9 July 2012
Radio Australia – the international radio and multiplatform service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation – is now available 24 hours a day in Fiji on local FM frequencies.
Through Radio Australia, the ABC can now be heard via locally based transmitters in Suva, Nadi and Labassa on 106.6FM, and in the coming weeks on 106.4FM in Ba.
Mike McCluskey, CEO of Radio Australia, said people in Fiji will have access to Radio Australia’s high quality news and talk content from across Asia, the Pacific, Australia and the world. They will also be able to hear some of the best radio content produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He said the focus of the service to Fiji would be clearly on the Pacific, looking at events, issues and the people of the region.
The availability of these frequencies in Fiji complements existing ABC Radio Australia FM services located in 12 other Pacific and 5 South-East Asia locations.
Radio Australia’s FM transmitters in Suva and Nadi were switched off on April 2009 and since that time Radio Australia has been accessible to audiences in Fiji via Shortwave radio broadcasts and online.
Through dialogue with the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation and the Fijian Ministry of Information Radio Australia’s FM services have resumed.
www.abc.net.au
6 July 2012
– Mike Lattin retained as advisor to the company and the CEO –
– Simon Farnsworth appointed CEO –
GlobeCast Australia today announced the retirement of its Chief Executive Officer, Mike Lattin, who will continue with the company in an important advisory role. The company also announced the appointment of Simon Farnsworth as Chief Executive Officer. The changes have immediate effect.
Farnsworth has worked for 10 years with the GlobeCast Group, most recently as Global Head of the GlobeCast Group’s Broadcast Contribution services.
“This is an excellent growth path for GlobeCast Australia and our customers,” said GlobeCast Australia Chairman Peter Cosgrove. “Simon brings outstanding new knowledge and leadership skills, and we retain the benefit of Mike’s unique expertise, earned over more than 45 years in international broadcasting. Mike has led GlobeCast Australia over the past nine years to become the leading broadcast services provider covering Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands with a relentless focus on our customers that will continue. Mike is a legend.”
“I am delighted to continue with GlobeCast Australia in my new capacity and to assist Simon and his team,” said Lattin. “He is a talented executive with a talented team delivering at the leading edge of global broadcasting.”
“I am very excited about growing our business and building on Mike’s extraordinary achievements,” said Farnsworth. “In the past 10 years, I’ve worked in the United Kingdom and held board roles in Hong Kong, India, and Singapore, and my new home base — covering Australasia and the Pacific Islands — is one of the most dynamic broadcasting markets in the world. I am completely committed to continuing to deliver the excellent service levels that our customers demand.”
Lattin has held senior management and programming roles at each of Australia’s commercial TV networks, held similar roles internationally, and was Head of the Optus Television subscription TV platform. In 2001 he became a Director and CEO of MediaSat, which later merged with GlobeCast Australia. Lattin was appointed CEO of the newly merged company in 2003.
www.globecast.com
4 July 2012
The BBC Trust has today appointed George Entwistle as the Director-General of the BBC.
George Entwistle, who is currently Director of BBC Vision, will take over from current Director-General Mark Thompson on a salary of £450,000 per year.
Mark Thompson announced his intention to leave the BBC in March this year and will hand over to George Entwistle in the autumn.
Announcing the appointment, BBC Trust Chairman Lord Patten said:
“George is a creative leader for a creative organisation.
“His experience of making and delivering great programmes that audiences love – built up through many years of working for the Corporation – will prove invaluable as he and his team work to ensure the BBC remains the greatest broadcaster in the world.
“Above all George is passionate about the BBC, is committed to its public service ethos and has a clear vision for how it can harness the creativity and commitment of its staff to continue to serve audiences in ever more innovative ways.”
George Entwistle said:
“I’m delighted that the Chairman and Trustees have decided I’m the right person for the job. And I’m very excited about all that lies ahead. I love the BBC and it’s a privilege to be asked to lead it into the next stage of its creative life.”
Mark Thompson said:
“I think this is a brilliant appointment. George has shown himself to be an outstanding leader with an intuitive understanding of public sector broadcasting. He has a formidable track record as a programme maker and in recent years has also shown his calibre as a leader. I wish him and the BBC every success in the years to come.”
Lord Patten added:
“I once again want to pay tribute to Mark Thompson. His creativity, vision and leadership have made him an outstanding Director-General of the BBC and he will be sorely missed.”
Notes to editors
- George Entwistle has been with the BBC since 1989 when he joined as a broadcast journalism trainee. His most recent position was as Director of BBC Vision, which he has held since 2011. Prior to that he was the Controller of Knowledge Commissioning and he has been responsible for some of the BBC’s most high profile programmes including Panorama, while he was Head of Current Affairs, and Newsnight, of which he was the editor. His full biography can be accessed here.
- George Entwistle will be the 15th Director-General of the BBC. The Director-General is the Chief Executive Officer of the BBC and its Editor-in-Chief. The Trust has also determined that the Director-General will chair the BBC’s Executive Board. The Director-General is the editorial, operational and creative leader of the BBC, with responsibility for a significant global workforce and the Corporation’s services across television, radio and online.
- The appointment was made at a full meeting of the BBC Trust this morning, following a two stage interview process. An initial short list of candidates was interviewed by Lord Patten and Trust Vice Chairman Diane Coyle. Following this a final list of candidates was interviewed by a panel comprising the following Trustees: Lord Patten, Dr Coyle, Alison Hastings, David Liddiment, Anthony Fry and Elan Closs Stephens. A recommendation was then put forward to the full Trust board and agreed this morning.
- The appointment is a permanent contract and is subject to standard BBC terms and conditions. The package consists of a basic salary and the BBC’s standard pension arrangements. There is no variable component to the pay.
- The Trust was assisted in the search for the Director-General by executive recruitment firm Egon Zehnder after a competitive process. The firm carried out an initial succession planning phase of work to identify the key elements required of any new Director-General should a vacancy arise in the future. This involved interviewing more than 30 people with an insight into the role. They used this information to help the Trust draw up a role specification. In the second phase of the exercise Egon Zehnder designed and managed the recruitment process on behalf of the BBC Trust. Egon Zehnder was paid a total of £157,500 plus VAT, covering both phases of the work.
- Mark Thompson was appointed to the role of Director-General in May 2004. He is currently paid £671,000 per year.
3 July 2012
Iranians can now watch all of their favorite Voice of America TV shows online with Livestation, a 24 hour a day streaming platform that brings together news programs from around the world.
Viewers in Iran and elsewhere can simply go to www.livestation.com and select ‘VOA Persian’ from the list of regional channels. The site is free and can also be accessed on smart phones as well as an iPhone app.
VOA Executive Editor Steve Redisch says placement of VOA’s Persian Service on the streaming site marks a step forward in the delivery of our programs to the people of Iran. “New research from Gallup shows Internet use is growing in Iran and many people have web access in their homes. It makes sense for us to take advantage of new distribution opportunities,” Redisch says.
Earlier this year the Persian Service rolled out a new lineup of television programs including Inside the USA, which highlights aspects of American life and institutions. In addition to direct-to-home satellite, viewers of many popular VOA programs, including the satirical shows Parazit or OnTen, turn to Facebook, YouTube and other social media sites to watch the programs on demand.
With Livestation, viewers will have increased access to all the VOA Persian Service shows. Livestation aggregates dozens of television news programs from around the world in different languages. The channels can be watched for free via the Livestation website, a desktop player, a free smartphone app that presents all the channels on one interface, or through other mobile phone apps.
The latest audience data from Iran indicates VOA Persian TV has a weekly audience of more than 21 percent, making it one of the most popular international broadcasters in the country.
2 July 2012
The international news channel Euronews, member of Co-op association (Caribbean Cable Coperative Ltd), has signed the first two broadcasting deals in the Caribbean with the new Haitian digital platform NUtv™ and the cable operator St. Maarten Cable TV.
Arnaud Verlhac, Deputy Director Worldwide Distribution, said: “I am very happy about our launch on Haiti, which was devastated by the earthquake in 2010, and even more excited to go into partnership with NUtv who provides leading edge technology and thus a new television service, revolutionary for Haiti. On July 1st, Euronews was also launched in Saint Martin, these two new Caribbean agreements show again that the unique Euronews’ perspective on world news and the wide-ranging programmes produced by the journalists in different languages are major assets for the worldwide channel’s expansion.”
Euronews launched in Haiti by NUtv™
Euronews joins the new Haitian platform of satellite digital TV (DVB-S). From 1 July 2012, on the channel 736, Euronews in French is available via the Premium Offer on NTuv™ bundle.
The provider predicts 35,000 subscriber households in the first year and targets more than 100,000 households in year 3.
NUtv™ is a multimedia company dedicated to providing Haitians with diverse informative and educational content through wireless digital technology. Launching in July 2012, the company intends to fill the vacuum in television services in the country and will offer viewers in Haiti over 100 digital channels.
“NUtv™ is excited to be launching the Euronews channel in its effort to bring international perspectives and provide culturally diversified programming to its Haitian viewers,” said Patrice Turnier, CEO of NUtv™.”
Euronews launched in Saint Martin by St-Maarten Cable TV
On July 1st, Euronews was also launched on the cable network of Sint-Maarten, initially on the Dutch part of the island, then on the French side in the coming months.
St. Maarten Cable TV offers the English edition of Euronews to the subscribers of the Digital TV Total bundle.
