5 May 2005
Harris Corporation announced that British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) has purchased the Harris D-Series Ingest and Play-to-Air Automation System for its forthcoming High-Definition Television (HDTV) services, with Harris also providing full turnkey systems integration for the new HD playout platform.
As BSkyB moves from tape-based playout to a server-based environment, the D-Series system will provide a reliable, scalable content management and delivery foundation for the launch of BSkyB’s HDTV channel offering in 2006, which will include sports, movies, entertainment and factual programming.
Because every environment is unique, the D-Series is configurable to provide the seamless ability to combine HD and SD material under one overall control system. Moreover, it will continue to support existing workflows and services, while allowing the introduction of new technology when required. The automation system is complemented by the latest in encoding and conversion technology, therefore providing BSkyB with a reliable, scalable and flexible platform that is fully integrated with its existing operations.
According to John Phipps, vice president of Harris Automation Sales for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, “Harris is proud to be selected for this important project. The Harris D-Series system has an excellent reputation for quality and reliability and will provide BSkyB with the option to work in any format it chooses. These capabilities are vital for broadcasters who seek to expand their operation to exploit new market areas and technologies and the project showcases Harris’ expertise in this area.”
Whereas many other automation systems are adapted from original designs for single channel playout, the D-Series was designed from the start for multi-channel operation. D-Series automation streamlines ingest, access and playout of digital assets by providing a “content aware infrastructure” that supplements central database information with embedded metadata in each segment of the server-based material. This superior metadata engine is essential for new services such as interactive television, where content and consumers are identified and targeted for new revenue streams. The Harris D-Series is a truly frame-accurate, real-time multi-channel automation system that provides automatic failover protection with error detection and correction features, thus assuring high-quality, uninterrupted on-air performance.
5 May 2005
The International News Safety Institute today formally launched a global inquiry into the rising death toll among journalists. The inquiry the first in-depth survey of its kind aims to examine the reasons behind the killings and produce a report and recommendations for international action to reduce violence against journalists and others involved in gathering the news.
It will be led by an expert Committee of Inquiry comprising news organisations, individual journalists, journalist support groups and legal experts. It is entirely fitting that we launch this inquiry today, World Press Freedom Day 2005, said Committee Chairman Richard Sambrook, Director, BBC Global News. There is no greater threat to press freedom around the world than the deaths of journalists seeking to keep free societies informed.
At least 1,300 news and media personnel journalists and critical support staff such as drivers and translators have died working on dangerous stories around the world in the past 15 years, according to INSI figures. Last year was the bloodiest in a decade. Although major wars take an increasingly high toll more than 70 dead in Iraq in two years most journalists die in their own countries as they report on issues such as corruption and crime.
Alarmed by the growing numbers, a number of news and humanitarian organisations last year invited INSI to establish a committee of experts to report on the legal, professional and practical issues related to the protection of journalists in dangerous situations. The Committee will hear from journalists who have direct experience of violence aimed at the news media in their own countries as well as on foreign assignment. The first of these fact-finding sessions will be held in Kuala Lumpur for Asian journalists on 10 May, followed by Doha on 23 May for journalists in the Middle East. Other sessions will be arranged for local and international journalists in Latin America, the United States, Europe and Africa. The Inquiry will also hear from governments, military and NGOs and examine reports and research from a wide range of other organisations. It expects to take at least a year before publishing its conclusions.
INSI invites anyone with information on or experience of attacks on journalists and other news media workers to contact the Inquiry: Richard Sambrook richard.sambrook@bbc.co.uk or Tel. +44 20 7557 2057; INSI Director Rodney Pinder rodney.pinder@newssafety.com or mobile +44 7734 709 267
5 May 2005
Radio France Internationale and Deutsche Welle are to join forces to broadcast their programmes in the Arab world and states of the Commonwealth of of Independent States (made up of countries from the former Soviet Union).
Both broadcasters are looking at ways to air some DW Arabic-language programmes on Radio Monte Carlo-Middle East to gain more listeners. RFI will also help DW to develop its Arabic programmes.
DW and RFI are also considering sharing frequencies in Moscow, St Petersburg and parts of the CIS to enable RFI to broadcast its own French and Russian programmes alongside DW Russian and German programmes.
Both broadcasters have already been working together since January 2003 to produce programmes and study the use of shared FM frequencies, in particular in the Balkans.
5 May 2005
An offer of free radios was too good for members of The Kings Royal Hussars to turn down recently. With deployment to Iraq imminent, the unit were keen to be able to keep in touch with home via British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) radio.
WO2 John Donald and Sgt Paul Russell, accompanied by Cpl Geary and Trooper Ford, made the trip from their base at Tidworth to BFBS radios headquarters in South Bucks to collect the 35 freebie radios.
BFBS radio is part of the Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC) who manage the Operational Welfare Fund. The fund was set up to benefit Forces personnel who are often working in isolated and arduous conditions and whose recreational needs are sometimes not eligible for public funding, which is where the radios come in.
SSVC Managing Director, David Crwys-Williams said, The Fund gifts over a quarter of a million pounds every year to improve the lives of our Armed Forces on operational deployments around the world. We are delighted that through this donation there will be many who will benefit by keeping that vital link with home.
Details of how to apply for an SSVC OWF grant can be found at www.ssvc.com
5 May 2005
SES ASTRA has published the latest results of its Satellite Monitors. The ASTRA Satellite Monitors, undertaken by leading research institutes in Europe on a yearly basis, are considered an industry benchmark due to their high quality information and key data on the European DTH markets.
The latest polls confirm ASTRA’s sustained audience growth within its footprint in 34 countries. By the start of 2005, the number of homes served by audiovisual broadcast and broadband services via the ASTRA Satellite System at the orbital positions of 19.2º and 28.2º East reached 102.7 million. This represents an increase of 8.3 million households or 8.8 %
Within the 30 traditional countries yearly surveyed by SES, the number of ASTRA homes increased by 3.6 million, pushing total ASTRA coverage in satellite and cable to 98.0 million homes. Furthermore, SES ASTRA measured for the first time ASTRA reception in Bosnia (520,000), Serbia (840,000), Morocco (2.78 million) and Tunisia (580,000). The surveys reveal that ASTRA is delivering services to an additional 4.8 million homes in these countries.
The research furthermore confirms the status of ASTRA as the leading satellite system for direct-to-home reception (DTH) in Europe. By the beginning of 2005, more than 41 million households in Europe and North Africa received ASTRA services directly via satellite, up from 36.4 million in 2003¹. Another 61.3 million homes receive ASTRA content via cable.
The study illustrates the success of both ASTRA direct-to-home platforms at 19.2° East and at 28.2° East: the DTH audience receiving via ASTRA at 19.2° East increased by 4.6 million (+16%) to 33.7 million homes. The ASTRA satellites at 28.2° East reached 7.6 million homes (representing an increase of 0.4 million or +5% compared to last year) – predominantly in the UK & Ireland.
France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK remained the traditional key markets for ASTRA satellite reception. ASTRA’s overall audience growth is driven by the ongoing increase of digital direct-to-home (DTH) reception across most European countries. At the beginning of 2005, 24 million homes received digital services via ASTRA at 19.2° or 28.2° East, up from 17.7 million at year-end 2003¹
ASTRA has consolidated its strong position in the digital marketplace in a very competitive environment. Three out four digital satellite homes within the ASTRA footprints receive services carried by ASTRA. As a consequence, digital reception now accounts for 58% of ASTRA’s total DTH reception, up from 49% in 2003¹
Last but not least, ASTRA is received by 17.3 million exclusively analogue satellite homes. 70% of these homes (more than 12 million) are located in the German-speaking countries with a strong analogue channel line-up.
