The Channel | 2002 | September

6 / 28

6 | the channel
Global Brief
The latest news from the international broadcasting industry
Afghan TV carries DW-World bulletin
Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international
broadcaster, has joined the media influx in
Afghanistan. Since the beginning of
August, DW-TV has been providing a 10-
minute world news bulletin that is relayed
by Afghan TV every day at 7.30 p.m. local
time in Dari and Pashto. The bulletins are
transmitted to Afghan TV’s studio centre
in Kabul by satellite. DW-TV has also
committed to produce
around one-and-a-half
hours of additional programming forAfghan Television, among other
programmes TransTel documentaries covering subjects as diverse
as sport and research. These broadcasts – also in Dari and Pashto –
will be sent to Kabul by courier.
While there are no restrictions imposed by the Afghan government
on the political content of the news broadcasts, Christoph Lanz,
Director of DW TV, notes that his station’s programmes “will adopt
a culturally sensitive approach with the pictures and sound it shows”.
DW-TV has agreed to supply the programming for an initial period
of one year. Lanz comments “DeutscheWelle regards its commitment
as emergency help until Afghan TV can manage to produce the world
news itself”.
YLE closes international radio
As we went to press, Finnish public service
broadcaster, YLE, announced that it is to
close its international radio service in
English, German and French. YLE’s
Administrative Council made the decision on
26 August, with the three services likely to
end before the end of October 2002.
Unlike many international radio services, YLE
Radio Finland was funded by the broadcaster
itself, rather than receiving a government
grant.
Russian language programming will continue,
as will Finnish- and Swedish-language
programming for Finns abroad.
Finland has broadcast internationally in
English since 1939, with a ten year gap
between 1957 and 1967. YLE says that it
will continue to relay programming from
other international broadcsters in Finland via
FM and DAB Digital Radio services.
Dalet A.N.N secures Global contract
AIB Member Dalet A.N.N has announced that
it has secured the contract to equip the new
European satellite radio operator, Global
Radio, to design a state-of-the-art digital
audio infrastructure for Global Radio’s
broadcasting facility to be located in
Luxembourg and operational by 2005.
Dalet developed a similar system for American
satellite radio leader XM Satellite Radio,
which operates the largest digital facility of
its kind in the world.
“As we continue to execute our business plan,
Global Radio comes closer to reaching our
vision of bringing high-quality, multilingual
entertainment and information programming
to listeners across Europe,” said Bruce L.
Crockett, Global Radio’s Administrateur
Délégué.
“Dalet’s innovative digital audio capabilities
are a key ingredient in achieving that goal.
Together we will design a studio facility that
will be low-cost and unrivalled around the
world.“
Extreme hits the Big Five 0
Recent expansion across Europe has brought
the total number of countries receiving
the Extreme Sports Channel to fifty.
Additionally, the channel has announced the
sponsorship of new athletes in the fields of
wakeboarding and surfing.
The new sports sponsorship deals coincide
with Extreme Sports Channel breaking the
half century barrier with new deals struck in
Denmark with Telia Stofa A/S and in Finland
with Suomen 3KTV and Turun Kaapelitelevisio
Oy.
Expanding the reach of Extreme Sports
Channel eastwards, the channel is now
featured on ZAO Kosmos TV and ZAO Comcor
TV systems in Russia. In May, the channel also
launched on cable systems SIA FAO in Latvia,
ET Super Max in Bulgaria, UAB Trigeris, UAB
Kabeliniai, Salmija Ltd. and Kelmes Kabeline
Televizija in Lithuania, all in their respective
basic tiers.
Al Gosling, CEO Extreme Group, says
“Breaking the 50 countries barrier is a
serious mile stone for us: it is due to the
hard work and dedication of everyone here
and the massive popularity of action sports.
It really shows the channel has massive
potential worldwide and crosses all cultural
boundaries. It is proof that this is what
people want.”
BBC World - ups and downs
In an innovative move, BBC World, the BBC’s 24-hour international news and
information channel, has entered into agreement with the AirTV global satellite
network to deliver the channel live to air travellers on board aircraft equipped with
the technology. The new AirTV system will enable the delivery of live television
broadcasts to airlines flying all major global routes offering an alternative to the
existing tape delivery on which airlines currently rely.
BBCWorld’s news and programming line-up will be delivered live to airlines through
the AirTV network of four geo-stationary S-Band satellites. Each of these platforms
will offer 60 channels of satellite television, plus e-mail and Internet connectivity.
AirTV plans to start its direct-to-aircraft (DTA) service in 30 months.
In programming, BBCWorld has launched a new current affairs programme dedicated
to reports from the Arab world. Covering stories from the Maghreb to the Levant and
across to the Gulf, Arab World Direct, presented by Shahnaz Pakravan and produced
in Dubai, will be broadcast every six
weeks from July 2002.
This new series is a first for BBCWorld
and, claims the channel, will give
viewers a chance to see the Middle East
in a broader context. Looking beyond
the Arab-Israeli conflict that dominates
the news, the programme will examine
the life, the business and the culture of
the wider region. Arab World Direct is
the latest in a series of BBC World programmes dedicated to covering stories from
different parts of the world including; Europe Direct, Africa Direct, Australia Direct
and Asia Today.
It has not all been plain sailing for BBC World. On 1st July, China suspended
transmission of BBC World, objecting to an item about the banned Falun Gong
movement.
The signal - carried on Sionsat 1 and feeding hotels and apartment blocks housing
foreigners - was cut off after a broadcast on the fifth anniversary of the handover of
Hong Kong to China. The news story included material on Falun Gong, the spiritual
movement banned by the Chinese government in 1999. The ban was, however,
relatively short-lived, and the signal was restored two weeks later.