2 November 2011
The Broadcasting Board of Governors has released the framework of its new strategic plan to enhance the global impact of U.S. international broadcasting through innovation and integration.
This plan frames the future direction for U.S. international broadcasting, said BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson. To retain and increase our audiences and impact, we have to be smart and capitalize on the opportunities of digital integration and audience engagement.
Entitled, Impact through Innovation and Integration, the plan outlines a strategy for growth within an environment of scarce budget resources and profound, ongoing changes in audience media consumption habits. The goal is to be the worlds leading international news agency, working to foster free, open, democratic societies with an audience growth target of 50 million by 2016.
The 5-year strategy calls for a restructuring of federal and grantee elements of the BBG to leverage the talents and expertise of its broadcasters and journalists, increasing efficiencies across the broadcast enterprise, and ensuring that the original reporting and breaking news stories of each of the Agencys broadcasters are shared with audiences around the globe.
The plan highlights the desire to integrate elements of U.S. international broadcasting into a single organization while preserving the BBGs established, trusted brands.
A merger of the staff of the BBG and the International Broadcasting Bureau is already in progress as one of the immediate steps mandated by the Board to rationalize management and support functions.
The Agency will now study phased implementation plans to break down the organizational silos present in the BBGs complex amalgam of broadcast entities, some Federal and some non-Federal, with different legal and administrative frameworks.
The BBG brands Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa, Radio Free Asia, and Radio and TV Martí – face intense competition from an ever-expanding universe of emerging media choices as well as the challenges of censorship and extremist voices.
To address these challenges and advance the nations strategic priorities, BBGs plan features innovative initiatives: to create a global news network; to leverage new delivery technologies such as satellite video for China, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia; and to devise sophisticated new means of countering Internet blocking and other forms of censorship.
The plan is the result of a wide-ranging strategy review conducted from September 2010 to June 2011 at the direction of the BBG Board. The review assessed all agency media efforts worldwide in 15 regionally focused sessions. Some 75 independent journalists, media experts and practitioners, diplomats, and area specialists engaged pro bono with more than 200 agency employees at all levels to analyze the unique value-added and impact of BBG broadcasters in light of evolving media and political environments.
A copy of the Strategic Plan is available at http://media.voanews.com/documents/StrategicPlanNarrative_2012-20161.pdf. A companion BBG strategy website is hosting an ongoing discussion of the plan and the future of U.S. international broadcasting. [www.bbgstrategy.com]
The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent federal agency, supervising all U.S. government-supported, civilian international broadcasting, whose mission is inform, engage and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy. BBG broadcasts reach an audience of 165 million in 100 countries. BBG networks include the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa), Radio Free Asia, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio and TV Martí).
1 November 2011
UNFORTUNATELY THIS EVENT HAS HAD TO BE POSTPONED. WE WILL ADVISE YOU OF FUTURE TIMING AS SOON AS IT IS KNOWN
The AIB is pleased to announce that it is partnering with Media140 to hold an event entitled Engaging the Social Viewer on the afternoon of Wednesday 9th November 2011.
The event will look at how to chose the right platforms to deliver the best experience for a connected audience. With competition for audiences attention increasing and both viewers and listeners becoming less passive, broadcasters have to change to engage more with their audiences. Choosing the right online and mobile tools and planning how to manage them is becoming a key requirement.
This event is timed to be just before the AIBs gala dinner and awards ceremony allowing those travelling to the awards to combine two valuable events in one trip.
More details of the Media140 event, including how to book, can be found on the ‘Engaging the Social Viewer’ micro-site. Those who wish to attend both this event and the AIBs awards ceremony will be able to book a special combined discounted rate on the AIB site.
31 October 2011
FRANCE 24 is now accessible to more than 10 million households throughout the Asian continent, after less than two years of development in the region.
Since January 2011, FRANCE 24 has tripled its distribution in Asia.
Available throughout Asia in English and French via the Asiasat 5 C-band satellite, FRANCE 24 has already concluded major agreements in different countries, such as in Hong Kong with NOW TV and HKBN (1.2 million subscribers), in Thailand where the channel is already available to 1.8 million subscribers on various platforms, and in India where FRANCE 24 distribution now exceeds 6 million households.
FRANCE 24 is also in discussion with major operators from Indonesia, Philippines, Korea, and in the Pacific region where both 24/7 Channels (in English and in French) are already available on SKY New Zealand.
Responding to a dynamic Asian TV market where the audience is eager for a new tone in international news, FRANCE 24 has adapted to meet operators’ strategy offering the English version as ‘basic’ and the French channel as ‘Premium’. I am proud that this has lead to sustainable growth for FRANCE 24 in the region, says Brice Bertrand, Distribution Director in Asia Pacific.
In the hotel sector, thanks to these new agreements, FRANCE 24 has extended its presence in Asia, where the channel is now available in 70 000 hotel rooms across the region.
28 October 2011
RRsat America Global Communications Inc., a leading provider of comprehensive content management and global distribution services to the television and radio broadcasting industries announced today that it is offering services on its second DVB-S2 MCPC platform on MEASAT-3a. The SD/HD video channels on the MEASAT-3/3a satellites currently reach over 50 million pay-TV households in the Middle East, North Asia, South Asia, South East Asia, Australia/Oceana and parts of Africa.
RRsat has provided an end-to-end managed fiber and satellite uplink and teleport service, including optional playout, via MEASAT-3a since October 2010. The first RRsat DVB-S2 platform is booked almost entirely with HD/3D channels including Sky News HD, All Sports Network (ASN), GinxTV, iConcerts, BabyTV Asia, Bigfoot TV, Unitel Classica Asia and Nat Geo Music.
As a result of the great success of our first DVB-S2 platform on MEASAT-3a, Yaniv Lior, Senior Director of US Sales and Operations said, we have leased additional capacity and are offering other TV and radio channels the opportunity to reach the same extensive audience of cable headends throughout Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa with competitive high performance services based on the RRsat Global Network.
27 October 2011
ITN Source News, which syndicates on-the-day content to broadcasters and agencies worldwide, is offering international media outlets a new web-based subscription service for immediate download of breaking news video content.
The website and service is launching at this years News Xchange conference ahead of an expected busy news year, with the London 2012 Olympics and Diamond Jubilee both on the horizon. The service is targeted at broadcasters and web-based publishers that want daily news footage from ITNs award-winning newsroom and production teams but lack the broadcast technology and infrastructure for the full syndication service offered by ITN Source News.
The new easy-to-use self-service website at http://news.itnsource.com/ will give customers unlimited access to over 80 news highlight clips at broadcast quality every week. These clips will cover the days key stories of global interest across a multitude of genres with a focus on Entertainment, Royal, Sport, Politics and Business news. The site will feature a new search function, with clips available to preview or download so that clients can quickly find and access content for that days news.
At a time when the news agenda shows no sign of abating, customers will find our new website and subscription service of huge value, said Fiona Dodd, Head of News Syndication at ITN Source News. Some broadcasters and web-based publishers want access to on-the-day ITN content but dont have the infrastructure for our full syndication service. Our new website will mean they have news content at the touch of a button in a digital format that suits them.
The website is iPad compatible so that clients can use it while on the move. It will launch at the News Xchange conference on 2nd November. Broadcasters and web-based publishers that want to subscribe to the new service can register online at http://news.itnsource.com/ or email itnsourcenews@itn.co.uk to subscribe or arrange a meeting with ITN Source News at News Xchange for more information.
This service complements the current full-service offering from ITN Source News. Bespoke services from ITN Source News include offering clients ITNs coverage in the form of several hours of footage and rushes every day, live feeds, highlight clips and reporter packages from ITNs award-winning teams on ITV and Channel 4. The business also provides extensive broadcast facilities throughout the UK for international clients.
