21 November 2005
Harris Corporation announced that Zee TV, India’s pioneering Hindi entertainment channel and the largest producer and aggregator of Hindi programming in the world, has purchased four Leitch VelocityHD format-flexible, high-definition/standard-definition (HD/SD) non-linear editing systems. Zee TV will use VelocityHD to edit current affairs programming and promotions.
Zee TV is the flagship channel of the Zee Network, with its award-winning Indian programming accessible to over 225 million viewers in more than 80 countries across five continents. Zee TVs programming delivers a variety of choices for all segments of its audience, including primetime comedy and drama series, television movies, miniseries, theatrical films, specials, childrens programs, daytime dramas, game shows and late-night shows.
Were very pleased that Zee TV has chosen VelocityHD for its editing requirements, said Randy Fowlie, Leitch vice president and general manager for Digital Media. Zee TV is a respected innovator in global media, and were excited that they have recognized VelocityHDs outstanding combination of performance, quality, flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
Six-time award-winning VelocityHD combines the innovative Altitude hardware platform with the acclaimed Velocity software interface, delivering exceptional high-performance, real-time post-production editing flexibility. VelocityHD features full-quality, real-time HD playback of multiple video and dynamic graphics streams with true dual-stream, real-time HD transitions and effects. VelocityHD supports 1080i, 1080PsF and 720p frame formats at all common frame rates, with mixable compressed and uncompressed video. All VelocityHD systems also offer outstanding multi-stream standard-definition editing performance.
21 November 2005
The EBU has once again chosen Quantel server-based production technology for its sports highlights production, this time at the Torino 2006 Winter Olympics. This follows the EBUs success with Quantel sQ server-based systems at both the 2004 Summer Games and the Euro 2004 football championships in Portugal.
For the Torino Olympics, the EBU has selected two of Quantels recently introduced Newsbox systems to implement and manage the production of daily news reports and highlights at the games, which take place between 10 and 26 February 2006 in Italy.
Two 60 minute daily reports will be produced on the Newsboxes and distributed to all the EBUs 74 members spread through 54 countries in Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East, as well as to an additional 48 Associates in 29 further countries.
Any major international event is potentially a massive organisational and technological nightmare no two event requirements are ever the same, said Norman Rouse, Quantel Group Marketing Manager. The totally integrated production concept that Quantel has pioneered removes one very major worry from any event managers list – the Newsbox news system in a box concept is as close to plug-and play, worry-free broadcasting as is reasonably possible.
The Newsboxes will be the Newsbox Four and Newsbox Five models, each handling the production of highlights for different disciplines within the Games, and providing the security of 100% system redundancy that near-live event coverage by its nature ideally requires. Each Newsbox is a complete, self-contained system with 110 hours of storage of broadcast and co-located browse material, QRecord and QPlay automation, and a number of sQ View and sQ Cut applications for selection and editing of material.
Our previous experience with Quantel systems in covering large sporting events played an important role in our decision about which system would this time enable us to give our members the quality and efficiency of service they expect from the EBU, said Fernando Pardo, Head of the EBUs Sports Operations Group. In addition, since last summer Quantel has made further major developments to its sQ technology which made it even more attractive to us. We think we will be supplying our members and associates with the best coverage yet seen from a major event at Torino.
14 November 2005
On 10 November 2005, Al Jazeera Channel issued the following statement:
“Al Jazeera journalist and presenter Ahmad Mansour was the subject of an unprovoked physical assault while in Cairo, Egypt to present a television programme as part of covering the parliamentary elections there.
Al Jazeera condemns in the strongest terms this violence against one of its journalists. We reiterate our full support for Mr. Mansour and the freedom of expression for journalists the world over.
We call upon Egyptian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and to expose and to bring before the court the perpetrators and instigators of this shameful act.
At the same time, Al Jazeera calls on media organizations, professional bodies, trade unions and human rights organisations to condemn this attack, and to stand firmly in support of the sanctity of journalistic freedom and journalists’ right to seek the truth and inform the public.”
14 November 2005
Microsoft has announced that it is developing a news video distribution network for The Associated Press and share in advertising revenue generated by the newspapers and broadcasters that use it.
The AP Online Video Network will be available to the news service’s 3,500 US newspaper and broadcast members at no charge in the first quarter of next year, the companies said.
The AP will initially provide about 50 video clips a day covering national, international, entertainment, technology and business news. The AP said it would retain full editorial control over the content. The MSN unit of Microsoft will provide the software-based video player, the technical support and the network capacity for the service. MSN will also sell the advertising and develop other network products.
14 November 2005
SES Global has issued its financial results for the third quarter of 2005.
Revenues were up 21 per cent to E313 m (Q3 2004: E259m) Q3 EBITDA increased 10 per cent to E216 m (Q3 2004: E196 m). Net profit rose 48 per cent to E108 m (Q3 2004: E73 m) and year-to-date net profit of E277 m (YTD 2004 – including an exceptional tax credit of E60 m – E293 m). Net debt rose to E1.979bn from EUR 1.716bn at June 30.
Romain Bausch, President & CEO of SES Global, commented: “SES has continued to make active progress during the quarter, building on the success of the first six months of 2005. In addition to the new transponder contracts signed with video broadcasting customers, we have also introduced new service platforms for video services such as blucom and IP-Prime. These will generate new, profitable revenue streams alongside that of our core satellite infrastructure business.”
