25 September 2006
Czech TV has purchased a significant amount of high-powered graphics and editing equipment from Quantel to boost its all-important graphics and promos production capabilities. Czech TVs new Quantel equipment roster includes two eQ multi-resolution editing/ effects/ grading/ deliverables systems, both equipped with Quantels powerful QColor in-context color-correction option; a Paintbox gQ HD graphics system; two (SD) Paintboxes for close to air work, supported by four of Quantels QPaintbox software-only applications for preparation and off-line graphics creation.
The new systems sit alongside two Paintboxes and an HD-RGB eQ system purchased in October 2005, and all are fully integrated with Czech TVs two Quantel Picturebox sQ graphics servers, which provide centralised graphics storage, multi-user access and playout-to-air.
Quantel systems guarantee us super-fast results essential in news and sports, said Mr Zbynek Louda, graphics department chief at Czech Television. The eQs performance allows us to process a large amount of source material very quickly, so we can choose the best shots to make really stunning promos, and its HD-RGB operation also gives us an entry into the world of DI. The fact that all the Quantel systems share a common UI philosophy and file formats is also a huge advantage.
Mr. Rudolf Pop, technical director of Czech Television, added, Our large scale use of Quantel technology is a great advantage for a public broadcaster. We are currently engaged in a total re-design and re-branding exercise as we move towards introducing new digital channels. Such a project can only be successfully completed in a reasonable timescale with the kind of completely new approach to workflow that Quantel offers.
The equipment has been supplied to Czech TV through Quantels reseller, 20-20 Vision Graphics. Sales Manager, Tomas Kocanda, said, Czech TV is rightly proud of the very high quality of its promotions and news graphics, and many different versions of each piece have to be quickly and efficiently produced to keep the schedule fresh and up-to-date. This order for a second wave of equipment is a direct result of Czech TVs satisfaction with the systems it purchased last year.
25 September 2006
Harris Corporation today announced it will introduce MicroMax, a new low-cost FM exciter, at the upcoming NAB Radio convention (Booth #405, Hilton Anatole Hotel, Dallas, September 19-21). The MicroMax exciter is specifically designed for small-market U.S. and international radio broadcasters seeking an affordable yet feature-rich alternative to more expensive exciters on the market. Competitively priced, MicroMax is a 30-watt, 1RU exciter that can interface with any existing Harris transmitter as well as other transmitters on the market. It is especially valuable for FM broadcasters when used with the new Harris ZX range of low-cost FM transmitters (available in four power levels from 500 watts to 3.5 kW).
While the MicroMax FM exciter is an excellent choice for small-market broadcasters, it is equally useful in backup situations for medium- to large-market stations such as Cox Radio Orlando. The station group will install two ZX 1000 1 kW transmitters with MicroMax exciters at its Orlando, Florida, studios. The frequency-agile transmitters and exciters, which are scheduled to go online in November, will serve as backup units for five Orlando-area stations (WWKA-FM, WCFB-FM, WPYO-FM, WHTQ-FM, and WMMO-FM) in the event of system failure or tower maintenance at any of the Cox Radio Orlando’s transmission facilities.
Steve Fluker, director of engineering for Cox Radio Orlando, pointed to price and flexibility as his reasons for selecting the Harris solution for backup transmission. “The MicroMax exciter, along with the ZX1000 transmitter, is an excellent choice for emergency back-up transmission at our studio because of the economical price and the ability to change frequencies on the front panel,” said Fluker. “They also will be available to rush to one of our tower sites in the event of a main exciter failure. These exciters are easy to set up and plug in, which will get us back on the air quickly in emergency situations. I also like the variety of input choices for AES, analog and composite audio.”
MicroMax combines time-proven PLL technology with modern RF amplifier circuits and abundant features to provide driving power of very high quality to any FM transmitter. Visitors to the Harris NAB Radio booth can see a static display of the MicroMax FM exciter and its various features, including a built-in stereo generator and automatic power control at any power level.
Visitors also can see the ZX1000 transmitter outfitted with WEB Remote, another new Harris product that offers an Internet connection for transmitter control and monitoring over IP. All ZX transmitters can accept the WEB Remote option through an internal circuit board card slot. WEB Remote is also available as a 1RU standalone system for all Harris FM and AM transmitters.
“The global radio industry at large still operates in the analog domain and will continue to do so well into the future, even as the U.S. and certain international regions work toward a digital future,” said Richard Redmond, director of strategic marketing for Harris Broadcast Communications Division, Radio Broadcast Systems business unit. “Therefore it is crucial that we continue to develop new platforms for analog broadcasting instead of simply focusing on digital radio. The MicroMax exciter is a clear indication that Harris will continue to bring new analog systems to market that reflect the changing requirements of both FM and AM broadcasters, domestically and internationally.”
The MicroMax FM exciter is available now and will begin shipping in late December.
25 September 2006
SES GLOBAL announces that its operating companies SES ASTRA and SES AMERICOM will support the worldwide non-profit initiative One Laptop per Child (OLPC). The initiative aims at improving the communication and education infrastructure in developing countries by launching a low cost, web-connected laptop. It is supported by leading international players in the hard- and software industry. SES ASTRA and SES AMERICOM will serve as worldwide partners to provide satellite connectivity and smart ground solutions for broadcasting, data and internet connections. SES AMERICOM CEO Edward D. Horowitz will represent SES on the initiatives Board.
One Laptop per Child was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January and is chaired by the former head of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, Nicholas Negroponte.
As new corporate partners of the project, SES ASTRA and SES AMERICOM will contribute important know-how for the conceptual development, give financial support of US$ 2 million and provide space capacity on SES global satellite fleet to countries and organizations. The conceptual contribution includes the development of a one dish per village model, whereby the low-cost laptops with a wireless connection receive data from local hubs connected via satellite. The price of such laptops is expected to be around USD 100.
The involvement with the One Laptop per Child initiative reinforces SES`s engagement in connectivity projects, like for example the NEPAD’s e-Schools project (www.nepad.org), a ten-year initiative started in 2003 to connect 600,000 schools in Africa.
Comments Edward D. Horowitz, President and CEO of SES AMERICOM: “Together with our world class partners in the OLPC initiative and the commitment of the participating countries, we have the unique opportunity to change the way educational resources are delivered to schools and students in every corner of the planet by taking advantage of satellite’s inherent ability to connect without geographical boundaries. We look forward to supporting this important global initiative.”
25 September 2006
SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company, announced today that its subsidiary SES ASTRA TechCom has been selected to participate in Vietnam`s first public satellite project VINASAT-1. The project, which is led by the Vietnamese Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), is realized with Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS) as the main contractor. LMCSS has subcontracted SES ASTRA TechCom to deliver two satellite antenna systems in Vietnam for Telecommand, Telemetry and Control (TT & C) as well as training to the Vietnamese satellite operations personnel. VINASAT-1 is scheduled for launch in the second quarter of 2008. The satellite will be used for telecommunication purposes.
SES ASTRA TechCom will work together with HITEC Luxembourg as subcontractor to deliver two antenna systems in Hanoi and Binh Duong Province for the new satellite. The antenna project is scheduled to be completed in September 2007. In a second step, SES ASTRA TechCom will provide training services for the future satellite engineers and technicians. These training sessions will last between 6 and 12 months, take place in Hanoi and Luxembourg and are co-financed by the Luxembourg Development Cooperation. Furthermore, the deal includes several follow-on options for SES ASTRA TechCom for further contributions to the Vietnamese satellite project.
We are very proud that SES ASTRA TechCom has been chosen to participate in the first Vietnamese satellite project, said Ferdinand Kayser, President and CEO of SES ASTRA. The decision shows that we are able to leverage our profound technical knowledge in the satellite business and can further grow our broad service offerings to the market through SES ASTRA TechCom.
18 September 2006
Journalist Ogulsapar Muradova, a Turkmen correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has died in prison under unexplained circumstances. It is not known exactly when or where Muradova died. She was 58 years old.
Turkmen authorities declined the family’s request that a medical examiner at the morgue conduct an examination but allowed Muradova’s two adult daughters to take their mother’s body home after they appealed for help to the U.S. embassy in Ashgabat. Relatives said there was a visible head injury. The family called a medical examiner but Turkmen security have surrounded the apartment building and are allowing no visitors to the Muradova family.
Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, expressed “deep sadness” at the news. “Mrs. Muradova will be remembered for her courage and dedication to reporting the truth to the people of Turkmenistan.”
RFE/RL Acting President Jeff Trimble said “This is a terrible outcome of a long ordeal and a shocking indictment of the Turkmen regime’s callous and inhumane treatment of the people it rules. All of us at RFE/RL mourn the untimely loss of a colleague. Our hearts go out to Ogulsapar Muradova’s family.” Trimble added that RFE/RL will not let Muradova’s life be wasted: “We will keep her memory alive by carrying on her work, continuing through our broadcasting to bring truth to Turkmen citizens and to be their voice to the outside world.”
Sources in Ashgabat told RFE/RL that the first sign of trouble appeared yesterday when as many as four unmarked security vans took up position in front of the Muradova apartment building and the family was placed under 24-hour surveillance. This morning Turkmen security took Ogulsapar Muradova’s daughters Sona and Maral, to the city morgue and pressured them to sign a document, confirming they had taken custody of the body, without allowing them first to see it. The family was not permitted to see her while she was alive and was not told where she was incarcerated after her trial August 25.
Ogulsapar Muradova was put on trial with two other defendants — Sapardurdy Khajiev and Annakurban Amanklychev — behind closed doors with no counsel present, in a municipal court in Ashgabat’s Azatlyk district. In proceedings that lasted just a few minutes, all three were found guilty of being in illegal possession of bullets and ammunition under Article 287 of Turkmenistan’s penal code. Muradova was sentenced to six years in a medium security prison. Her family had not seen her since she was taken from her home in Ashgabat by police on June 18 and only twice before the trial were allowed to send her a package of food and medication.
The Director of the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation based in Bulgaria, Tajigul Begmedova said today “Ogulsapar Muradova “was an extremely healthy person, she had no problems with her health. Only after her arrest she started to ask for drugs and we started to worry… Now she is dead and if authorities claim it was because of ill health, it would be an absolute lie”. According to the family, the medication sent to Muradova in custody was for elevated blood pressure and a minor heart ailment.
The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent federal agency that oversees U.S. international broadcasting, including RFE/RL, issued a statement July 13, demanding that Ogulsapar Muradova be released. Major U.S. and international human rights groups have also condemned the Turkmen government for imprisoning Muradova. They included Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, the International Helsinki Federation and Reporters Without Borders.
RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service broadcasts six hours of programming a day to Turkmenistan, produced in Prague and transmitted to listeners via shortwave, medium wave and satellite broadcasts. Turkmen Service programming is also available via the Internet; English-language news about events in Turkmenistan can be found on the RFE/RL website.
