offering dedicated movie channels in five languages -- Mandarin, Hindi, English, Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalong Filipino in the next six months.

He said STAR was also working on its first venture into Japan.

"In a year, we expect to have two more local movie channels in Cantonese and Japanese," he said.

He noted that sports would remain a key element of STAR's television strategy.

"Indeed I should say that sport is a key element in all our planning for the future of television and communications. It is one of the great unifying forces of the world," he said.

STAR planned to develop more versions of its youth service for many local Asian markets, he said, noting the success of Channel V in India.

"That is our strategy -- to dominate in four key program categories: sports, music, movies and general entertainment," he said, referring to STAR.

He later told reporters he expected STAR to lose as much as US$80 million over the current fiscal year to June 30.