21 June 2005
Harris Corporation announced that Macmillan Media, the multimedia production, media training and broadcast services provider in Northern Ireland, has installed an innovative networking system that connects its new broadcast center in Belfast with Ulster Television (UTV), the Independent Television franchise holder for Northern Ireland. The system, which combines digital microwave radio technology from Harris’ Microwave Communications Division and NetVX(TM), an award-winning, high-speed, integrated networking platform from Harris’ Broadcast Communications Division, is far more cost effective than the leased fibre connection alternative. Macmillan Media’s studios produce regional news output for Good Morning Television (GMTV) and other British broadcasters.
Owner and founder Michael Macmillan said, “It is essential that we present news bulletins which reflect GMTV’s highly successful national program content. The combined expertise of Harris Corporation’s Broadcast and Microwave Communications Divisions offered an opportunity to install a compelling blend of modern technologies. The capabilities we now have in our new broadcast centre enable us to meet the high standards set by our clients.”
Macmillan wanted a wireless connection between its new facility and UTV to take advantage of its line-of-sight proximity. Macmillan approached Charlie Day, managing director of UK-based broadcast equipment supplier “The UK Office,” who recommended Harris’ microwave radios. Macmillan now uses the microwave link to deliver two channels of television programming to UTV, including live contribution services for GMTV each morning.
Harris’ Microwave Communication Division has a wide range of point-to-point digital microwave radios designed for rapid, easy deployment of short, medium and long links. A wide range of frequency bands and protection configurations also are available for voice and data applications. At the hub of Macmillan’s system is Harris’ NetVX, which is equipped with two MPEG-2 codecs configured to deliver two channels of 4:2:2 contribution quality video over ATM on the E3 link. “Part of Harris’ value proposition is its ability to draw upon products from any of Harris’ four divisions and combine them in ways that provide exceptional long-term value and innovation for our customers,” said Jim Denny, vice president and general manager of Harris Broadcast Communications Division’s Networking & Government Solutions business unit. The Broadcast Communications Division has installed more than 100 NetVX systems worldwide, proving the platform’s flexibility, ability to evolve to support new services, and cost-savings potential.
Harris leads the wireless backhaul industry with its newest product family, Truepoint(TM), the first universal platform for point-to-point digital communications. TRuepoint’s modular, software-selectable architecture supports both PDH and SDH applications, enabling service providers to address multiple applications and deliver multiple services throughout their networks.
21 June 2005
On 16 June, the US House Appropriations Committee approved a bill that would cut funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting by 82 million, or 25%, starting in October.
Ralph Regula, an Ohio Republican who crafted the legislation, said 49 federal programmes were being eliminated and other funding reduced because of tight spending limits.
Regula’s original bill would have eliminated funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 2008, but a Democratic amendment earmarked $330 million so that public broadcasting could use the money in the future.
US media watchdog Accuracy in Media hailed the proposed cuts as a step in the right direction. Cliff Kincaid, editor of AIM, said: “But Congress must go further and completely de-fund public TV and radio. All $400 million a year should be terminated.”
20 June 2005
The AIB Industry Events Calendar on the AIB website has been updated to include broadcasting industry conferences and exhibitions taking place during the second half of 2005.
Click
here
to visit the Calendar.
20 June 2005
Governmental over-regulation and content censorship are common in Central Asian countries and pose a serious danger to new media in the emerging internet scene, according to OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti. Speaking after the Third Amsterdam Internet Conference, organized by his office from 17 to 18 June, he said: “Online information is the most important source of pluralistic information in the countries of Central Asia. Any over-regulation, filtering or censorship by governments is unacceptable. Citizens should have the right to decide what they wish to access and view on the Internet.”
The conference brought together leading international experts on human rights and the Internet from Western and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and North America. The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the Paris-based NGO Reporters sans frontieres issued a joint declaration on guaranteeing media freedom on the Internet. It lists six main principles for protecting online media freedom and stresses that in a democratic and open society citizens should decide what they wish to access and view on the Internet. Any filtering or rating of online content by governments is unacceptable and websites should not be required to register with governmental authorities, the declaration states.
Freedom of the Internet will be the focus of a media conference in the South Caucasus and in Central Asia later this autumn.
20 June 2005
The Broadcasting Board of Governors announced on 17 May that it is using a third satellite to help overcome jamming of Persian-language news broadcasts during Iran’s election period.
The broadcasts affected include Voice of America’s (VOA) direct-to-home Persian-language satellite television news programs, Radio Farda, and VOA English. The three are carried on the Eutelsat Hotbird satellite and Telstar 12. Today, the BBG Office of Engineering added a third satellite transmission. This additional signal makes it more difficult for Iranian authorities to block the broadcasts in many locations.
BBG Chairman Kenneth Y. Tomlinson condemned Iranian attempts to jam satellite television and radio services that carry U.S. international broadcasting for Persian audiences: “That the government of Iran would jam Persian television and other U.S. international broadcasts illustrates how threatened the authorities are by truth.” Tomlinson said the BBG would continue to counter efforts to block open and free information by providing programs on multiple satellites and transponders.
VOA’s Persian service features News & Views, a daily one-hour television news and information program repeated four times with news updates. This week’s 90-minute Looking Ahead program, also produced by VOA Persian, featured Principal Deputy Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Elizabeth Cheney. Radio Farda, a joint venture between VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, is a youth-oriented 24/7 Persian-language radio service that broadcasts political, social, and economic news, information, public affairs, and music to Iran. Iran also has stepped up jamming on Radio Farda AM and shortwave frequencies.
In the past, Iranian jamming of satellite television has occurred around the time of elections and other key political events. The BBG constantly works to overcome jamming.
Iranian authorities also direct Iranian Internet service providers to filter out the ability to connect to the VOA News and Radio Farda websites www.VOANews.com and www.radiofarda.com. They also prevent e-mails from VOA from being received by their citizens. The BBG has been working to counter these efforts through an Internet anti-censorship program.
