19 July 2011
Voice of America and El Tiempo, one of Latin Americas oldest and most respected news organizations, have reached an agreement that makes VOA news reports available to El Tiempos growing 24-hour cable TV service in Colombia.
The agreement gives El Tiempo full access to VOA news and feature reports, including regular updates on U.S. politics from the White House and the U.S. Congress as well as international and regional news. VOA journalists will also be available for live segments from Voice of Americas TV studios in Washington.
VOA Latin America Division Director Alberto F. Mascaró, who helped negotiate the agreement, says the deal benefits both organizations and viewers in Colombia, who will now have access to balanced and comprehensive news reports from VOAs staff of professional journalists in the United States.
El Tiempo newspaper, which was first published in 1913, is Colombias largest circulation daily. The companys webpage is one of the most popular in the country. Last year, El Tiempo launched a nationwide 24-hour cable TV news channel, which has quickly grown in popularity.
El Tiempo Managing Editor Jesús Estor calls the partnership key to El Tiempo’s television channel. The quality of information and reporting is what the public is looking for. The Voice of America has the experience and credibility that add to any media organization in the world. For El Tiempo, with our one hundred years of existence, this alliance demonstrates the best media has to offer: the trust of our audience.
VOAs Spanish Service broadcasts to Latin America on television, radio, the Internet and mobile. A wide network of affiliate stations in the region also broadcasts VOA Spanish programs, including “El Mundo al Día” (The World Today) a daily 30-minute TV show featuring U.S. and international news, and “Foro Interamericano” (Inter-American Forum) a 60-minute weekly TV news magazine featuring debates on the leading news of interest to the region.
For more about VOA Spanish programs, visit www.voanoticias.com. For more about VOA in English, visit our main webpage www.voanews.com.
19 July 2011
According to the last EMS 20 survey, every month 14.1 million Europeans watch international news on euronews on TV, online or on mobile. 17 % of users are exposed to euronews only on mobile or internet (2.4 million of users), 71% on TV only and they represent 12% of both, digital (internet or mobile) and TV usage.
The EMS 20 study published by Synovate on July 7, measures the media usage of 47 million of upmarket individuals in 20 European countries (including Russia).
euronews digital offer includes the website euronews.net and its 10 editions *, the video On demand, live streaming services, euronews mobile website, euronews Live applications on iPhone and iPad, No Comment TV application on iPhone , the premium services on connected TV as well as the activities on the most significant social Media.
Managing Director of euronews sales, Olivier de Montchenu said “Anytime, Anywhere, any device is the aim of euronews since many years. This innovative creed being previously present on the over competitive market of the international information media, is fruitful among the European decision makers today. Our partners and the brands which communicate on euronews know that the channel form as well as its multiplied edition services (by language), enable to offer the good content in the good place and in the good moment to their audience everywhere in the world. This strategy is today confirmed by the EMS study which analyses the media usage habits of 47 million upmarket Europeans. Besides its TV, online, mobile or even digital tablets offer, euronews holds its lead on the global scale thanks to the launch of the services on connected TV”.
19 July 2011
AppsArabia, the local investment fund helping to create a sustainable app development industry throughout the Middle East & North Africa region, has today announced the findings of a comprehensive study on the current state and growth potential of the MENA regions smartphone app industry.
The objective of the research, which was sponsored by Research In Motion (RIM) and conducted by Dubai based market research company Real Opinions, was to examine and highlight the business potential of apps in the Middle East and to directly support the growth and development of the regions smartphone app industry.
David Ashford, General Manager AppsArabia, said: Consumer consumption of Apps in the MENA region is growing at a fantastic rate; however, it is very different to other parts of the world and thats what makes this research so valuable. We need to ensure that the apps that are developed are what people living in this region want to consume, rather than what developers want to build.
As an investment fund dedicated to the development of the industry, AppsArabia, receives hundreds of proposals for new apps every month. Therefore, it is imperative that we have access to accurate market intelligence to support us make us informed decisions on the projects we back, he concluded.
Conducted as an online survey, in both English (23%) & Arabic (77%), with almost 3,000 respondents, it is the intention of AppsArabia that this data will now be used by app developers to make informed choices when planning and marketing their apps in the region and to develop apps that are culturally relevant. The summary report is now available as a free download from www.appsarabia.com
Dan Healy, CEO of Real Opinions commented: We have witnessed the dramatic evolution of the industry and yet there is a lack of information available on smartphone users regionally. Together with insight from David Ashford, the General Manager of AppsArabia, and the integral support of Research in Motion to make this a reality, we conducted this research to help fill some of these information gaps. We hope this will both encourage more investment in the industry regionally and helps more local app entrepreneurs and developersto be successful.
Research highlights:
1. 49% of smartphone users expect to upgrade in the next 6 months, 70% in the next 12 months.
2. 82% who don’t have a smartphone want one and 54% expect to get their first one in the next 12 months.
3. 95% of smartphone users have apps installed.
4. Smartphone users have an average of 29 apps installed, while 40% have 10 or less.
5. 51% of smartphone users use apps all day long.
6. 73% like downloading apps that make their life easier and 57% are interested in game apps.
7. 82% of smartphone users with apps download at least once a week.
8. On average, smartphone users download 6 apps each month.
9. In the coming 12 months, 53% of all smartphone users claim they will be buying apps (30% said they wouldn’t and 17% were not sure)
10. In the coming 12 months, 24% of all smartphone users claim they will spend more than USD$50 on apps.
11. 58% would trade their usage data and receive targeted advertising in return for free app
12. 52% recommend apps to friends while half as many (26%) give a simple rating score for those they don’t know to see.
13. 33% find out about new apps from their friends while most are discovered doing a search on their smartphone (38%).
14. Just 14% would evaluate an app based upon general media coverage.
15. 62% of all smartphone users surveyed in the Middle East prefer apps to be in English while 39% of users who understand Arabic prefer apps to be in English.
6 July 2011
The RT family has a new member. RTDoc, a TV channel featuring documentaries about Russia, has launched, broadcasting 24/7 in English. The new channels open signal coming from the Hot Bird satellite will be received by 120 million households across Europe as well as in the Middle East and Northern Africa.
The bulk of RTDoc broadcast will be exclusive documentaries about Russia, produced in-house by RT. Among them films that have won international prizes such as Media Excellence and New York Festivals Awards.
Cable operators welcome documentary content in their networks because it remains invariably popular with audiences. Viewers tire of dynamic news streams and switch to ethnographic and educational formats. Were launching a new documentary channel about Russia exactly for the purpose of giving the viewer this alternative, said Margarita Simonyan, RT editor-in-chief.
Strong interest has been shown by cable operators all over the world. RTDocs reach covers network subscribers in Germany, Ireland, Portugal and Bulgaria. In the United States and Canada, more than a million viewers can watch RTDoc on the IPTV Roku system. Viewers can also watch RTDoc online at the RTD.RT.COM.
The new channel will feature a documentary series on Russian cities (Discovering Russia), customs and traditions of the peoples of Russia (Faces of Russia), science and technology (Technology Update) as well as a series on the environment (Meeting with Nature). Historical Faces explores the history of Russia and Culture Fair will broadcast films on culture, art and fashion. Inter-program section will diversify the content. For example, A Little Bit of Russian will help English speaking viewers learn the basics of the Russian language. RT correspondents, editors and presenters will play the role of teachers.
In addition to RTDoc, the RT family unites four TV News channels, an online video agency and four multimedia portals. The English-language RT channel went on air in December 2005; the Arabic channel Rusiya-al-Yaum was launched in May 2007; in December 2009, RT launched its Spanish-language channel. RT America, broadcasting in prime time to American viewers, was the last in line: going on air in January 2010.
RT was the first Russian television channel to be nominated for an Emmy International Television Awards, a TV Oscar, in the News category, while RTs YouTube channel is close to half a billion views.
RTDocs broadcast on Hot Bird satellite:
Hot Bird 8, 13°E (frequency : 12015 Mhz, polarization: H, symbol rate: 27500, FEC: ¾)
6 July 2011
After 15 years working throughout Africa, InterMedia is now in Africa.
InterMedia President Robert T. Coonrod and Africa Managing Director Vivien Marles are today hosting a reception at the Sankara Hotel Westlands at 7pm to celebrate the opening of InterMedia’s Africa regional office in Nairobi.
The establishment of the Africa office reflects InterMedias recognition of the regions strong potential and the growing importance of high-quality media and communication research as new technologies and content providers rapidly proliferate. InterMedia is ready to build on its experience in some 25 African countries to forge collaborations and partnerships emphasizing local ownership of the research process.
You can learn more about InterMedia at www.intermedia.org and visit the AudienceScapes Resource Center at www.audiencescapes.org.
AudienceScapes is an InterMedia-run project aimed as making African media and communication research readily available to the development community.
Peter Goldstein, director of Audiencescapes, will be running a morning workshop on Audiencescapes from 9 a.m to 12 noon at InterMedia’s Gigiri Offices.
