10 February 2014
Eurosport, the leading sports entertainment group, has picked three potential breakthrough stars at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games in its list of ‘10 Future Stars in Sport’ for 2014. Norwegian skier Henrik Kristoffersen, German biathlete Laura Dahlmeier and German ski jumping sensation Gianina Ernst, who at 15 years old will become the youngest competitor in Sochi, are among 10 young prospects selected by Eurosport’s commentators and pundits for Eurosport Now!, a new publication to mark the broadcaster’s 25th anniversary.
Henrik Kristoffersen, 19, who won his first World Cup race last month in Schladming, Austria – an event televised by Eurosport – has the potential to become “the greatest slalom and giant slalom skier in the world,” according to Alexandre Pasteur, skiing commentator for Eurosport in France.
Eurosport’s Swedish biathlon commentator Tord Wiksten believes 20-year-old Dahlmeier has the temperament and shooting skills to take her to the top in the increasingly popular and competitive biathlon field.
Meanwhile Ernst, who stunned spectators and Eurosport viewers alike when she finished second in the small hill event on her World Cup debut in Lillehammer in December, is another one to watch in Sochi. She has been backed by Eurosport’s German commentator Marc Rhode to hit even greater heights in 2014.
American golfer Jordan Spieth, Romanian tennis ace Simona Halep, Russian swimmer Daria Ustinova, Polish road cyclist Michal Kwiatkowski, triple jumper Ana Peleteiro from Spain, English snooker player Shane Castle and Brazilian footballer Neymar, who has the potential to light up the 2014 Fifa World Cup in his home country, were also named in Eurosport Now!.
“It is amazing to think none of our 10 future stars had been born when Eurosport started broadcasting in 1989,” says Heather Bowler, Global Communications Director of Eurosport Group. “Neymar is already a big name, but with the Fifa World Cup in his home country, 2014 could be the year when he really reaches global superstar status and becomes a genuine Ballon d’Or contender. As for the others on the list, they may not be household names yet, but 2014 promises to be their breakthrough year. Whatever their fortunes in the future, our viewers can be certain that we will follow their careers.”
With a dedicated team of experts committed to providing unrivalled year-round LIVE coverage of 120 sports, Eurosport is better placed than any media platform to pick out future stars across the world of sport.
To find out what Eurosport’s experts said about the ‘10 Future Stars in Sport 2014’ and to read Eurosport’s 25th anniversary magazine Eurosport Now! click here (also available to download on mobile devices).
Eurosport will broadcast ‘DAVAI SOCHI’, its evening review show LIVE from Sochi at 20:00 & 22:00 CET every night during the Winter Olympics. For all breaking news, LIVE results, interviews and analysis visit the dedicated Sochi section on Eurosport.com.
(Source: press release)
6 February 2014
Vizrt Ltd. announced today a deal worth USD 1.8 million for the implementation of broadcast graphics (BG) products with a sports channel in Asia. The channel is a new Vizrt customer, who will use the purchased systems for live in-game graphics and in-studio shows.
“Sports broadcasting is very prominent in Asia, and this deal shows how our offering matches the requirements of this important market,” said Martin Burkhalter, Vizrt CEO. “We are very pleased to have been selected by this ambitious new channel and look forward to growing together with our customer.”
The deal includes multiple Viz Trio systems, Vizrt’s character generator (CG), for building playlists of graphics and playing them back during a live match and during in-studio shows.
The deal further includes Viz Arena, which allows the sports channel to add virtual graphics to the field or track during a live sports event. This capability gives the customer the option to add customized branding, information graphics or advertisements to the broadcast.
Viz Libero will provide sports analysis capabilities for cricket and field hockey. Viz Libero combines realistic looking 3D replays and advanced virtual graphics to create unique perspectives of key plays and controversial calls.
In the studio, the channel will use Viz Virtual Studio to create and control customized virtual sets for each broadcast. Multiple Viz Engines are part of the deal to render all graphics in real-time, for every live broadcast.
5 February 2014
The International News Safety Institute has published a report detailing threats to media workers and measures that are in place to protect them.
The safety guide, called ‘Journalism Safety: Threats to Media Workers and Measures to Protect Them’, looks at examples of best practice in the protection of journalists by national authorities, civil society organisations and media professionals in different countries around the world. Incentives include training programmes, hotlines for journalists in distress, safe houses and awareness raising campaigns in several countries including Nepal, Iraq, Pakistan and South Sudan, where the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity is being implemented.
The UN Plan of Action aims to create a free and safe environment for newsmen and women in both conflict and non-conflict situations.
“Across the world countless numbers of our colleagues are facing dangers and living in fear simply for doing their jobs. This publication provides an important look at what is being done to help them, where it is being done and by whom. We’re honoured to have had the opportunity to make a start in mapping the vital work that is aimed at helping journalists stay safe and help those who have been affected rebuild their lives,” said Hannah Storm, Director of INSI.
“But this is just the start. We call on governments and the international community to work together better to end the scourge that affects our colleagues and guarantee their safety, knowing that without that their can be no press freedom.”
The 78 page study outlines risks to journalists around the globe and provides practical information about the measures with are in place to protect them, with the aim of determining why some measures are more effective than others, so that other organisations can put more efficient safety mechanisms in place.
The report was funded by UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC).
INSI would like to thank the individuals and organisations who supported and contributed to this project.
5 February 2014
SES has been selected to provide satellite capacity to NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, during its production of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, from February 6-February 23. The announcement was made today by Ron Gnidziejko, Vice President, International Transmission, NBC Universal, and Samantha McCloskey, Vice President of Global Occasional Use Services for SES.
NBC Olympics will use Ku-band capacity aboard the NSS-7 satellite to distribute HD Olympics coverage directly from event venues and a pair of roaming NBC News SNG (satellite news gathering) vehicles to the International Broadcasting Center (IBC) at the Sochi Games.
A portion of the capacity will provide emergency backup capabilities, enabling NBC to route HD Olympics traffic from Sochi to North America over NSS-7, if necessary. SES’ NSS-7 satellite and NSS-5 satellite played an integral role in NBC Olympics’ coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
“NBC consistently sets the gold standard with world class sports event coverage, and the 2014 Winter Olympics are sure to offer up a compelling backdrop for 18 days of riveting and innovative NBC Olympics broadcasts from Sochi, Russia,” said McCloskey.
Gnidziejko said, “We are pleased to be working once again with SES, whose satellite fleet affords us unique capabilities that meet NBC Olympics’ challenging requirements for broadcasting the Games on the networks of NBCUniversal.”
5 February 2014
RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd., a leading provider of comprehensive digital content management and global content distribution services to the broadcasting industry, today announced that the World Teleport Association named Avi Cohen, CEO of RRsat, as its 2014 Teleport Executive of the Year. Mr. Cohen will be honored during WTA’s Teleport Awards for Excellence luncheon on March 11 during SATELLITE 2014. The Teleport Executive of the Year award is presented to an individual for demonstrated entrepreneurship, leadership and innovation in the development or operation of a teleport-based business.
Mr. Cohen was named the CEO of RRsat in July 2012. His challenge was to take RRsat – already a global player – to the next level of business success and value creation. Over the last 18 months, Mr. Cohen has led RRsat in its “Glocal” strategy – become a global leader with local footprints in key markets around the world. Part of this strategy included two acquisitions: SM2 Sports & Media Solutions and JCA TV. RRsat also consolidated two sites at its Israeli headquarters into a new state-of-the-art Broadcast Center in Emek Haela. Financially, Mr. Cohen as led RRsat to all-time record results, including expectation of full-year 2013 growth in revenues in the range of 6% to 10% year-over-year growth from 2012.
“Only a handful of teleport operating companies have grown to significant size,” said WTA executive director Robert Bell. “It is a highly competitive, capital-intensive business that is also built on personal relationships and service excellence. That is a high bar for any company to pass, and we salute Mr. Cohen for continuing the work of his predecessor, another Teleport Executive of the Year, and taking RRsat to the next level.”
“On behalf of the entire RRsat team, I am extremely proud to accept this prestigious reward,” commented Avi Cohen, CEO of RRsat. “Over the past two years, RRsat has worked tirelessly to transform the organization to meet the needs of today’s broadcasters, creating a global company with more robust offerings and talented personnel in key broadcasting markets. I believe this award speaks to the progress we have made. Our industry is changing quickly, as consumers are now watching content in new ways, on new devices, in an increasingly mobile society. RRsat is proud to play a part in this evolution, and we look forward to what the future will bring for our industry.”
