WorldSpace to stop service from New Year TNN 26 December 2009, 01:48am IST CHENNAI: It's sad news for radio listeners. Satellite radio WorldSpace will go silent in India from New Year. Broadcast of services would stop at midnight of Thursday (December 31). In a communication to its subscribers, WorldSpace said, "on December 31, 2009, the WorldSpace satellite radio broadcast service will be terminated for all customers serviced from India. This action is an outgrowth of the financial difficulties faced by WorldSpace India's parent company, WorldSpace, Inc, which has been under bankruptcy protection since October 2008."
Company officials could not be reached. Customer support officials said, "we will go off air on December 31. As regards the fate of dues to you, we will send detailed email messages on how you should seek a refund. The company is in bad financial shape and has gone belly-up." WorldSpace offers international, national, and regional radio programming through portable and mobile radio receivers owned by customers. The company broadcasts around 90 separate digital channels, delivering music and multilingual news, sports, information and data. It provides digital audio radio service, an operational satellite-based digital radio system, and consumer audio receivers. There was a glimmer of hope for subscribers when news of a potential buyer getting into discussion with the WorldSpace management to buy out assets surfaced recently. "The potential buyer of much of WorldSpace's global assets has decided not to buy the assets relating to and supporting WorldSpace's subscription business in India. As a consequence, WorldSpace Inc must discontinue its subscriber business in India," the mail from the company said. For trapped subscribers, the mail said, "your subscription contract is with WorldSpace Inc, a US company that is in a bankruptcy proceeding in US. The company recognizes that you may have paid for services to be rendered beyond the termination date, but is not in a position to offer a refund for any unused portion of your subscription." Leaving around 4.5 lakh subscribers high and dry, some of whom said that they had signed up just two months ago, the company said, "you may have a potential remedy under the US bankruptcy law. You may file a claim under the procedure that is intended to protect creditors of the bankrupt company. Sometime early next year, a claim servicing company will send notice to all creditors listed by the company." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/biz/india-business/WorldSpace-to-stop-service-from-New-Year/articleshow/5379398.cms PLEASE JOIN THE COMMUNITY RADIO FORUM. MEMBERSHIP DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE AT http://www.crforum.in/membership
