21 February 2011
Results of a new poll of Egyptians in Cairo and Alexandria show that 25 percent of respondents tuned into Alhurra to follow the recent uprising in Egypt. The telephone survey was conducted during the networks 18 days of live comprehensive coverage of the historic events in Egypt.
The poll, commissioned by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, focused on how Egyptians in Cairo and Alexandria consumed media during the recent protests in Egypt. Results show that Egyptians turned heavily to satellite television to follow the events in their country during the demonstrations. Although the pan-Arab channel Al Arabiya was the most widely watched, surpassing Egyptian State TV, Alhurra TV reached a large audience during this period, with a quarter of all respondents saying they had used the station to follow the events. The results also showed there was substantial use of communications methods such as text messaging, social networking, or email; in spite of Egyptian authorities attempts to block these technologies.
The survey results confirm what we had been hearing throughout the last three weeks, that Alhurra was a prominent source of news and information for the Egyptian people, stated MBN President Brian Conniff. This is also a testament to Alhurras excellent journalists who covered this story, despite threats against them.
Throughout the coverage of the events in Egypt, Alhurra correspondents were in the streets of Cairo and Alexandria providing viewers with a firsthand account of the stories of the protesters and their unwavering desire for reform. Alhurra also brought the American perspective on the crisis; both the official Administration position as well as reaction from diverse voices throughout the public policy community. The networks comprehensive coverage culminated in being the first to report that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would resign and hand over power to the Egyptian Army.
The phone survey, conducted between Feb. 4-10, 2011, consisted of 500 randomly selected adults (age 15+) in the cities of Cairo and Alexandria. A complete copy of the survey can be found here.
Recent surveys by international research companies such as ACNielsen show that Alhurra has consistently averaged approximately 26 million weekly viewers for the last three years. Alhurra is operated by the non-profit corporation The Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. (MBN). MBN is financed by the U.S. Government through a grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent federal agency. The BBG serves oversight and as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters.
21 February 2011
Voice of Americas popular Farsi language television program Parazit breaks with its satirical and sometimes comic format this week, to discuss the young Iranian pro-democracy demonstrators who died after being shot at Mondays protests in Tehran.
Parazit co-creators Kambiz Hosseini and Saman Arbabi learned Tuesday that one of the pro-democracy protesters who died this week was a Facebook friend and fan of their show, Mohammad Mokhtari.
Kambiz, the host of Parazit, says this weeks show will be different because, we decided that it was impossible to ignore what happened to our friend and there is nothing funny about what happened on Monday. We have lost a member of our family.
The Facebook page of 22-year-old Mohammad Mokhtari shows he was an avid fan of the satirical weekly program, which usually points a comic finger at the dark side of Iranian politics. Just hours after Parazits last show was posted on Facebook, the young man had clicked the like button and shared the program with his friends, who have been leaving expressions of sympathy on his Facebook page.
This weeks program features an exclusive interview with the brother of another young pro-democracy supporter who was shot and killed on Monday. In the interview he tells VOA that his slain brother was a supporter of the pro-democracy movement and opposed the Iranian government.
Also on Fridays Parazit, an interview with exiled former founding father of Irans Revolutionary Guard and now government critic, Mohsen Sazegara, and Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari, who was trying to cover the Iranian election in 2009 when he was jailed for several months.
Parazit, which is produced at the Washington studios of VOAs Persian News Network (PNN) is webcast and broadcast by satellite to Iran, where it is one of the countrys most popular shows. The title, Parazit, means static in Farsi, a reference to Iranian government efforts to jam VOA broadcasts and websites. Millions of the shows fans use proxy servers to access the program through social media sites like Facebook and YouTube. In the last month, Facebook recorded more than 20 million impressions on Parazit’s page.
21 February 2011
Vizrt Ltd., a world-wide supplier of production tools for the digital media industry, provided a complement of sports graphics solutions to FOX Sports for coverage of the NFLs Super Bowl XLV, held Sunday, February 6th, at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
FOX Sports began using Vizrt at the beginning of the 2010 NFL season and deployed multiple Viz Trio and Viz Engine systems for the Super Bowls expanded coverage. The new system proved a huge score for the broadcaster.
We were given an incredible opportunity to display our graphics throughout one of the most stunning facilities in the world on Super Bowl Sunday. Vizrt enabled us to create elegant graphics, incorporating them into our pre-game by displaying graphics in Jumbotrons outside the stadium, in our booth displayed on an LED backdrop, and of course within our on-air presentation said Zac Fields, Director of Remote Graphics, FOX Sports.
FOX Sports has embraced Vizrt systems based upon the softwares superior capabilities, said David Jorba, Senior Vice President, Operations, Vizrt Americas. The speed with which it can make production changes and its inherent flexibility make the Vizrt system a winner with FOX Sports.
We owe a huge thank you to our Vizrt contacts for their incredible support during the Super Bowl production, said Gary Hartley, Executive Vice President/Creative Director, FOX Sports. The Vizrt presentation was seamless. In all, I believe it was one of the most visually impressive Super Bowls ever.
About Vizrt:
Vizrt provides real-time 3D graphics and asset management tools for the broadcast industry – from award-winning animations & maps to online publishing tools. Vizrt’s latest addition to its portfolio is Adactus’ software platform enabling delivery and presentation of adapted multimedia content for mobile terminals, such as smart phones, tablet PCs and smart TVs.
Vizrt’s product suite is used by the world’s leading broadcasters, publishing houses and telecom operators, including: CNN, CBS, Fox, BBC, Sky, ITN, ZDF, Star TV, Network 18, TV Today, CCTV, NHK, The Globe and Mail, The Telegraph, Welt Online, Etisalat and Telia Sonera. Furthermore, many world-class production houses and institutions, including both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, utilize Vizrt solutions.
21 February 2011
Following the well-reported attack on CBS News
reporter Lara Logan (pictured), INSI – the International News Safety Institute – has
published a safety advisory for women:
If travelling alone, choose a
good standard hotel where security is of a higher standard than you might stay
in if travelling with male colleagues.
Try not to attract unwanted attention by striking up conversations or making eye
contact with strangers. It can sometimes be misinterpreted as flirting.
Unless you want to be the centre of attention, do not wear tight fitting or
revealing clothes
If youre alone and facing unwanted attention, have a cover story prepared I
am waiting for my husband/boyfriend/colleague to arrive. If the pestering
continues, try and join a large group of people preferably mixed sex
Dont wear expensive jewellery, but do consider wearing a cheap ring on your
wedding finger, even if youre not married.
Always remain alert.
Consider taking a male colleague with you into potentially volatile situations.
Do not wear a pony tail or necklace which can be easily grabbed.
Wear a sturdy belt.
Do not drink alcohol alone with men, particularly in the Middle East.
Keep a copy of your passport and documents with you at all times and store the
originals in a safe place.
Carry a mobile phone with local emergency numbers saved. Do not keep this in
your handbag, in case it is snatched.
Be aware of discussing details of your work with people you do not know. It may
sometimes be better to pretend to work in an alternative profession ie.
teaching.
TRAVELLING
If travelling alone, always tell someone where you are going, how you plan on
getting there and when you expect to be back. If you are meeting someone, leave
a name and number for them with someone you trust.
BY FOOT
Avoid walking alone by yourself, especially in poorly lit areas, quiet streets
and alleyways
If possible, try to walk close to groups of people. Be aware of who is around
you.
Walk confidently, with your head up, and as though you look like you know where
youre going.
Arrange to meet people in well-lit and busy areas.
Where possible avoid carrying handbags; but if it is necessary wear them across
your body.
If you suspect you are being followed, try to find a busy place: hotel, shop
etc.
TAXIS
Always use a reputable company avoid unlicensed cars.
Agree the cost before you leave if the taxi does not have a meter.
If alone, try not to sit in the front of the taxi. If you are in the back and
being troubled by the driver, you have two doors from which to exit – but
remember some cabs have automatic locking when the car is moving.
BUSES
Sit near the driver.
Sit near a group of people.
Avoid sitting upstairs.
Sit in an aisle seat.
If in trouble, sound the bell ring continuously.
TRAINS/METRO/TUBE
Avoid darkly-lit stations.
Avoid empty carriages.
Keep your belongings with you all the time.
HOTELS/ACCOMMODATION
Try to follow the advice above about choosing a good standard hotel if
travelling alone, but if this is not possible, consider the following:
Security are there security guards at the reception/front gate?
Check the security in your room do the doors/windows lock?
If there is a chain lock on the main door, use it.
Move furniture in front of doors.
If there is an adjoining door, make sure you lock it from your side.
Lock all doors and windows from the inside when youre in the room and the
outside when you leave even if it is only for a couple of minutes.
If on the ground floor, check to see if there are bars over the window. But be
certain to locate an alternative escape route in the event of fire.
Dont take hotel rooms with easily accessible windows or balconies.
PERSONAL ATTACK
Consider carrying a personal attack alarm. If using one when outside, carry it
in your hand for quick use not in your bag. But do not just rely on the alarm,
shout too.
Consider a rape whistle.
Buy a door alarm for use in hotels.
Keep a can of hairspray or deodorant with you to spray in the face of an
attacker if needed in your bag or by your bed.
If attacked, try to vomit, defecate or urinate on yourself.
Tell the attacker you are menstruating, are HIV positive or pregnant.
16 February 2011
AIB is active at this year’s meeting of the global mobile phone industry, Mobile World Congress, taking place in Barcelona.
Our print magazine, The Channel, is available in the Congress Networking areas in halls 2 and 7, and we are on the prowl, hunting out information and intelligence for our global members.
AIB is also hosting a special netowkring dinn for its members and key mobile industry executives to ensure that there’s dialogue on making top-quality broadcast content available to mobile subscribers globally.
