21 June 2011
The Dutch cabinet has announced plans to cut back the activities of Radio Netherlands Worldwide. The Dutch world service will no longer provide information for Dutch people living abroad, or provide the rest of the world with a realistic image of the Netherlands.
Instead, Radio Netherlands Worldwide is to concern itself solely with providing information in countries where free speech is suppressed or threatened.
During his press conference after the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Mark Rutte praised the work Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) has done.
“Radio Netherlands Worldwide will limit itself to one role, promoting free speech. I think the other tasks RNW performs are nice, valuable, but not enough to finance them with public money.”
Austerity programme
The cuts to RNW are part of a widespread austerity programme the current centre-right government is implementing to bring the national budget into balance. In the wake of cuts to higher education, the arts and defence, the government today announced a reorganization of the entire public broadcasting system.
As part of that reorganization Radio Netherlands Worldwide will no longer fall under the media budget, but become the responsibility of the Foreign Ministry. That move is scheduled to take place on 1 January 2013.
Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal confirmed the narrower focus – including press freedom – for the Dutch international service:
“Radio Netherlands Worldwide will concern itself with free speech under Foreign Affairs starting in 2013. I will not say anything else about it right now.”
Mr Rosenthal explained that, since RNW will remain part of the media budget next year, he does not want to step on ! his fellow minister’s toes, referring to Media Minister Marja van Bijsterveld.
Parliament
The financial details of these changes to Radio Netherlands Worldwide are not yet clear. The lower house of parliament is due to debate the cuts to RNW in two weeks. Parliament must still approve the cabinet’s planned cuts. The debate is scheduled for 27 June.
“Incomprehensible”
In reaction to the news from The Hague, former foreign minister Bernard Bot, chairman of the RNW supervisory board, said: “I find this cabinet decision incomprehensible for a government whose foreign policy should serve the long-term interests of the Netherlands and the Dutch.”
RNW director-general Jan Hoek echoed the feelings of Mr Bot: “This is an incomprehensible and sad decision. The ministry has chosen the easy way out by passing one quarter of the cuts in public broadcasting (200m euros) in its entirety to one organization – RNW.”
RNW editor-in-chief Rik Rensen said: “Our country is known as an important and reliable trading nation. Radio Netherlands Worldwide makes a unique contribution in 10 languages, 24 hours a day. For tens of millions of people around the world, RNW is an important source of information and a journalistic calling card for the Netherlands. Is our country really going back behind the dikes?”!
20 June 2011
Mobile phone users from Mexico to Peru can now listen to Voice of Americas Spanish language news bulletins, thanks to a new VOA partnership with AudioNow and its patent-pending technology that can stream radio content to any phone.
By simply dialing up the free service, mobile phone users can listen to VOAs latest five minute Spanish language newscast in Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
Access numbers for mobile subscribers in each country are posted on the VOA Spanish Service website.
VOA Latin America Division Managing Editor Clara Dominguez says the use of the cost-effective AudioNow technology, represents an expansion of our commitment to free and open access to media throughout the world, and especially in Latin America, where mobile phone use has grown rapidly.
AudioNow, a provider of mobile phone radio distribution in North America and around the world, uses proprietary technology that allows any fixed or mobile phone to access live and pre-recorded audio programming.
Dominguez says, VOAs Spanish language service continues to expand its audience throughout the Southern Hemisphere and this exciting partnership with AudioNow gives us an opportunity to serve an important listener base on a platform they are comfortable using.
Users of the new service do not have to download any software. The service is free, although some mobile operators may apply phone service charges, so users should check their mobile plan for details.
Listen to VOA at the following numbers: Argentina, Buenos Aires: +541159841362, Colombia, Bogotá: +5715087780, El Salvador, Nacional: +50321131960, México, Ciudad de México: +525530987583, Panamá, Nacional: +5078365477, Perú, Lima: +5117086904, Venezuela, Caracas: +582123357780.
For more information about this and other VOA Spanish language programs, visit www.voanews.com/spanish/news. For more about VOA in English visit www.voanews.com.
15 June 2011
Award-winning Kuwaiti filmmaker Walid Al Awadi and his production company, C Sky Pictures, have signed a three year development deal with twofour54 Abu Dhabi. The venture, called C Sky Abu Dhabi, will develop and produce a number of Arabic TV and film projects.
This is a significant step for the TV and film industry. With a population of more than 340 million people bound by a common language, a youthful demographic where 60% are under the age of 25 and limited content in Arabic, the development of a vibrant media industry in the Middle East and North Africa region will increase opportunities for western media companies and Arabic producers.
Speaking about the deal, Walid Al Awadi, Head of C Sky Pictures said, This is a very exciting agreement which will add significantly to the amount of high quality, locally produced content for the Middle East and North Africa markets. We have very ambitious plans and will be offering audiences in the region superior quality, engaging content which looks to bridge the gap in cultural knowledge and understanding that exists between the Arab world and the western media productions.
Being at twofour54 means C Sky Abu Dhabi has access to the growing creative community as well as proximity to the support industry required to produce great content, added Al Awadi. We expect to have a major impact on the regions growing TV and film production industry and want to support and invest in the talent that clearly exists within the region.
Commenting on behalf of twofour54, Wayne Borg, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer, twofour54 said, Walid Al Awadi and C Sky Pictures have established a reputation for delivering high quality, engaging content that resonates with regional audiences, which aligns with twofour54s aims. Productions like Tora Bora add to our efforts to position Abu Dhabi as a regional centre for Arabic content and to highlight the regional opportunities that exist for international media companies.
This agreement also reinforces our commitment to support the Arabic creative and production community by providing job and talent development opportunities for Arabs from across the Middle East and North Africa.
15 June 2011
As the hockey world fixes its eyes on the final act of the NHL season – the Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks – the Zürich-based sports analysis company LiberoVision plays an important role in illustrating to viewers the many whys and hows tied to player decisions.
Now fully part of the Vizrt workflow and supporting seven different sports, including soccer, American football and ice hockey, the award-winning Libero Highlight one-box solution allows broadcasters to produce realistic 3D replays without the need for additional infrastructure.
Based on nothing more than your existing TV images, Libero Highlight instantly grabs the viewers attention and lifts sports analysis to a whole new level, says Julia Vogel, Sales and Marketing Director at LiberoVision. LiberoVisions patented image processing technology instantly transforms the camera feeds into realistic 3D representations that allow viewers to essentially fly over the playing field to review key moments in the action from the best possible perspectives.
In the US, NBC Sports and VERSUS, both members of the NBC Sports Group, are using Libero Highlight for 3D replay analysis during the best-of-seven games final. In Canada, The Sports Network (TSN) is using Libero Highlights interface to visualize tactical aspects of the game. TSN is Canadas leading, English-language sports TV channel.
“LiberoVision is a great tool that better allows us to tell the story of the event, says Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports and VERSUS. It provides a unique, tactical perspective that helps us take the audience inside the glass and gives them the best seat in the house.
VERSUS has been using Libero Highlight for live, on-air replay analysis of its games since the 2010 NHL playoffs. Before this years Stanley Cup Final, NBC featured Libero Highlight during its 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games hockey coverage and for the 2010 NHL playoffs. TSN are primarily using Libero Highlight for post-game analysis and various shows tied to the Stanley Cup Final.
LiberoVisions realistic 3D support for analyzing key moments of the game, changing from one camera to another while always keeping the essential players clearly visible, is a great example of how broadcasters can now highlight game-changing decisions better than ever before, says Paul Graham, VP and Executive Producer, TSN.
Libero Highlight has already been well received by broadcasters around the world. The software has been used at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, other high-profile soccer events, for NFL and NCAA football, Major League Baseball, NHL hockey games, as well as NBA and NCAA basketball coverage.
About LiberoVision
Now fully acquired by Vizrt, LiberoVisions 3D sports analysis and replay system has been integrated into Vizrts broadcast graphics and media asset management (MAM) workflow. With this integration, sportscasters can deliver their Libero Highlight clips with defined starts/stops and annotationsinto the Vizrt workflow. They can then control the playback of the clips from an Apple iPad using Viz Anchor or any other Vizrt control software and play it out through the Viz Engine embedded in graphics. Its also possible to export metadata, such as short text, which is rendered by Viz Engine, Vizrts real-time rendering engine. This also means that the LiberoVision analysis can reach videowalls, virtual sets and that it is available for distribution to mobile devices by using the device optimized delivery of video to all devices.
15 June 2011
euronews will reinforce its presence in Brussels by setting up a new team of over twenty people, as well as a studio and the latest production facilities. This new 600 sq. m office is ideally located in the heart of the European district and has become the largest international news bureau located in the European Capital.
The euronews teams report on European affairs and international news in 10 languages*, soon to become 12. This multilingual and multicultural team will also be equipped to broadcast live as events unfold.
In the presence of Viviane Reding, Vice President of the European Commission for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, Pier Luigi Malesani, Chairman of the Euronews S.A. Supervisory Board, Philippe Cayla, Chairman of the Executive Board and Michael Peters, Managing Director, inaugurated the Brussels euronews bureau.
The office is located at 223-225 rue de la Loi, near the Berlaymont building, headquarters of the European Commission, just off the Robert Schuman roundabout and opposite the European Union’s Department for Foreign Affairs.
Accompanied by Lucian Sârb, Directeur of News and Programmes as well as Peter Barabas and Gardenia Trezzini, Editors-in-Chief, they presented the new team and their objectives. The opening of this new bureau is part of an agreement signed in December 2010 with the European Commission.
Opening a comprehensive newsroom in Brussels is a strategic step for the channel and fits in with its desire to cover European affairs in greater depth. euronews’ coverage of European affairs will now be even more responsive, accurate and comprehensive.
Through reports, interviews, special editions, via link-ups or live broadcasts, the Brussels bureau will cover the daily news concerning these institutions as well as any political, social, cultural or sports events. It will welcome numerous international personalities to the offices as they pass through the European capital. euronews’ unique pan-European view of international news will be considerably broadened.
The creation of this bureau will enable the production of more original programmes addressing Europe-specific topics and has already led to the launch of two of the channel’s new flagship programmes.
– I Talk, an interview show presented by Alex Taylor, the highly respected and renowned multilingual European journalist, and made in a virtual studio. In keeping with his informative and yet relaxed style, Alex Taylor interviews a guest on a 3D set, bringing euronews’ into a whole new dimension,
– The Network, the euronews talk-show. The debate is presented by Chris Burns, eminent Europe correspondent of dual nationality who has lived in Europe for 18 years. Chris brings together three personalities with diverging opinions and points of view. Each guest is invited to answer Chris Burns’ questions on the day’s topical issue.
The Brussels news team will be in permanent contact with Lyon and will participate via video conference in the editorial meetings. The team based at 223-225 rue de la Loi, will consist of:
– 1 Bureau manager – Brussels Bureau: Sergio Cantone, permanent correspondent for euronews in Brussels since 2004, he will be bureau co-ordinator, team manager and he will implement working procedures between Brussels and the Lyon headquarters. The euronews office in Brussels will really benefit from Sergio’s knowledge and experience in the field.
– 1 assistant Bureau Manager who will organise team work alongside the Bureau Manager.
– 10 permanent journalists: Olaf Bruns (German edition), Paul Hackett (English edition), Audrey Tilve (French edition), Margherita Sforza (Italian edition), Fariba Mavaddat (Farsi edition), Alan Gülsum (Turkish edition) and on a temporary basis: Charles Salamé (Arabic edition), Rafael Cereceda (Spanish edition), Maria Barradas (Portuguese edition), Galina Polonskaya (Russian edition).
euronews has selected Headline NFP to set up these new offices. Headline provides audiovisual services, from the installation to the operation of the TV control room/studio, the set, the editing room and the master control room. Headline also provides teams of cameramen and production teams to assist euronews’ own teams in Brussels, including on-site technical manager (Dietrich De Bruyne), and production assistant (Maribel Garcia).
