7 March 2012
The 2012 AIBs – partnership opportunities
The eighth annual international media excellence awards run by the AIB will be held on Wednesday 7 November 2012. They provide a unique opportunity to promote your brand to senior executives throughout the global media world.
Coverage of the awards starts now leading up to the formal opening of entries at MIP in early April. Publicity continues in AIB publications and PR throughout the period of entries, the judging, on the night itself and through to the publication and distribution of the award winners booklet at the end of the year.
This ensures over nine months of exposure for partners to the more than 25,000 senior media executives on the AIB email distribution list and the more than 20,000 people who read The Channel magazine.
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Download our Partnership Opportunities brochure to find out more.
7 March 2012
New BMW cars in Germany will soon be able to automatically dial emergency services in the event of a crash and advise the driver how to avoid traffic jams thanks to new technology from Vodafone.
Starting this summer, all new BMW series vehicles will be fitted with a specially adapted mobile SIM chip supplied by Vodafone Germany. The Vodafone SIM, which will link BMW up to its vehicles, will provide customers with access to innovative in-car services such as the BMW Online Services, a 24/7 personal concierge service for BMW drivers and an emergency call function.
The five-year agreement between Vodafone Germany and the BMW Group involves fitting SIM cards within the vehicles at the assembly plant. The service being provided by Vodafone is based on machine-to-machine technology, which allows different devices to communicate with each other. The Vodafone SIM has a lifespan of more than ten years, can withstand temperatures from minus 40 to heat of 85 degrees centigrade and is coated with anti-corrosive protection.
In the future, this technology will become even more crucial for the automotive sector with the introduction of eCall – the automatic vehicle emergency call system in that is being planned by the European Union. From 2015 onwards, all new cars will be fitted with latest mobile data connection and SIM card that automatically calls the emergency services in the event of an accident.
Analysts see the in-vehicle connectivity as a growing market that will be worth billions by 2020.
7 March 2012
Following a successful first season, and after a flood of viewer requests and positive social media polls, MBC has announced the immediate production of a second season of 04.
Since January, viewers have been witnessing the dramatic struggles of 4 young housemates (Ziad, Abdel Aziz, Wisam and Hassan) living in the cosmopolitan city of Dubai. As well as dealing with their own cultural differences each has been seeking to fulfill their aspirations and dreams away from home and their loved ones.
The show has seen a rapidly growing fan base online and is the first to deliver a unique transmedia experience for its viewers who literally watch as 04s characters continue to live outside of the confines of their primetime 30min television slot on MBC4. Fans have been able to engage with these characters through social media sites and last week even saw evidence of the housemates celebrating the birthday of Abdel Aziz cake, candles and all. Needless to say, hundreds joined in with messages wishing him the best for the year ahead too.
Following the finale of Season 1, many of those online fans from across the region have been expressing their desire for more of this type of multi-platform entertainment. MBC are assuring fans from Egypt and the thousands of other loyal followers of the show that theyve heard their requests and will exceed their expectations with another season full of surprises and drama both on and off-screen.
04 is a joint production between MBC Group Content, 03 Productions and BPG Group, who are partnering as marketing, creative, digital and target audience consultants.
About MBC4
MBC4 is the Arab worlds first exclusive tailored channel for Women and young Arab Families. It broadcasts the latest in top-rated Western content entertainment in addition to locally produced flagship programming. The channel airs prime-time shows such as Dr. Oz, The Doctors, 90210, Pretty Little Liars, Greys Anatomy, The Vampire Diaries, Ringer, The Secret Circle, and The Good Wife, among other popular Turkish Drama soaps dubbed into Arabic.
Today, the channel is more geared towards MBC Groups own local flagship productions, as well as towards some acquired Arabic content from across the MENA region. MBC4 successfully aired the biggest production ever in the Arab TV history: ARABS GOT TALENT and is currently in production for Season 2. Moreover, MBC4 has recently reached a social media milestone by exceeding 1 million fans on the Channels official page on Facebook.
As of 2012, MBC4 has started delivering the latest in Western entertainment, airing the same time as in the US.
7 March 2012
Dr. Tayeb Kamali, Vice Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology and H.E. Noura Al Kaabi, twofour54s CEO Designate, today officially opened a new media lab at Abu Dhabi Mens College.
The new lab has been designed to provide media and foundation students with a new dedicated creative space on campus, where they can go to hone the key skills required to succeed in the UAEs burgeoning media industry. It will also be used to offer a regular programme of specialised media workshops, industry related seminars and leading industry guests, who will be invited to impart their expertise to the students and drive understanding of the viable and stimulating careers that are available in the regions media sector.
The official opening of the twofour54 media lab was celebrated with an address from Dr. Tayeb Kamali and H.E. Noura Al Kaabi to a packed room of media students, who were using the lab for its inaugural creative session. The introduction of the new lab marks the first stage of twofour54 and HCTs wider collaboration initiative to support and promote education and the media industry; the collaboration was formalised with the signing of a MoU in December 2011.
At the media lab launch, Dr. Tayeb Kamali said it was very pleasing to work closely with twofour54 to create such an innovative project designed to further develop students media-related skills, The Higher Colleges of Technology maintain a strong commitment to excellence in education through innovation and technology, and this media lab is an excellent example of our focus on successful student learning outcomes in their chosen fields.
He continued, This lab will support creative entrepreneurship and help connect our students to the media and creative industries by preparing them for careers in these fields. Through our partnership with twofour54, we will develop graduates with the knowledge, skills and confidence to contribute effectively to creativity and business in the 21st century and to reach their full potential.
H.E. Noura Al Kaabi commented on the labs opening saying: Media has been identified as a key industry sector in Abu Dhabis economic diversity. We are committed to supporting young people develop their creativity whilst helping them understand the wealth of opportunities that now exist in the UAEs fast developing media industry. We believe that this new dedicated media lab at Abu Dhabi Mens College will help empower young UAE Nationals and Arab media students, which will in turn help drive the growth of a dynamic and successful local media industry.
The media lab is an ideal space where media students can meet to discuss their ideas, and develop their skills. The lab will supported by industry themed seminars and workshops, as well as on-the-job training through internship opportunities for HCT students within twofour54 and its partners, based at its Khalifa Park campus in Abu Dhabi.
twofour54s mission is to establish Abu Dhabi as a regional media hub. An initiative of the Abu Dhabi government, twofour54 offers world-class media skills training and talent development, supporting creative entrepreneurship and providing enabling production, post production and broadcast facilities from its integrated campus.
7 March 2012
Al Jazeera is further consolidating its longstanding relationship with Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) with a new contract for capacity on the EUTELSAT 7 West A satellite (ex. ATLANTIC BIRD 7) located at 7° West. The announcement was made today at Cabsat Dubai.
Al Jazeera has chosen the new service area on EUTELSAT 7 West A that enables the media corporation to extend coverage across North West Africa to Morocco and as far as Nigeria. Broadcasts have already begun, with nine channels operational, including the flagship Al Jazeera news channels in Arabic and English, as well as documentary, childrens and sports channels.
In service since October 2011, the EUTELSAT 7 West A satellite has strengthened Eutelsats commercial response to broadcasters operating across the Middle East and North Africa. The satellites widebeam delivers unmatched performance and coverage into over 30 million homes, while the new North-West Africa footprint opens the opportunity for channels to further consolidate their reach.
7° West, the fastest-growing video neighbourhood: TV channels up by 35% in 2011
The 7° West neighbourhood assembles the largest community of satellite TV channels in the Middle East and North Africa. Channels grew by 35% in 2011, reflecting the dynamic of free-to-air and pay-TV, which represent 80% and 20% of the 822 Arab and international channels broadcast by the five satellites operated at 7° West by Eutelsat and Nilesat.
