19 January 2016
Euronews is today announcing it will be extending its reach in the Caribbean thanks to a deal with Digicel Play in Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.
Euronews English service will be fully available for the first time in Jamaica thanks to Digicel Play and will extend its distribution in Trinidad & Tobago thanks to Digicel.
Euronews is currently broadcast to 722,000 households in the Caribbean region.
Digicel Play is a new frontier in home entertainment, giving customers the power to have their entertainment and access to the internet the way they want it. It is jam-packed with cool features making it the most attractive home entertainment experience around. As the only true fibre to the home network, Digicel Play turns homes into the ultimate entertainment zones and delivers TV, superfast broadband and telephony coupled with the best channel and content line-up and the best viewing experience.
Arnaud Verlhac, Worldwide Distribution Director of Euronews said: “We are delighted to see Euronews associated with such a recognised brand in the Caribbean. By choosing Euronews, one of the key international news channel, for its channel lineup, Digicel Play is giving a firm thumbs up to the news content we are delivering and our ability to best serve the needs of the various cultural communities living in or visiting the Caribbean.”
Corine Babani, Distribution Manager North America & Caribbean added: “This new deal is a clear opportunity to increase our visibility in the region and Euronews is proud to deliver independent world news with a unique perspective to the Caribbean region”.
John Suranyi, CEO of Digicel Play for the Caribbean and Central America, comments; “Our customers deserve the best of the best in terms of compelling content and Euronews fits that bill perfectly offering a unique perspective on world events through factual analysis. We are delighted to be welcoming Euronews to the Digicel Play family.” (Source: Euronews press release)
19 January 2016
Under an agreement signed in Paris on Tuesday January 19 with KCNA (the Korean Central News Agency), Agence France-Presse will open a permanent bureau in Pyongyang, North Korea.
‘The opening of an Agence France-Presse bureau in Pyongyang will further strengthen the Agency’s international network. AFP’s role is to be present everywhere in the world in order to fulfil its news mission as completely as possible, in particular through images,’ said AFP Chairman Emmanuel Hoog.
This new bureau, which will produce text, photo and video, will be operational in the first half of 2016. It will join AFP’s existing network of 200 bureaux in 150 countries.
AFP is the second of the major global news agencies to open a bureau in Pyongyang, where few foreign media organisations are present. (Source: AFP press release)
19 January 2016
Globecast, the global solutions provider for media, has been chosen by Russian broadcaster Channel One to help them reach the European market (via HotBird) and Asia (via AsiaSat 5), extending its reach to new audiences. Globecast is providing dual illumination on HotBird with an MPEG-4 channel in addition to the existing MPEG-2 service it provides for the broadcaster.
The leading Russian language channel carries a mix of news, documentaries, feature film productions, as well as entertainment content. Channel One’s existing content stream is being re-broadcast to audiences in these new territories, benefiting from Globecast’s global presence and network capacity.
The live signal from Channel One is received at Globecast’s Moscow PoP and delivered to London. From there it’s uplinked to HotBird for onward European transmission. For Asian audiences, the signal is forwarded to Hong Kong for uplinking to AsiaSat 5.
The addition of an MPEG-4 channel – and the current dual illumination – means that Channel One can smoothly migrate from its existing MPEG-2 SD channel as and when required.
Biliana Pumpalovic, General Director at Globecast Moskva in Russia, said, “We’re delighted to be helping Channel One make this important step in increasing its reach by delivering its content to a new audience. This partnership is also a good illustration of how Globecast can ensure customers meet both their current and future business objectives in a cost effective way, with no disruption to their service; the dual MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 illumination means that Channel One can make the transition seamlessly, as needed.” (Source: Globecast press release)
14 January 2016
Al Jazeera Media Network on Wednesday announced from Doha its intention to expand its existing international digital services to broaden its multi-platform presence in the United States. As audiences increasingly turn to multiple platforms, including mobile devices, for news and information, this expansion will allow US and non-US consumers alike to access the Network’s journalism and content wherever and whenever they want.
The expanded digital platform will augment the Network’s successful current digital offerings, including AJ+ which has achieved more than two billion online video views since its inception in September 2014.
The Network’s commitment to its digital transformation of its global operations is consistent with its mission to inform and engage audiences no matter who or where they are. By expanding its digital content and distribution services to now include the US, the Network will be better positioned to innovate and compete in an overwhelmingly digital world to serve today’s 24-hour digitally focused audience.
Over the coming months the Network intends to provide more details around the forthcoming expansion of its multi-platform digital services to the US.
Separately, Al Anstey, CEO of Al Jazeera America, today announced that Al Jazeera America would cease operation by April 30, 2016. While Al Jazeera America built a loyal audience across the US and increasingly was recognised as an important new voice in television news, the economic landscape of the media environment has driven its strategic decision to wind down its operations and conclude its service. Al Jazeera America is committed to conducting this process in a way that is consistent with its respect for colleagues.
Anstey said: “I have witnessed and worked alongside some of the most talented people any organisation could wish for. Since its launch in 2013, the work done by the team at Al Jazeera America has been recognised with nearly every major award an American news organisation can receive. I greatly respect the unrivalled commitment and excellent work of our team, which has created great journalism. We have increasingly set ourselves apart from all the rest, and the achievements of the past two-and-a-half years should be a source of immense pride for everyone.”
Source: www.aljazeera.com
14 January 2016
Progressive political journalist Ed Schultz is joining RT America, beginning January 25, 2016, to host his new primetime news program, ‘NEWS WITH ED SHULTZ’ at 8pm EST weeknights. On his new show, Schultz will focus on exploring issues that most affect working Americans, particularly within the context of the upcoming US presidential election.
“Ed Schultz is one of the best-known and well-respected progressive commentators in America,” said Margarita Simonyan, RT’s Editor-in-Chief. “With Ed helming a show, we are continuing the tradition of collaborating with top international journalistic talent that engages our audience by providing in-depth coverage, analysis and commentary on important but underreported issues to millions of US viewers.”
WATCH PROMO: http://youtu.be/qj9BC4C53OY
“I am very excited to be joining RT,” said Ed Schultz. “The network is firmly established outside of US corporate media and is not afraid to give a platform to diverse voices, stories and perspectives to its viewers, even if it ruffles some mainstream feathers. I can’t think of a better fit than a news broadcaster that bullishly pursues issues that matter to hardworking Americans.”
Schultz’s broadcasting career spans more than two decades. Until recently, he hosted “The Ed Show” on MSNBC; the program was consistently the second-highest rated show on the channel. Schultz has won three Eric Sevareid Awards, managed a broadcast team that won two Marconi Radio Awards and a Peabody Award, and has been named one of the top 10 radio hosts in the country by Talkers Magazine for several years. He will work out of the RT America studios in Washington, DC.
Schultz is a graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead, where he achieved All-American status and led the nation in passing as a football quarterback. (Source: RT press release)
