5 August 2004
The BBC has joined forces with Cosmote, Greeces leading telecommunications company, and the Greek media group, Imako Media S. A. to launch its international news content and breaking news alerts on the new i-mode platform for mobile phones in Greece. Starting in August, the BBC news headlines and summaries, in Greek and English, along with breaking news alerts in English will be displayed on an i-mode platform hosted by the Greek mobile operator, Cosmote and provided by Imako Media S.A.
The BBC content has been made available to the i-mode subscribers in Greece following an agreement with Imako Media S.A. The BBC site is added to the list of sites in i-modes News/Weather category provided in Greece exclusively by Cosmote.
Head of BBC World Service Business Development Miles Palmer welcomed the development as a step forward toward an even more innovative and comprehensive Internet mobile service for Greece: The BBC has a lot to offer to mobile phone subscribers in Greece. Through i-mode we will be able to provide them with breaking news alerts and distinctive, authoritative, reliable and impartial news and current affairs content, updated every five minutes, 24 hours a day, in Greek and English.
5 August 2004
PanAmSat Corporation has appointed Mike Antonovich as executive vice president of global sales and marketing. In this role, Mr. Antonovich will continue to lead the company’s global sales and marketing programme which includes: programme distribution, broadcast contribution, telecommunications and networking services.
Since joining PanAmSat in 1989 as a manager of broadcast services, Mr. Antonovich has served in a wide variety of senior leadership positions including in North American sales, Pacific Ocean Region sales, global sales and most recently, assumed the responsibility of leading the Company’s marketing initiatives worldwide, serving as senior vice president of global sales and marketing.
Prior to his tenure with PanAmSat, Mr. Antonovich worked for Group W Satellite Communications and the ESPN sports network in a variety of production, post-production and operations positions. His experience in the broadcast and satellite industries spans over 25 years.
5 August 2004
Germanys international broadcaster Deutsche Welle announced in July that the Canadian Radio and TV Commission (CRTC) has approved DWs application for a licence to transmit GERMAN TV in Canada. GERMAN TV is currently negotiating with several Canadian cable and satellite providers to bring the best of public service TV to German-speaking households in Canada. GERMAN TV is a joint initiative of ARD, ZDF and DW. At present, the 24 hour programme is available in the US, Chile, Mexico and Brasil.
5 August 2004
Citing the “promising initiatives” of U.S. international broadcasting in the Arab world, Iran and Afghanistan, the bi-partisan panel investigating the September 11, 2001 attacks called for increased funding for those efforts. “The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has asked for much larger resources,” the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States said in its report. “It should get them.”
On page 377 of its report, the 9/11 commission made the following recommendation: “Recognizing that Arab and Muslim audiences rely on satellite television and radio, the government has begun some promising initiatives in television and radio broadcasting to the Arab world, Iran, and Afghanistan. These efforts are beginning to reach large audiences.”
Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, chairman of the BBG, the independent federal agency that oversees all U.S. international broadcasting, said of the report’s recommendations, “We believe that the people of the Middle East and elsewhere are best served by providing them the truth. That’s what our broadcasting does.”
Currently, the BBG’s annual budget of more than $550 million goes to broadcasts around the world through various entities, including the Voice of America (VOA); Alhurra television and Radio Sawa, Arabic-language broadcasts; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Radio Free Asia (RFA.)
Since 9/11, the BBG has taken steps to dramatically increase its broadcasting to key areas.
The Middle East: Alhurra, a new satellite television channel launched in February 2004, is aimed at Arabic-speaking viewers in 22 countries across the Middle East. Radio Sawa, a 24/7 station, has garnered large audiences of young people in the region with its mix of news, information and Western and Arabic music.
Iran: Radio Farda, a youth-oriented, 24/7 radio, covers news about Iran, along with entertainment and features. It is a joint project of VOA and RFE/RL. VOA-TV launched a successful, daily, Persian-language show, News and Views, broadcast to audiences by satellite. Additionally, VOA has a Persian service and two other weekly television shows.
Afghanistan: Audiences in that country are able to listen to a 24-hour stream of news, information and other programs in Dari and Pashto. These are run by the VOA and Radio Free Afghanistan, which is part of RFE/RL. Additionally, the BBG arranged for two medium-wave transmitters to be installed in Kabul – one for the BBG, the other for Afghanistan to help bolster its media.
Pakistan: The VOA recently expanded its Urdu service to 12 hours daily to reach more Urdu-speaking listeners in Pakistan and parts of India.
5 August 2004
Software Generation Ltd (SGL), a leading provider of video storage management software, has announced its partnership with Autocue, a chief supplier of integrated broadcast and newsroom systems.
The SGL and Autocue collaboration will see the integration of SGL FlashNet, the company’s leading software storage solution, which provides the link between video stored as files on video servers, editing systems, and the long term archive library, and Autocue’s QNews and QMedia solutions. From the Autocue application interface users will be able to send and retrieve material directly to and from the library. The solution is already being used by a major news channel on the US East Coast.
SGL FlashNet will be exhibited on Autocue’s stand 7.329 throughout IBC2004.
