8 October 2014
SES (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) announced today that international sports broadcaster Setanta Sports will be broadcasting two sports channels in high-definition (HD) to 13 countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan – via SES’s ASTRA 5B satellite at the 31.5 degrees East orbital position.
Exclusive La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, European and World Cup Qualifiers, FA Cup, Capital One Cup, NHL, UFC, Formula 1, French Top 14 Rugby and World Championship Boxing are among the live premium sports content that will be broadcast on the two channels, Setanta Sports and Setanta Sports+.
Setanta Sports and Setanta Sports+ are now available on all key cable, DTH and IPTV platforms within the countries of the region.
“At Setanta Sports, we aim to bring TV viewers closer to the action on the ground through live broadcast of matches and races,” said Dwyer McCaughley, Chief Executive Officer at Setanta Sports Eurasia. “SES’s track record in delivering high-quality satellite television, coupled with ASTRA 5B’s extensive reach, is exactly what we need, and we look forward to establishing a long-term partnership with them.”
“Setanta’s ambition is to increase their worldwide viewership and bring exciting content to sports enthusiasts in this part of the world. We are pleased that they have chosen to work with SES,” said Norbert Hölzle, Senior Vice President, Commercial Europe, for SES.
The recently-launched ASTRA 5B at 31.5 degrees East strengthens SES’s newest video neighborhood in Europe by extending geographic reach over Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The satellite is ideal for direct-to-home, direct-to-cable and contribution feeds to digital terrestrial television networks.
8 October 2014
Media content distribution and IPTV specialists, Vision247, has teamed up with major distributor of leading international TV channels, Mondo Globo to deliver MBC Group and Arabia One channels in Europe via Samsung Smart TVs and connected Blu-ray players.
Ex-pat communities residing in Europe can now watch their favourite Arabic channels, through Vision247’s online video platform and a dedicated TV app. Arabia One channels can be streamed live to any living room in Europe. To access these channels, viewers download the Arabia One app from the Samsung TV app portal.
With Arabia One providing a wide range of Arabic, Middle Eastern and North African-speaking TV channels, owners of Samsung Smart TVs and connected Blu-ray players can watch everything from general entertainment (MBC, MBC Masr, Al Jadeed, LBC Europe), kids programmes (MBC 3) and drama (MBC Drama and Panorama Drama) through to catching the latest movies on Panorama Films and music videos (Mazzika).
Petra Oblak, CEO, Vision247 says “Smart TV apps are proving a cost-effective format to deliver content to audiences across the globe. Through our video technology we can provide broadcasters and content distributors, like Mondo Globo, with the necessary platform to reach and engage new viewers with the content they want to see.”
Petra continues, “There are several million Arab-speaking people living in Europe and those who own a Samsung Smart TV or web-connected Blu-ray player can enjoy watching a wide-range of popular channels, programmes and movies, so they can still feel connected.”
Shady Hamzeh, President, Mondo Globo, says “Our aim is to provide the Arabic community in Europe with their favourite MBC Channels in easy ways, and now they can follow their favourite programs on Samsung Smart TVs or connected devices anywhere in Europe. We are very proud to be working closely with Vision247 on this project.” (Source: Vision 247 press release)
7 October 2014
AFP AND JIJI PRESS ON OCTOBER 6TH SIGNED AN AGREEMENT GIVING THE JAPANESE AGENCY RIGHTS TO DISTRIBUTE AFP’S NEWS PRODUCTS IN JAPAN OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
“This agreement extends a partnership that goes back some 60 years,” AFP chairman and CEO, Emmanuel Hoog, said. “We are delighted to continue working with Jiji to service one of the world’s most vibrant media markets,” he said.
Under the agreement Jiji has exclusive rights to distribute AFP text, photos and graphics to the Japanese government and its agencies, Japanese Corporations and the media, except TV broadcasters. For the first time in the history of this long partnership, AFP will be able to offer its prize-winning international news photo service to Japan’s TV broadcasters. AFP will continue offering some multimedia products and videographics to Japan’s new media outlets through its Japan subsidiary, Creative Link Corp. AFP will independently drive sales of its expanding video production in the Japan market.
“The agrement will further strengthen the AFP brand in Japan and throw up new opportunities to grow our revenues in Asia,” Hoog said. Jiji President Yutaka Nishizawa, signed the agreement for JIJI witnessed by senior executives from the two agencies at the Jiji headquarters in Tokyo.
About AFP
AFP is a global news agency delivering fast, accurate, in-depth coverage of the events shaping our world from conflicts to politics, sports, entertainment and the latest breakthroughs in health, science and technology. With 2,260 staff spread across almost every country, AFP covers the world 24 hours a day in six languages. AFP delivers the news in video, text, photos, multimedia and graphics to a wide range of customers including newspapers and magazines, radio and TV channels, web sites and portals, mobile operators, corporate clients as well as public institutions.
7 October 2014
France 24, the trilingual rolling news channel from the France Médias Monde group, has been chosen by Média Aéroports de Paris (a joint-venture 50/50 owned by Aéroports de Paris and JCDecaux) as content partner for the Airport TV channel.
Airport TV is the dedicated news and entertainment channel for Aéroports de Paris passengers. It is broadcast over a network of 256 screens across the 10 Aéroports de Paris terminals, particularly in departure lounges.
Airport TV aims to offer airport passengers high quality international news with a global perspective. It is part of Aéroports de Paris’ quality of service improvement strategy.
France 24 will be providing national and world news and weather broadcasts specially adapted to the airport environment, without sound, subtitled in French and in English.
With substantial international experience, France 24 offers editorial content that is largely equipped to meet the demands of a multicultural and available (average waiting time in departure lounges is 1hr39) audience of more than 90 million passengers a year, including 47 million French passengers (opinion leaders).
About Aéroports de Paris – www.aeroportsdeparis.fr
30 September 2014
Radio New Zealand CEO, Paul Thompson, has announced that Carol Hirschfeld, the former
General Manager Production for Maori TV, is to join Radio New Zealand as Head of Content and
Radio New Zealand Networks Presentation Manager, John Howson, has been appointed to the
new role as Head of Radio.
Today’s announcements complete the reorganisation of Radio New Zealand’s senior
management team following an earlier appointment of the STUFF website editor, Glen Scanlon,
to the position of Head of Digital Media.
Carol Hirschfeld will be responsible for News, Drama, Music, Spoken Features and Radio New
Zealand International while John Howson will be responsible for all radio output across the
Radio New Zealand National and Concert networks.
In making the announcements Paul Thompson, has emphasised the importance of the new roles
for Radio New Zealand as it implements a strategy to deliver high quality multi-media journalism
and programming across multiple digital platforms.
“I am delighted to announce the two appointments. Both are very experienced broadcasters.
Carol is a respected media executive with a proven track record of success in managing stories,
developing programmes and leading staff, while John is an effective leader with a deep
knowledge of Radio New Zealand and he has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve over the
next two years.“
Carol Hirschfeld noted that the new position marks a return to an organisation where she began
her career as a cadet reporter. She says: “I believe strongly in the importance of public broadcasting and I am excited by the opportunity to contribute to a national media organisation that touches lives across New Zealand.”
She will join Radio New Zealand on November 24th.
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The Radio New Zealand Executive Team is:
Paul Thompson – Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief
Ken Law – Head of Business Services, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer
Glen Scanlon – Head of Digital Media (starts November 17)
Carol Hirschfeld – Head of Content (starts November 24)
John Howson – Head of Radio
Matthew Finn – Head of Technology
John Barr – Head of Communications
Radio New Zealand International manager Linden Clark also sits on the executive.
(Source: RNZ press release)
