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.
7 March 2012
Cologne-based S4M Solutions for Media GmbH becomes arvato systems S4M GmbH. Through a joint market presence, the long-term affiliation with the arvato Systems group will now be communicated proactively. This will further expand the market position of the IT experts.
arvato Systems, as a subsidiary of arvato AG and one of the top providers of professional IT services, has held an 80 percent stake in S4M shares since 2006. Together, both companies have successfully completed many projects around the world, and seek to achieve their shared vision of becoming one of the most successful IT companies with a clear focus on selected industries. The media industry has always played an important role, and as a broadcast and new media market specialist, S4M is a constant source of innovation in the field.
Together with all arvato Systems entities our aim now is to be even better prepared to meet the challenges of the future. This includes both improving our market position and boosting our profile by promoting a uniform market presence, says Dr. Manfred Heinen, Managing Director of S4M. Under the corporate arvato Systems brand we are able to even better bundle our competencies and support our customers.
arvato Systems background makes this possible: More than 2000 employees work at over 25 sites around the world. In 2010, the company achieved a revenue of 231 million euro. With its competence in the media industry S4M contributed to this success: The company has been present in the market for more than 15 years and offers a wide range of integrated software systems for broadcasters and media companies. This includes solutions for commercial airtime sales, media asset management, program planning, rights licensing, ratings evaluation, and production planning. Through many successful projects, S4M has built an excellent reputation, and an increasing number of national and international TV stations and production companies rely on the expertise of the software provider.
About arvato Systems
For over 30 years arvato Systems has been building a solid reputation as a systems integrator. The company not only implements standard software but also offers tailor-made, industry specific and individually developed solutions. As a subsidiary of arvato AG, the outsourcing service provider of Bertelsmann AG, the company has the unique capability to create entire value chains and combine IT with arvato AGs services to an integrated service offer from one source. The strength of arvato Systems is in the intelligent combination of systems integration and planning, operation and support.
For the broadcast and new media industry the company offers integrated software solutions for broadcast management and media asset management. So far, the systems are being used in more than 30 countries worldwide.
22 February 2012
Iraq has deployed several Multimedia Exchange Network over Satellite (MENOS) TV interactive terminals from leading satellite communications company Newtec.
The terminals will operate within the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) exchange network. By deploying the technology, broadcasters within Iraq will now have access to their own IP-based and fully automated secure Virtual Network (VN) for contribution and exchange of TV content.
Using a VN provides the same services and benefits as owning a dedicated physical network, but one where it is provided as hosted service without having to deploy and operate the complete system. Through the VN, MENOS service providers can partition their capacity and allocate such partitions per group of users. Dedicated Service Level Agreements (SLA) are also provided tailored to the users specific needs.
Newtec installed the first MENOS multimedia network at ASBUs facility in Algiers in 2008. The award-winning platform supports multiple simultaneous managed exchange services for use by broadcasting organisations throughout the Middle East and the North African region.
Many of the video and audio services have been developed to meet the exacting needs of the broadcasting industry, and now Iraq has its own private network via this platform.
Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec said: MENOS has native IP at its core and is a revolutionary technology for exchanging media content. We are pleased that we can lend our satellite expertise to assist Iraq with the deployment of its own virtual network. We are proud to be part of the development of Iraqs television infrastructure.
There are several MENOS terminals in the country making up the VN, and already plans to expand this network by adding more terminals. With the new MENOS VN, Iraq will be able to grow its network according to its needs, without the need for major upfront capital investment.
Slaheddine Maaoui, ASBU Director General, pointed out: We are eager to improve the ability of broadcasters and to give them access to a number of life-line services to contribute content from anywhere in the country. We believe this to be an important way of encouraging a robust media to thrive, resulting in strong regeneration in Iraq. We are sure that this virtual network will vastly improve the capabilities for broadcasters inside Iraq.
21 February 2012
euronews, the international news channel, today announced its launch on the Roku streaming platform in the U.S., in the UK and in Ireland. Roku streaming players connect to most television sets and enable them to stream online video, music and gaming content without a PC. Roku customers can find and add euronews’ channel application in the Roku Channel Store.
euronews’ flagships programmes are available to Roku customers in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Programmes can be watched instantly and easily on demand, and include the latest news bulletin as well as the lifestyle magazines “cinema” and “le mag”.
In addition, viewers can enjoy the award-winning “No Comment” section, one of euronews’ best known programmes, thanks to its originality and innovative concept of unedited striking images and sounds from around the world.
“We are delighted to offer our programmes to Roku’s customers and increase again our reach in the US, where we observe a strong interest for euronews’ perspective on world events. euronews is reinforcing its non-linear distribution globally, transforming itself into a news hub accessible from anywhere and on any device. Roku’s decision to enter the European market is definitely a very good news for the consumer but also for the industry and we are happy to support this move”, said Walid Chamak, Marketing Manager of euronews.
21 February 2012
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has called upon the worlds nations to take necessary actions to stop intentional interference with satellite transmissions.
The change in ITU regulations, which was approved at the just-concluded World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) in Geneva, Switzerland, came after numerous complaints that international satellite TV programs in Persian and Arabic were suffering from deliberate interference, known as jamming.
Two satellite operators that have been targeted, Eutelsat and Arabsat, said the interfering signals originated from Iran and Syria.
We are gratified to see the World Radiocommunication Conference take a position on this vital issue, said Richard M. Lobo, Director of the United States International Broadcasting Bureau.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether Iran, Syria and other countries which interfere with international satellite communications will change their practices. Jamming is a fundamental violation, not only of international regulations and norms, but of the right of people everywhere to receive and impart information, Lobo said.
The interference, which has increased since September, 2011, affected broadcasts of the British Broadcasting Corporation, Broadcasting Board of Governors , Audiovisuel extérieur de la France RFI and France 24 TV, Deutsche Welle, and RFE/RL, Inc.s Radio Farda. Joining in backing the ITW rule change were Radio Netherlands Worldwide and the European Broadcasting Union.
The change in the regulation came after hours of discussion and debate, both in small groups and on the floor of the WRC. A report by the ITUs Radio Regulations Board noted the persistent character of the harmful interference and the fact that in some cases, the administrations involved have not responded
and appear to take no action to resolve the interference.
The revised language says administrations shall ascertain the facts and take the necessary actions when they encounter jamming.
Prior to the WRC action, the Directors-General of five major international broadcasters charged that jamming is a violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Reporters Without Borders called for nations to firmly condemn countries that do not respect the fundamental principles of the free flow of information, adding, the ITU must not be the accomplice of regimes that obstruct the flow of news and information on their telecommunications networks.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran termed satellite jamming part of a broader effort. The Iranian government is also engaged in comprehensive attempts to take complete control of online access to the internet as well as restricting mobile voice and data communications, the group said in a statement urging the WRC to address the jamming issue.
