21 October 2014
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and Dori Media Group (DMG) announced today that they have entered into an agreement whereby SPT will acquire 50% of the VIVA and VIVA Plus channels and the VIVA Walla online free video-on-demand (FVOD) service in Israel, along with 50% of DMG’s Baby TV operations in Indonesia.
Andy Kaplan, President of Sony Pictures Television’s worldwide networks, said: “This acquisition builds on our strategy to capitalize on channels opportunities around the world, which includes entering new markets. We’ve had a great experience working with the DMG team and are happy to be expanding our relationship.”
Nadav Palti, President and CEO of DMG, commented: “SPT’s decision to expand our working relationship in Indonesia, and in Israel for the first time, reflects the strength of our position in two excellent markets. We are excited to be working more closely with them and are confident these ventures will flourish.”
The VIVA branded telenovela channels, VIVA and VIVA Plus, are carried by all Israeli multi-channel platforms. VIVA boasts high viewership loyalty and is continuously amongst the four most popular entertainment cable television channels in Israel according to HOT Telecom’s audience measurement system. The co-branded online FVOD service VIVA Walla, which offers telenovelas through Walla.co.il, continues to attract high viewership.
Baby TV is Indonesia’s first channel for toddlers ages three years and younger. It broadcasts 24 hours a day and commercial free on leading pay TV platform Indovision, as well as on subscription service Top TV. The channel features programming that introduces babies to the natural world, assisting with the development of primary skills by inspiring delight and curiosity.
SPT Networks will also acquire 50% stakes in Dori Media’s EPG (Electronic Program Guide) operations and DMG’s holding in Dori Media Ot, which provides technical services including dubbing, subtitling and closed captions.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES TELEVISION
Sony Pictures Television (http://www.sonypicturestelevision.com), a Sony Pictures Entertainment company, is one of the television industry’s leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, around the world and for a multitude of platforms. In addition to one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) boasts a current program slate that includes top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. In addition to its US production business, SPT has 18 wholly-owned or joint venture production companies in 10 countries and also maintains offices in 31 countries. SPT’s worldwide television networks portfolio includes 126 channel feeds available in 168 countries, reaching more than 980 million cumulative households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE’s premium video website, Crackle. Additionally, SPT owns US production company Embassy Row and is a part owner of cable channel Game Show Network (GSN), 3D channel 3net, and national U.S media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT advertiser sales is one of the premier national advertising sales companies and handles the commercial inventory in SPT’s syndicated series as well as the Rural Media Group and DrOz.com.
20 October 2014
As of Sunday, October 26, Deutsche Welle English radio programming for Africa will be broadcast in the mornings. From Monday to Friday for an hour each at 4:00, 5:00 and 7:00 UTC, DW will provide news and information on the latest developments in Africa, as well as on important international and German issues.
“With the new programming schedule, DW is reacting to changes in media consumption behavior by many Africans, who tend to listen to radio in the mornings, but are increasingly turning on their TVs in the evenings,” says DW Director of Programming Gerda Meuer. “With regard to multimedia coverage, this offers DW the opportunity to interlink its Africa radio programming closely with the future English flagship TV channel.”
The broadcasts at 4:00, 5:00 and 7:00 UTC will allow the 25-minute radio magazine “AfricaLink” to react to events in East and West Africa, which are spread across four time zones. The popular education program “Learning by Ear” will be broadcast twice a week as part of “AfricaLink.”
In addition to world news and Africa-related topics, there will be six special-interest and background radio magazines featuring issues from Germany and Europe to the environment, science and development.
The 30-minute radio magazine “Inside Europe” will more strongly reflect the interests of African listeners. On weekends, a one-hour version of “Inside Europe,” along with the radio magazine “WorldLink,” offer insights into what is happening in Germany, Europe and around the world. Both programs are extremely popular in Africa due to their lively reports, interviews and broad range of topics.
“DW has been broadcasting in Africa for more than 50 years, which has created a very special relationship with our listeners and users, characterized by trust and respect,” says Gerda Meuer. “They know that we objectively explain, analyze and contextualize the latest developments from a German and European perspective.”
Over 100 FM partner stations in English-speaking Africa rebroadcast DW’s English programs. In crisis-ridden South Sudan, they number among the most popular international radio programs.
In South Sudan, around eight percent of the target audience listens to DW every week. In Zambia and Tanzania, that figure is five percent.
Deutsche Welle offers online news and analysis from and about Africa at www.dw.de/africa. Online content for Africa in English is set to be further expanded with a special focus on mobile services, which are becoming ever more popular in Africa.
DW Africa
Learning by Ear
16 October 2014
France 24 has concluded a series of new distribution agreements, thus strengthening its presence in English and French in Cambodia, Indonesia, Australia and French Polynesia.
Cambodia:
In Cambodia, France 24 English and French channels are now available on Supernet’s IPTV basic offer in Phnom Penh. Within the offer SuperTV, the channel is available on channels 16 (English) and 63 (in French) and on channels 18 (in English) and 42 (in French) in the SuperDTV package.
Indonesia:
Already available in English on TELKOMVISION, BIZNETWORKS and ZUM TV, France 24 bolsters its distribution in the country by integrating MQM’s cable and IPTV basic offers. The channel is now available in English on channel 105 and in French ‘à-la-carte’ on channel 107.
Australia:
In Australia, France 24 has concluded an agreement with Fetch TV which means the channel is now available in English on the major IPTV offers throughout the country, including OPTUS (channel 183). The channel also recently launched in English on iiNet PC TV offer, Australia’s second largest internet service provider.
French Polynesia:
France 24 is now available in French and English on TIVI’s OTT basic offer. The channel is available on channel 8 (French) and 33 (in English).
About France 24, a France Médias Monde channel (france24.com)
France 24, the international news channel, broadcasts 24/7 to 250 million homes around the world in French, Arabic and English. The three versions have a combined weekly audience of 41.7 million TV viewers (calculation method used without extrapolation in 55 of the 178 countries where the channel is broadcast). From its newsroom in Paris, France 24 gives a French perspective on global affairs through a network of several hundred correspondents located in nearly every country. It is available via cable, satellite, DTT, ADSL, on mobile phones, tablets and connected TVs. FRANCE 24’s new media platforms, which are also available in three languages, attract 14 million visits, 7 million video views a month and 6.5 million followers on social networks.
16 October 2014
The BBC World Service today launched a new ‘lifeline’ Ebola service for people in West Africa on instant messenger app Whatsapp.
The new service is in both English and French and will comprise public health information on Ebola from the BBC, using audio, text message posts and images. It will also include breaking news alerts related to Ebola. The service is available on +44 7702 348651. Whatsapp is the most popular chat app in Africa.
This means Ebola is now the BBC World Service’s biggest health focus since its reporting on HIV/Aids in the 1980s and 1990s.
In addition to this service, the BBC’s Ebola efforts now include:
- News About Ebola, a news and information programme broadcast twice every weekday from 22 September. The programme is focused on the affected region of West Africa, where half of World Service English’s 13.1m African listeners are based. Shortwave transmissions to the affected areas have been increased.
- Ebola Infos, a twice-daily Ebola bulletin in French on BBC Afrique
- Increased partnerships with other broadcasters: the Ebola programmes are being broadcast by more than 50 radio stations in West Africa and on the BBC’s own FM transmitters in key cities.
- Special new interactive editions of Focus on Africa on World Service English on Mondays and Thursdays for audiences to share experiences, concerns and questions on Ebola
- New twice-weekly interactive programming on BBC Afrique, Parlons d’Ebola
- A new daily 10-minute Ebola bulletin on BBC World News TV
- Weekly Ebola bulletins, Ebola Public Health Broadcast, have been produced by BBC Africa in conjunction with the BBC’s international development charity BBC Media Action since August. They are broadcast in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria on the BBC’s English, French and Hausa services. The Swahili, Somali and Kinyarwanda/Kirundi services also carry the broadcasts.
- BBC Media Action has been helping to tackle misinformation about the disease in a radio programme, Kick Ebola Nar Salone (Kick Ebola out of Sierra Leone), produced and broadcast three times a week on 35 partner stations across the country. The show gives people a chance to ask questions of experts, and voice their concerns.
- BBC Media Action has partnered with the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation to deliver ‘lifeline’ communication training to media, officials and humanitarian workers in countries at risk across West Africa. It will also produce media outputs – from discussion programmes to mini-dramas – to tackle rumour and stigma and to help people take action to protect their health in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
In additional to this special programming, BBC News has been reporting from affected regions across all of its domestic and international outlets from the outset of the outbreak.
Director of the World Service Group Peter Horrocks said:
“This outbreak of Ebola shows no signs of abating. Myths and misinformation about Ebola are still widespread – and life-threatening. The BBC is trusted by millions of people in the affected countries, so we are stepping up our efforts to reach people with timely information, whether they’re listening to the radio, watching TV or using chat apps. We’re committed to playing our part and will continue looking at new ways to reach audiences, for example by developing programmes in local vernacular languages.”
This is the first time the BBC has used a chat app specifically for health information programming, although instant messaging applications including Line, Mixit, BBM, WeChat and Whatsapp have been successfully used for breaking news alerts and while reporting the elections in India and South Africa.
Notes to Editors
News About Ebola is broadcast on World Service English every weekday at 1420 and 1950 GMT.
Focus on Africa is broadcast on World Service English at 1900 GMT on Mondays and Thursdays.
Ebola Infos is broadcast on BBC Afrique every weekday at 1730 and 0802 GMT.
Parlons d’Ebola is broadcast on BBC Afrique on Mondays and Thursday at 1502 GMT.
A daily Ebola TV bulletin is broadcast on BBC World News at 1830 GMT.
The BBC’s Whatsapp Ebola service is available on +44 7702 348651. Users can subscribe by messaging JOIN or JOINDRE to that number on Whatsapp.
16 October 2014
Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), the world’s leading provider of satellite services, today announced that an Ariane 5 vehicle successfully launched the Intelsat 30 satellite, which is hosting the DLA-1 payload for DIRECTV Latin America from French Guiana. Liftoff occurred at 5:43 p.m EDT. The Intelsat 30 satellite, hosting the DLA-1 payload, separated from the rocket’s upper stage 28 minutes after launch, at 6:12 p.m EDT, and signal acquisition has been confirmed.
Built for Intelsat by Space Systems/Loral (SSL), Intelsat 30 is a 20-kilowatt class Ku- and C-band satellite. The Ku-band payload, known as DLA-1, is designed to provide distribution services for DIRECTV Latin America in South America and the Caribbean.
The C-band portion enhances Intelsat’s existing C-band service infrastructure serving Latin America. The satellite will be co-located with Intelsat’s Galaxy 3C satellite at 95°W and is expected to have a service life of more than 15 years.
“The Intelsat 30 satellite, and its DLA1 payload, demonstrates the close collaboration and continuing strong relationship between DIRECTV Latin America and Intelsat,” said Intelsat Chairman & CEO Dave McGlade. “We look forward to helping DIRECTV Latin America deliver reliable, high quality entertainment to their subscribers throughout the region.”
Intelsat 30 marks the first of two new hybrid C- and Ku-band satellites, for which the Ku-band payload will provide services to DIRECTV Latin America. The second satellite, Intelsat 31, is scheduled for launch in the second half of 2015.
Resources:
- Journey to IS-30/DLA-1: http://www2.intelsat.com/e/48312/blog-/cxgq/9876423
- Intelsat’s Media Services: http://www2.intelsat.com/e/48312/services-media-services-/cxgs/9876423
- IntelsatOneSM Media Services: http://www2.intelsat.com/e/48312/services-intelsatone-services-/cxgv/9876423
- Intelsat’s Latin America Video Neighborhoods: http://www2.intelsat.com/e/48312/erica-dth-video-neighborhoods-/cxgx/9876423
