7 January 2008
As part of its package of membership benefits, the AIB has negotiated discounts on two conferences taking place in London.
The first is on 30 January and is the Westminster eForum keynote seminar on digital switchover in the UK. The Westminster eForum is an organisation closely tied with the UK parliament and provides, along with the Westminster Media Forum, a series of debating and briefing events that bring together key industry players together with MPs and peers.
The event on 30 January will take place in Westminster, close to the Houses of Parliament, and includes a keynote address by Philip Rutnam, Partner, Spectrum Policy at Ofcom, the UK telecommunications to media regulator. The seminar will offer the opportunity for discussion between industry, interest groups and policy makers on the latest issues raised in the Digital Dividend Review. It will also examine the post-switchover usage of released spectrum where there is stiff competition between broadcasters and other often telecommunications-related operators.
AIB members receive a 15% discount on the regular registration fee, reducing the cost of attending to £161.50 plus VAT. To take advantage of this, contact the AIB head office for your special discount code.
The second event is the annual FT Digital Media and Broadcasting Conference which takes place in London on 25 and 26 February 2008. We have secured a 25% discount on the registration fee for this event which brings together some of the top executives in global media.
Contact AIB head office for details of how to book at the special 25%-off rate.
7 January 2008
Dubai TV has launched a mobile TV service offering previews of TV shows, plus sport, weather and a variety of entertainment items.
The new system operates on the U-Turn Media Group’s mobile delivery platform, implemented by Qanawat, a local partner.
The new service works with a majority of mobile handsets that have a colour screen.
The service works across the Emirates – a first – and on all mobile operators.
Contacts throughout the media industry in the United Arab Emirates are published in the AIB Directory of Global Broadcasting. Order today.
7 January 2008
Vizrt has announced a new software breakthrough, Viz|Reporter 1.0. Viz|Reporter provides for easy upload of video from a mobile phone into an existing newsroom workflow without incurring any further degradation of the content quality for the purpose of transferring it over mobile networks.
Until now, television news producers and photojournalists with video images captured on mobile phones have faced a time-consuming process to put them on air. Images had to be converted first and then copied onto a PC. During this process, images were compressed and the quality greatly reduced. In the case of breaking news, such a time-intensive procedure could mean the difference between images making it to air in a timely manner or not.
As the sophistication of mobile phone technology increases, so does the potential of Viz|Reporter to impact the way breaking news is reported, said Petter Ole Jakobsen, CTO of Vizrt, Newsrooms that employ Viz|Reporter will not only be able to capitalize on citizen journalists; they will more efficiently use their staff in the field. The product is designed to evolve with the continual improvements implemented on new multimedia cell phones, and content can be uploaded from any location where cell phone coverage is available.
The Viz|Reporter application evolved in response to the needs of a news organization. Norwegian newsgroup, Adresseavisen, sought a way to better utilize uploaded content from field reporters as well as improve image quality and content management. Vizrt and Adresseavisen worked together to develop the Viz|Reporter application. Viz|Reporter is currently in use at Adresseavisens regional newspaper, television station and radio station, broadcasting to three counties in Norway. Around sixty photojournalists are using Viz|Reporter to upload content from the field directly into the newsroom workflow via their mobile phones.
Rolf Dyrnes Svendsen, Editor and Director of Digital Media at Adresseavisen explained, The system has improved productivity by a great deal. It allows us to process content uploads more quickly and get the images published right away. Our previous quality issues with mobile phone content have been resolved, and our multimedia content is now handled in an optimal manner.
Prior to installing Viz|Reporter on reporters mobile phones, video or stills captured via cell phone were uploaded using MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) technology. The compression required for video distribution over MMS resulted in severely compromised image quality. Once the content was received, the newsroom personnel were faced with a complex process of browsing their system to find the newly uploaded file. The company would also use email to transmit files but found that transmission became cumbersome because of the e-mails overhead information. Overhead information included in e-mail for the purpose of directing or controlling the transfer added extra information to the actual multimedia content. If the connection was dropped, email provided no means to reconstruct a transfer, which forced the journalist to start the transfer all over again.
Viz|Reporter makes it possible for media companies and broadcasters to produce up-to-the-minute visuals for breaking news stories. Viz|Reporter runs directly on a variety of mobile multimedia phones such as the Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Motorola models. For added flexibility, the software has two methods of submitting video and stills. Users can employ a dedicated J2ME application or the phones own browser (WAP or XHTML) to upload content. The J2ME application utilizes functions available according to the security model on the device. As long as the journalist or passerby witnessing a news event has mobile network coverage, they can transmit those images on the air. The content is then immediately accessible for production and control room staff or use online. This allows the station to move quickly, which is vital to reporting breaking news and tracking developing stories.
Viz|Reporter creates an index of images on the mobile phone, sorted based on their time stamp. This helps the journalist access the latest images captured. After selecting the proper time period, the user sees previews of each image and can decide whether to include or omit certain shots.
Not only does Viz|Reporter optimize the process of capturing and uploading content, it also provides metadata templates that allow users to standardize and streamline video for media asset management purposes. Searches in MAM solutions such as Viz|Video Hub or Ardome are simplified through the addition of keywords describing location, date and subject. Metadata are prepared using standard metadata tags and can also be translated to conform to other metadata schemes. This metadata will be directly linked with the video and located on the Viz|Reporter server.
7 January 2008
Delphi Corporation is to design the first WORLDSPACE satellite radio mobile receiver for the European aftermarket based on a WORLDSPACE-developed reference design. In addition, the two companies announced that WORLDSPACE has selected Delphi to be a lead designer for its European OEM receiver and reception system applications that will also be based on WORLDSPACEs reference designs. Delphi made the announcement at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas
Designed by Delphi for European aftermarket applications, the WORLDSPACE aftermarket receiver will receive the signal from the WORLDSPACE satellite which covers the European continent. The aftermarket receiver is expected to be launched in parallel with the start of WORLDSPACEs mobile service beginning in Italy in 2009. WORLDSPACE expects to begin broadcasting 40 to 50 channels of commercial-free music, news, talk, entertainment and sports programming 24 hours a day. WORLDSPACE plans to use the most advanced digital audio technology available today (MPEG-4 accPLUS v.2). Delphis receiver designs will leverage the companys satellite radio expertise and feature the advanced mobile service capabilities built into the new WORLDSPACE system.
Based on Delphis long history in providing satellite radio systems, Delphi can offer high-class technologies and superior functionality in a receiver designed for the growing European satellite radio market, said Dr. Andreas Hunscher, Delphi managing director of reception systems.
Delphi will lead the development of WORLDSPACEs receiver and reception applications at its European Satellite Radio Centre of Excellence in Bad Salzdetfurth, Germany. At the facility, Delphi has the unique capability to merge expertise in high-performance antenna systems with advanced receiver technology.
We have always been, and will continue to be, staunch supporters of the global introduction and growth of satellite radio across the globe, said Ken Erickson, lead executive for Delphis entertainment and communications product business unit. This announcement reiterates our commitment to the satellite radio category.
We are fortunate to be working with a company that has such deep knowledge of and experience in the SDARS arena. This agreement with Delphi will go a long way toward ensuring a successful launch of the WORLDSPACE Mobile Service in Europe and beyond, stated Alexander P. Brown, WORLDSPACEs co-chief operating officer.
As a leading provider of satellite reception hardware design, Delphi has manufactured more than 18 million satellite receivers for retailers and vehicle manufacturers in North America, just six years after introducing the first satellite radio receiver. With this long heritage as a development partner of choice in automotive satellite entertainment, Delphi is bringing its expertise to the fast-growing European satellite radio market.
Based in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, WORLDSPACE is the world’s only global media and entertainment company positioned to offer a satellite radio experience to consumers in more than 130 countries with five billion people, driving 300 million cars. WORLDSPACE subscribers benefit from a unique combination of local programming, original WORLDSPACE content and content from leading brands around the globe including the BBC, CNN International, Virgin Radio UK, and RFI. Worldspace is a pioneer of satellite-based digital radio services and was instrumental in the development of the technology infrastructure used today by XM Satellite Radio.
3 January 2008
A record 171 journalists and other news professionals died
at work in 2007, paying the ultimate price for the news. But behind the
grim statistics may lie some glimmers of possible hope for a better future.
The number of journalists apparently murdered because of
their work fell for the first time in recent years, from 133 in 2006 — the
previous record year for deaths — to 120.
And the international community began to respond to the
killings and their deadly impact on freedom of expression in so many countries.
However, the number of people who died in air and road
accidents while covering the news shot up from 22 to 35 — helping make the
United States the worst country for news media fatalities outside of Iraq. All
but one of the American deaths were in accidents, including four when two news
helicopters collided while covering a police car chase in Phoenix, Arizona, last
July.
According to INSI’s statistics, compiled in cooperation with
the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the global death toll in 2007
comprised 144 journalists and 27 support staff such as drivers, technicians and
other essential members of the news gathering and production teams in 36
countries.
In addition to murder and accidents, random crossfire claimed
the lives of 14 while the causes of two deaths could not be determined.
Circumstances often are unclear as only a handful of journalist deaths — as few
as one in 10 — are investigated and successfully prosecuted.
At least 100 died in gunfire — one assassinated in a blaze
of 50 bullets — 20 in bombings and four by beating. Two had their throats cut,
one was tortured to death and two were asphyxiated.
As always, most of the casualties were not international war
correspondents but local journalists, trying to work in their own countries, in
peace as well as conflict.
The worst single killing ground in 2007 again was Iraq where
65 news personnel died. All but one, a Russian freelance photographer, were
Iraqis, the "unsung heroes" of the war coverage. A total of 236 members of the
media now have died since the US-led invasion in 2003.
Otherwise the other most dangerous countries for the news
media were Mexico and Somalia, with nine deaths each, Pakistan (8), Brazil (7),
Sri Lanka (6), Philippines and India (5), Afghanistan (4) and Haiti (3).
"The death toll is appalling, unacceptable, and still getting
worse," said INSI Director Rodney Pinder.
"In these awful circumstances we may grasp at straws, but it
is slightly encouraging to see the fall in the number of suspected murders and
note indications of increasing awareness of this issue by the international
community. It is far too early to tell if the decline in the targeting of
journalists is the start of a trend — a reaction in many societies to the
terrible price being paid for the news — or if it is just a blip in the steady
rise recorded since the start of the millennium. We can but hope it is the
former, perhaps encouraged by the notice being taken by the international
community."
He added, however: "It is a human tragedy that the fall in
deliberate killing is matched by an increase in accidental deaths, many of them
surely avoidable. INSI continues to urge employers, and journalists themselves,
to take safety more seriously in an increasingly dangerous world."
Following a two-year campaign by INSI, the IFJ and the
European Broadcasting Union, the UN Security Council unanimously passed
Resolution 1738 on the safety of journalists in conflict on 23 December 2006. It
urged member states to end impunity for the killers of journalists, seen as one
of the driving forces behind the rise in murders in recent years. In January
this year the Council of Europe passed Resolution 1535 on the safety of
journalists in peace as well as war.
The third World Electronic Media Forum (WEMF3) in Malaysia
last month called on UN member states to observe Resolution 1738 in letter and
spirit and urged UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to appoint a Special
Rapporteur on journalist safety in his office to monitor the situation.
More than 1,200 news media professionals have now died trying
to cover the news between 1996 and mid-2007.
Details of all fatal incidents recorded by INSI in 2007 and
previous years can be obtained from
http://www.newssafety.com/casualties/2007.htm. Related article by Rodney
Pinder, INSI Director: Some Light In Darkest Year For Journalists
http://www.newssafety.com/stories/insi/killed07tribute.htm
