29 August 2014
Starting on September 1, 2014, DW will be represented in West and Central Africa. Jan-Philipp Scholz (32) and Adrian Kriesch (27) will be reporting for Germany’s international broadcaster from Lagos, Nigeria.
German public service broadcasters ARD and ZDF have no correspondents in the region, so DW will be filling a gap with reporting by Scholz and Kriesch from and on West Africa.
Nigeria was chosen as a location for multiple reasons. On the one hand, it is the most populous country in Africa and located geographically in the middle of the continent. On the other hand, Nigeria reflects the ambivalent development of the entire continent – aside from the significant economic growth, Nigeria also struggles with a number of conflicts, such as with Boko Haram. ARD and ZDF have studios in Africa in Cairo, Rabat, Nairobi and Johannesburg.
Scholz and Kriesch have reported regularly from Africa for DW – especially on the situation in Nigeria. They work closely with a network of local correspondents from DW’s Africa department. One example of such cooperation was an interview conducted by Scholz and a correspondent from DW’s Hausa department with a schoolgirl who had been able to escape her kidnappers from the Islamist terror organization Boko Haram.
DW Africa
(Source: DW press release)
26 August 2014
Leading regional broadcaster, Channel NewsAsia, brings together top industry and government leaders in a forum to discuss “Sustaining Growth and Development in Malaysia” in Kuala Lumpur on 4 September. Held at the JW Marriott Hotel, Senator Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, will give the keynote address at the Malaysia Business Insights 2014.
This forum, which is by-invitation only, is an invaluable platform for senior executives and government officials to discuss long-term sustainable development in the country. The Malaysian economy is expecting positive growth over the next two years, and the government is strengthening the business fronts and promoting investment. Some measures include announcing the lifting of barriers on new foreign unit trust management companies, the removal of mandatory credit ratings, the liberalisation of equity shareholding for credit-rating agencies and permission for full foreign ownership of international credit-rating agencies. This agenda aims to build a stable and inclusive financial system and encourage innovation. “The rapid change, complexity and competitiveness of the global market, coupled with new government initiatives, have changed the way Malaysia does business with the world. Malaysia Business Insights brings together leaders and change makers to examine how we can achieve long-term, sustainable economic growth in Malaysia, and leverage its position in the region to ignite economic and social progress in ASEAN,” said Melissa Goh, Channel NewsAsia’s Malaysia Bureau Chief, who will moderate the panel discussions at the forum.
The panel includes speakers from key industry and government organisations:
• Datuk Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta. Maria, Secretary General, Ministry of International Trade
and Industry
• Dato’ Abdul Rauf Rashid, Country Managing Partner, Ernst & Young Malaysia
• Mr. Teh Kee Sin, National President, SMI Association of Malaysia
• Dr Mohd Emir Mavani Abdullah, Group President/CEO, Felda Global Ventures Holdings
Berhad
One of the strategic areas of discussion will be about how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can leverage technology and focus on talent management and succession planning to expand and reach global consumers. SMEs are the backbone of the Malaysian economy, accounting for 90% of all business in the manufacturing, services and agricultural sectors, as well as providing 65% of total employment.
Ms Goh added, “The experts will give valuable insights about the most important trends and unique business culture, and share ways to benefit from the ongoing structural reforms. These discussions will help executives better come to grips with the business dynamics of this country.”
“Sustaining Growth and Development in Malaysia” is the latest in the successful leadership series of Business Insights forums which Channel NewsAsia has been hosting across Asia.
The events held over the past year in Jakarta, Bangkok, Yangon, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, aim to establish links across Asia and to promote deeper understanding of the business climate and practices in the host countries.
25 August 2014
Deutsche Welle has signed an agreement with the newly-launched Outernet as an additional content distribution channel. The satellite-based Internet provider promises free access to information.
Outernet is a new platform that was designed to bridge the digital divide and penetrate censored markets by beaming the best content from the Internet via a constellation of nanosatellites in orbit down to every citizen on Earth, free of charge.
“Outernet and Deutsche Welle share many of the same values and goals. It is a clear message to all who wish to censor or restrict access to the Internet,” says DW Director General Peter Limbourg. Because reception is quite easy to access and because the use of many small satellites will make it quite difficult to obstruct signals through jamming, DW’s cooperation with Outernet will be able to “contribute to net neutrality and circumvent censorship,” Limbourg explains, adding, “We hope this will enable us to better reach our users especially in crisis regions and in countries where press freedom is restricted.”
“For Outernet, it is extremely important for us to be globally minded in our content sources – particularly news – from the outset,” says Thane Richard, head of User Engagement at Outernet. “Deutsche Welle represents a very exciting step for Outernet in bridging the global information divide by providing quality news along with other relevant content to our users.”
Outernet is making use of a network of small satellites to transmit selected data – audio, video, text and applications – to simple receivers that users can either purchase or build themselves. All software and hardware required to access Outernet is open source. Once the receiver has the signal, it is rebroadcast locally and content can be viewed on any WiFi enabled device. “No other information channel allows for such a wide variety of content, or broadcasts on a genuinely worldwide scale,” Richard comments.
Outernet officially launched its service in test phase a few days ago. During this early stage, content will be available in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. DW content will be available throughout the entire test phase.
Visit outernet.is to see instructions on how to connect to the signal. (Source: DW press release)
20 August 2014
TVPlayer has signed a major licensing agreement making Euronews now available to its viewers in the UK
Euronews, the most-watched news channel in Europe, has now launched on leading live TV streaming service, TVPlayer.
Covering world news and broadcasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Euronews live currently reaches an impressive 415 million households in 156 countries.
The launch of Euronews on TVPlayer will bring around-the-clock coverage of the most up-to-date news, business and current affair stories, as well as lifestyle features, to a wider audience in the UK across multiple devices.
TVPlayer is an OTT platform launched in the UK by Simplestream, which streams live TV across multiple devices from some of the UK’s favourite free-to-air broadcasters. Launched in December 2013, TVPlayer has proven itself to be one of the fastest growing live TV platforms in the UK.
The latest addition of international news channel Euronews takes TVPlayer’s channel offering to now over 45 channels. TVPlayer can be watched via tvplayer.com, App Store, Google Play, the Amazon App Store and is soon to launch via channel 241 on Freeview in the UK.
Arnaud Verlhac, Director of Worldwide Distribution said “I am delighted with this agreement between Euronews and TVPlayer, enabling us to share our channel to the UK’s fastest growing TV platform. Euronews integrates perfectly into TVPlayer’s offering. The agreement also brings Euronews into a large audience, strengthening its presence in the UK.”
Lewis Arthur, Platform Manager of TVPlayer said “The launch of Euronews on TVPlayer is an exciting addition to our platform. In a fast-pace digital age, consumers expect to be kept up-to-date on world news and current affairs, which they seek out online and using their mobile phone. We are pleased that we have been working with Euronews to bring their 24 hour world news coverage to a captive audience in the UK.” (Source: Press release)
20 August 2014
Intelsat today commemorates its 50th anniversary of providing critical telecommunications and video content distribution infrastructure for businesses, organizations and governments around the world. In honor of its anniversary, the company created a video library featuring 50 interviews with contributors to the earliest days of the commercial space sector, as well as the business leaders responsible for today’s innovations. The video gallery also includes the stories of Intelsat’s customers and employees who have witnessed firsthand the vital role of satellite communications in connecting the world.
“I can think of no better way to honor Intelsat’s 50th year and those early pioneers of space than by looking to the future and the advances that are taking place in space-based communications that will transform how people, machines, and businesses connect to one another,” stated Dave McGlade, Chairman and CEO, Intelsat. “The advent of high throughput satellite technology, such as Intelsat EpicNG, and innovation occurring at all levels of our ecosystem will ensure that communities and businesses around the world have the information and content they need to progress and thrive. That was our mission in 1964 and remains critically important at Intelsat today as we endeavor to connect people of the world.”
The International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT) was established on the basis of agreements signed by governments and operating entities on August 20, 1964. INTELSAT’s sole purpose was to provide the necessary communications infrastructure that would aid in the socioeconomic development of nations around the world.
Since then, Intelsat has played a crucial role in enabling the vast progression of telecommunications over the past half century. The company’s global satellite network has provided critical connectivity and content delivery that has transformed businesses, driven economic development and productivity and brought people together during global events.
Since Intelsat’s global satellite broadcast of Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon in 1969, Intelsat’s satellites have allowed the world to share in real time some of modern history’s most historic moments and iconic entertainment events. As important, Intelsat has served as the critical link for news organizations and humanitarian workers by providing near-instant communications infrastructure during times of crisis.
50 years, 50 satellites, and millions of people connected by satellite communications, Intelsat remains the world’s leading provider of satellite communications. The company’s commitment to innovation, its customers and ensuring that businesses and people wherever they are around the world have access to content and connectivity that will enable them to thrive and grow continues to be at the core of Intelsat’s success.
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