WorldSpace Lays Foundation for Satellite Radio in China and India (WRSP 2Q05 Conf Call Quotes)

Despite concerns over both the company's business model and management integrity (see here) satellite radio provider WorldSpace Corporation (ticker: WRSP) is moving forward with expansion plans in China and India. The latest on China from Chairman and CEO Noah A. Samara:

....WorldSpace is the only broadcaster, foreign or domestic, with the complete national coverage ability to broadcast directly to consumers in the PRC. China is a very attractive market opportunity. There is a large demand for subscription services, with over 330 million wireless mobile phone subscribers, over 100 million cable subscribers and approximately 72 million Internet subscribers.

We have an established partner on the ground, namely, ChinaSat, which has received a license from the Ministry of Information and Industries to use the WorldSpace frequency and satellite. The next step we are working on is to get the approval of the government to put up content on the satellite that can be broadcast to consumers in China.

Our strategy on this front has been to assist the government in developing content that is both compelling and acceptable for broadcast in China. To this end we have signed MOUs in April of ’05 with China National Radio and China Radio International, the two national radio operators….

Additionally, we have started providing a very limited subscription stock data service….

Once the decision happens (Editor: Chinese government approval)…..this is something would normally take something in the 24 month-plus type of timeframe to make that happen.

(Quotes are from the CCBN StreetEvents transcript.)

Related: Articles on satellite radio providers XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.

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