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Tag: KPMG LLP

  • Prasar Bharati CEO Sarma elected ABU vice-president

    Prasar Bharati CEO Sarma elected ABU vice-president

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma has been elected vice-president of the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) for a three-year term. Sarma was elected for the post un-opposed at the 39th general assembly of the ABU, which opened in Tokyo yesterday.

    Sarma’s election underlines the importance of India’s role in shaping the future of public service broadcasting in the world’s fastest developing Asia-Pacific region, according to a Prasar Bharati press release.

    Gemstar CEO Henry Yuen resigned last month after an accounting review by the board’s audit committee, and last week the company fired its accounting firm, KPMG LLP.

    The ABU is made up of 100 broadcasters from 49 nations and territories of the Asia and Pacific region. It provides a platform for cooperation in the field of news and programme exchange, acquisition of broadcast rights, training and technical consultancy.

    National broadcaster Doordarshan and All India Radio are among the most active members of the ABU, the release says.

    The focus of the 39th General Assembly in Tokyo is on the role of broadcasting in the 21st century and how broadcasting can solve such global issues such as education and environment. More than 400 delegates are attending the current ABU general assembly.

    Prasar Bharati is being represented by Sarma, director general Doordarshan Dr SY Quraishi and Doordarshan engineer-in-chief RK Gupta.

  • Scientific-Atlanta wins another round in patent rights battle with Gemstar

    Scientific-Atlanta wins another round in patent rights battle with Gemstar

    ATLANTA (Georgia): Cable television set-top box maker Scientific-Atlanta announced on Monday that it won another round in its legal battle with the Rupert Murdoch-controlled Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. over patented innovations related to television on-screen programming guides.

    The latest judgment by a Georgia federal court ruled that Scientific-Atlanta’s Explorer(r) 3000 and 8600x set-top boxes did not infringe any claims of US patent numbers 5,508,815 and 5,568,272. The Court had previously ruled in favor of Scientific-Atlanta regarding the same two patents and Scientific-Atlanta’s Explorer 2000 set-tops. There are additional Gemstar and Scientific-Atlanta patents at issue in the Georgia court.

    Gemstar said last week it would restate 2 1/2 years of financial results, including removing $113 million it booked as revenue in anticipation of winning the dispute with Scientific-Atlanta. The US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the company’s accounting.

    Gemstar CEO Henry Yuen resigned last month after an accounting review by the board’s audit committee, and last week the company fired its accounting firm, KPMG LLP.

    Gemstar holds more than 190 patents for the software used to run menus that help TV viewers pick shows, and it has sued customers and rivals to enforce the rights. As satellite and digital cable have expanded viewers’ choices to hundreds of channels, on-screen program guides have become more important to consumers.

    News Corp. owns a 42 percent stake in Gemstar, which earns more from its TV Guide magazine than it does from on-screen listings.

  • Intelsat mulls KPMG appointment as auditor

    Intelsat mulls KPMG appointment as auditor

    Intelsat, the company offering telephony, corporate network, video and internet solutions, has announced the appointment of KPMG LLP as its independent auditor for the fiscal year ending 31 December. 

    The appointment of KPMG LLP to replace Arthur Andersen LLP as Intelsat Ltd.’s auditor is subject to the approval of the company’s shareholders at the meeting to be held on 4 June.