MUMBAI: On December 31, 2009, the WorldSpace satellite radio broadcast service will be terminated for all customers serviced from India, according to an announcement posted on the company website.

This action is an outgrowth of the financial difficulties facing WorldSpace India's parent company, WorldSpace, Inc., which has been under bankruptcy protection since October 2008, the announcement says.

WorldSpace is present in over 130 countries globally, and has already been in the process of closing down its operations in most other countries.

With over 4,50,000 subscribers (more than 50 per cent of this is through AirTel DTH), India accounts for over 95 per cent of the broadcaster's world-wide subscriber base.

'The potential buyer of much of WorldSpace's global assets has decided not to buy the WorldSpace assets relating to and supporting WorldSpace's subscription business in India. As a consequence, WorldSpace, Inc. must discontinue its subscriber business in India. Your subscription contract is with WorldSpace, Inc., a US company that is in a bankruptcy proceeding in the United States. 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,' says the announcement posted on the site.

The company has asked India subscribers to mail their subscription information to the company to enable a claim servicing company to procure data that will ensure speedy redressal.

While Worldspace India officials were unavailable for comment, India general manager M Sebastian had told Radioandmusic.com some months ago that while the company battled bankruptcy elsewhere, its India operations would not be affected.

MUMBAI: On December 31, 2009, the WorldSpace satellite radio broadcast service will be terminated for all customers serviced from India, according to an announcement posted on the company website.

This action is an outgrowth of the financial difficulties facing WorldSpace India's parent company, WorldSpace, Inc., which has been under bankruptcy protection since October 2008, the announcement says.

WorldSpace is present in over 130 countries globally, and has already been in the process of closing down its operations in most other countries.

With over 4,50,000 subscribers (more than 50 per cent of this is through AirTel DTH), India accounts for over 95 per cent of the broadcaster's world-wide subscriber base.

'The potential buyer of much of WorldSpace's global assets has decided not to buy the WorldSpace assets relating to and supporting WorldSpace's subscription business in India. As a consequence, WorldSpace, Inc. must discontinue its subscriber business in India. Your subscription contract is with WorldSpace, Inc., a US company that is in a bankruptcy proceeding in the United States. 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,' says the announcement posted on the site.

The company has asked India subscribers to mail their subscription information to the company to enable a claim servicing company to procure data that will ensure speedy redressal.

While Worldspace India officials were unavailable for comment, India general manager M Sebastian had told Radioandmusic.com some months ago that while the company battled bankruptcy elsewhere, its India operations would not be affected.