12 April 2005
PanAmSat Corporation has entered into a multi-year agreement with China Radio International (CRI), China’s sole overseas radio network. Under the terms of the agreement, CRI will leverage the power of three of PanAmSat’s satellites – the PAS-8 Pacific Ocean Region satellite, the PAS-9 Atlantic Ocean Region satellite and the PAS-10 Indian Ocean Region satellite. Through PanAmSat, China Radio International will reach listeners around the world in eight different languages via its 36 audio channels.
PanAmSat will provide C-band capacity on PAS-8, PAS-9 and PAS-10 and turn-around service at its Napa, California teleport to facilitate the global distribution of CRI’s programming. The network will initially broadcast in eight languages and plans to expand to 39 over time. Its programming fare includes 200 hours of daily airtime comprised of news, music, commentary and entertainment.
12 April 2005
As from 6 April, viewers in Ontario are able to watch GERMAN TV as Cogeco Cable has added GERMAN TV to its bouquet of digital Pay TV channels. GERMAN TV is now available in Burlington, Oakville, Lindsay, Milton, Georgetown, Ancaster, Dundas, Greensville, Hamilton-Stoney Creek and Flamborough on channel 106 (www.cogeco.com).
Oliver Mojen, GERMAN TVs Head of Programmes sees this as an important step towards the goal of covering Canada entirely. On 8 April, German TV celebrated its third anniversary. It is a joint venture of Germanys broadcasters ARD, ZDF and Deutsche Welle. Its mission is to provide German-speaking viewers abroad with the best of German public service television. Currently the channel has 18.500 subscribers, an increase of 85% since autumn 2004. In the US, GERMAN TV is partnering with one of the leading satellite networks, DISH Network/EchoStar. In Canada GERMAN TV entered the market successfully in partnership with Rogers Cable. The channel has also launched on Time Warner Cable in New York, thus covering the largest regional German-speaking market in North America. GERMAN TV is currently available in the US, Canada, Mexiko, the Dominican Republic and Chile. Plans are underway to extend coverage to Brasil via satellite.
11 April 2005
Quantel has introduced News to Go a brand new concept based on a brand new product – Newsbox. Newsbox is a range of seriously affordable, pre-packaged integrated news production systems.
Never before has such a potent combination of capability, power and efficiency been available off-the-shelf to broadcasters. The pre-packaged approach of Newsbox ensures that server-based production need no longer be regarded as a major systems purchase. Now with Newsbox, every broadcaster can match the look and speed to air of even the largest stations.
Newsbox is a convenient, self-contained unit that comes with all that is needed to ingest material, view rushes, choose shots, edit stories, review finished pieces and play them out to air. Its common progressive user interface and toolset are exactly the same as all the sQ systems from Quantel that are powering the news operations of some of the worlds greatest broadcasters.
New ingest and playout automation from Quantel completes the Newsbox package, making it in effect the worlds first self-automating server. The Newsbox difference comes in the packaging of the server, which has been re-engineered to bring a new level of compactness and affordability a complete and very powerful, one-stop news shop from just $199K. Now every broadcaster, no matter what their market size, can benefit from the magic of the Quantel news workflow.
News to Go has a second meaning and a second application for Newsbox too; Newsbox can literally take news on the road. A complete Newsbox system can fit into two 24 inch flightcases and can be up and running on location in a couple of minutes.
Since Newsbox comes completely pre-configured with standard cables, computers, a switch and the server itself, it can remove the risk of stepping into the world of server based news production systems. In fact, we would aim to have a customer up and running in a matter of hours, says Joe Torelli, Quantel Director of Broadcast Applications. And while the system may be pre-packaged, what it can do for the look of news output is anything but off-the-shelf; Newsbox puts every broadcaster on the same playing field as the majors.
11 April 2005
OmniBus Systems, the award-winning provider of comprehensive automation and content management solutions to the broadcast industry, announced that the company will be integrating its automation systems with the HP broadband and media portfolio. Specifically, OmniBus will standardize its solutions on the HP ProLiant server platform, which is based on Intel. and AMDT processors.
OmniBus will work closely with HP to size and specify ProLiant servers that are required for customers’ specific broadcast automation applications. The two companies will leverage resources to offer consistent and competitively priced solutions to all shared clients while meeting the unique needs of
each.
“Our goal at OmniBus is to provide the best, most economical automation solutions for our customers, and by standardizing on HP servers, we offer broadcasters a wide variety of options — often within the context of agreements they have already established with HP,” said Tim Mendoza, OmniBus Systems director of business development. “HP has set the worldwide standard for server systems, and the company’s experience in delivering high-quality products to clients across the globe will be an invaluable asset as we approach our shared customer base.”
OmniBus Systems’ automation and asset management solutions address every area of television broadcasting, facilitating processes from acquisition and recording of material through low- and high-resolution editing, media asset management, and playout to final archiving. As a software partner in HP’s broadband and media portfolio, OmniBus will receive sales, marketing, and engineering assistance.
In addition to providing solutions for customers requiring automation applications, the two companies will work together in expanding shared sales channels. Other areas of opportunity stemming from this OmniBus initiative include the development of benchmarks based on industry-standard servers that will enable identification of optimal configurations for specific applications and help reduce time to market.
“OmniBus is an important partner in our broadband and media portfolio, and we look forward to working collaboratively in sales within the cable MSO and broadcast entertainment verticals,” said Gabriele DiPiazza, director, Broadband and Media Solutions, HP. “We share with OmniBus a common desire to provide customers with cost-effective, standards-based IT solutions. As a result, we are equipped to deliver flexible solutions that integrate smoothly into broadcast infrastructures.”
The HP broadband and media portfolio provides solutions, including consulting and integration services, in all key phases of the digital content process from content creation, management, and production to distribution and real-time delivery.
11 April 2005
PanAmSat announced on 7 April that Grupo W-Com, a Grupo PEGASO company, has selected PanAmSat to support its new satellite-based broadband Internet service. Pegaso Banda Ancha will provide DTH providers, local telcos and cable television operators with nationwide two-way broadband service for consumers, enterprises and hotels. Pegaso Banda Ancha plans to initiate its service in Mexico and expand to Central and South America as well as the United States.
“The scale and scope of Pegaso Banda Ancha is unprecedented. This project underscores the importance and strength of our partnership with Grupo Pegaso as we team up to bring satellite-based IP services to Mexico,” said Carmen Gonzalez Sanfeliu, vice president, Latin America Operations, PanAmSat. “The unique advantage of satellites is they can be quickly deployed and activated anywhere there is a clear view of the sky. By making this solution affordable and competitive, we are able to bring broadband to many more locations than ever before.”
PanAmSat is supporting Pegaso Banda Ancha with a combination of satellite and terrestrial services including dedicated national Mexican coverage on its PAS-1R spacecraft as well as high speed Internet connectivity and ground support for Pegaso’s Surfbeam hub in PanAmSat’s global customer service center located in Ellenwood, Georgia. “Through this partnership, we can now provide residential customers and corporations with high speed Internet access via satellite at a price that is directly competitive with similar terrestrial offerings,” said Javier Braun Burillo, general director of Pegaso Banda Ancha. “In addition, we are able to reach areas that are currently not served by traditional high speed terrestrial connections. This is truly the first alternative to terrestrial broadband communications in the region.”
Grupo PEGASO and PanAmSat Corporation aligned in 2001 to form PanAmSat de Mexico, Mexico’s first service provider authorized to use non-Mexican satellites, which provides video, data and Internet services as well as the greatest broadband capacity available throughout Mexico. PanAmSat de Mexico also offers access to PanAmSat’s global satellite fleet to deliver solutions to data and video customers in Mexico. “When we forged our partnership with Pegaso four years ago, we shared a common objective of bringing broadband via satellite to Mexico and the Americas.
“Pegaso is an expert in the Mexican market and has perfectly timed the introduction of this service,” said Bruce Haymes, senior vice president, Business Development, PanAmSat. “We are delighted to be their partner and we look forward to expanding our relationship and service offerings with them.”
PanAmSat’s PAS-1R Atlantic Ocean Region spacecraft is a Boeing 702, one of the world’s largest, most powerful commercial geostationary satellites. With 72 transponders, it offers an expanded and enhanced reach throughout the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa. The Atlanta teleport is PanAmSat’s primary satellite transmissions gateway to Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America. It provides crucial turnaround services between the Atlantic Ocean Region and the U.S.
