4 March 2010
Only better content will persuade listeners to buy digital radio receivers, the RadioAsia conference in New Delhi heard today.
The real challenge for the broadcaster is to motivate the listeners to replace their analogue receivers with digital receivers, R Narasimha Swamy of Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd (BECIL) said.
This can happen only if the created content be more imaginative, innovative and attractive.
On the third and final day of the conference, participants heard how digital radio technology was penetrating the Asia-Pacific region.
The Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner, said there were now more than 55 Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB+) services on air in Australias five largest cities, covering nearly 60 percent of the population.
She said DAB+ radios could now be obtained at more than 600 retail shops.
The other technical standard gaining ground in the Asia-Pacific region is Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM). The DRM consortium was founded in 1998 as a non-commercial entity promoting the adoption of the DRM standard around 100 members including broadcasters and manufacturers.
The conference heard that All India Radio was carrying out DRM shortwave transmissions from Khampur in Delhi on an experimental basis.
RadioAsia was jointly organised by the ABU, the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) and Singapore Exhibition Services.
2 March 2010
In the latest recognition of the quality and independence of its editorial content, euronews has been named the best foreign news channel in Russia.
The “Big Digit” prize, the National Award in the sphere of multichannel digital TV, in the category: Foreign Television in Russia was given at the 12th edition of CSTB, Cable Satellite Television Broadcasting Exhibition on 3rd February, 2010. The idea being to promote digital broadcasting technology.
euronews is broadcasting in Russian since 2001. The channel is available 24-hours a day in nearly 6.5-million Russian homes via IPTV, cable, satellite and on Moscow’s Channel 25. euronews is also broadcast part-time on the Kultura channel to 27-million households.
2 March 2010
At the recent
North American Broadcasters Associations (NABA) Annual
General Meeting, John Harding was appointed the new Secretary
General of the organization. Mr. Harding has been serving as
NABAs Executive Director since August 2008 where he has
applied a unique set of skills, depth of knowledge and
organizational leadership that has served the Association well
during a time of great industry change.
Speaking on the new appointment, Leonardo Ramos, Director of High Technology
Televisa and President of NABA said “the NABA Board of Directors is very pleased
with this appointment of Mr. Harding as Secretary General. It recognizes the many
contributions he has made over the past 18 months to the Association, and our
confidence that he will continue to make an impact in his new and important position.
Mr. Ramos continued “Mr. Harding is a respected thoughtful leader recognized for
driving consensus, building relationships and managing change in rapidly shifting
environments.”
Prior to his involvement with NABA, Mr. Harding served in the broadcast industry as
President of the Radio Marketing Bureau and before that as Executive Vice President
of the Institute of Communications & Advertising.
Mr. Harding will continue to work out of NABAs headquarters in Toronto.
2 March 2010
Support services provider VT Group has expanded its network of short wave transmission customers with a contract to broadcast programming from the Australian Broadcasting Corporations International radio and online service, Radio Australia.
VT, which has over 40 customers for its broadcast services, will output ten hours a day of Radio Australia programming to audiences in South East Asia. The content will be in English, Indonesian, Chinese and Burmese.
VT has a worldwide network of transmitter sites and the programming will be broadcast from locations in the United Arab Emirates and Palau in the Pacific Ocean. The programming will be downlinked from Radio Australias satellite channels to VTs central London Media Management Centre for scheduling and frequency management. VT will then utilise its Global Media Network to backhaul the programmes to the two transmitter sites.
The contract will be for a year and follows VTs recent success in adding the Polish state broadcaster Polskie Radio to its global transmission customer base.
VTs John Prior, General Manager Broadcast and Security, said: Having previously transmitted Radio Australia programming until 2006, we are delighted that they have re-joined the network of broadcasters using VTs facilities. It extends our broadcast service customer base and we hope to increase our partnership with Radio Australia further within the scope of the contract.
Radio Australia comprises eight languages and focuses uniquely on Asia and the Pacific. It is the international radio and online service of the Australian national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
2 March 2010
More than 20 reporters from every country in Central America attended a two-day Voice of America (VOA) training session on critical health issues related to influenza and natural disasters.
Organized by VOA’s Office of Development in Panama City, Panama, the Feb. 24-25 training exercises included roundtable discussions, analysis and knowledge-sharing by panelists from several International Organizations including the Pan American Health Organization, (PAHO), the United States Agency for International Development and Disaster Assistance (USAID), the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA/APHIS), among others.
Topics discussed included the creation of simple and direct messages in cases of critical health emergencies under a possible pandemic and during a natural disaster.
The main focus of the influenza crisis addressed how to inform the population on prevention, containment and information dissemination in the event of a crisis caused by the H1N1 or H5N1 virus. The unique challenges of reaching populations during crises caused by natural disasters (lack of clean water, food and medications) were also covered.
One of the mandates of the Voice of America is to provide training in critical journalism skills around the world, particularly in issues pertaining to health.
