2 July 2004
GlobeCast will deploy nine SNG (satellite newsgathering) trucks on location during the 2004 Tour de France to secure live transmissions, including world feed delivery, of the international cycling race for the Tour de France organizer A.S.O. (Amaury Sport Organisation), EBU (the European Broadcasting Union), francetélévisions, and Intelsat on behalf of OLN (Outdoor Life Network). The 2004 Tour de France takes place 3-25 July.
GlobeCasts SNG teams will mobilize at each stage of the Tour de France, providing both satellite and microwave trucks to transmit world feed footage from location to mobile studio facilities located at the finish line in Paris. The world feed is being filmed by SFP (Société Française de Production) on behalf of world feed producer francetélévisions. Up to 16 channels will be available from the GlobeCast field SNG units, which will also accommodate broadcasters unilateral feeds.
From the finish line studio, fiber will carry the produced world feed signal to four stationary SNG trucks dedicated to A.S.O., EBU, francetélévisions and Intelsat for OLN, furnished by GlobeCast for the entirely of the race. Additionally, GlobeCast will manage 24/7 booking and global satellite distribution to supply rightsholders throughout Asia, America and Australia.
The Tour de France is just one of the world’s major sporting events covered by GlobeCast every year.
2 July 2004
Philippine owned media giant ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation is to expand into Australia in the third quarter, according to newly appointed president Luis Alejandro.
In an interview with Business World, Mr Alejandro said ABS-CBN was also planning to penetrate potential markets in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore. “ABS-CBN Global, the wholly owned unit which runs the media giant’s international operations, will launch satellite services (in Australia) in the third quarter,” Mr Alejandro told the newspaper.
The media firm already runs a cable business in Australia where it distributes Philippine-produced content.
ABS-CBN sees its global unit as one of the major drivers for its growth as the domestic market is already saturated. ABS-CBN Global offers Philippine programmes to 1.3 million Filipinos in North America, the Middle East and Europe.
2 July 2004
From 1 July, VT Merlin Communications and Vosper Mantech will be known as VT Communications. The new name and brand will be rolled out over the coming months. VT Communications will not however be a legal entity and customers will continue to contract with either VT Merlin Communications or Vosper Mantech.
The new name and brand aims to enhance the existing image and allow the company to present a clearer offering for all its customers.
Together, VT Merlin Communications and Vosper Mantech form the Communications Division of VT Group plc. Significant integration of the two businesses had already taken place with a unified management structure and co-location of certain key functions. Increasingly, the combined capabilities of VT Merlin Communications and Vosper Mantech were used to satisfy customer requirements.
2 July 2004
As part of a major re-launch, Middle-East based broadcaster, Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI), has selected Encoda Systems to act as systems integrator and supplier to replace all its existing manual transmission and scheduling systems.
The phased implementation will see the installation of Encodas D Series Automation and programme scheduling and air-time sales solution Broadcast Master to transmit and manage its four current channels; EDTV, Channel 33, Dubai Sports and Dubai Business Channel. In addition, Broadcast Masters commercial sales module will allow DMI to optimise sales revenue from commercial air-time for the first time.
In order to make this critical project run as smoothly as possible it was essential we contracted a single vendor with outstanding technical depth and expertise gained from managing substantial and sophisticated projects, explains Hassan Chahine, technical director of DMI. Encoda was the only company that could provide a one-stop-shop solution for automation and scheduling that fully met our needs and guaranteed delivery, implementation and training to our extremely high quality standards and within our demanding timescales.
DMIs re-launch marks yet another milestone in the creation of the center of excellence for media, which General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister pledged to build in Dubai in 2000, said Angelika Bergmann, EMEA president of Encoda. We are delighted Encodas existing clients in Dubai Media City are being joined by DMI ensuring the Emirate becomes a world class center for broadcasters in the region.
2 July 2004
The Indian television broadcaster, DOORDARSHAN has chosen Autocues QSeries NRCS and QSeries Automation, in the form of Cap Gen Control, for seven regional newsrooms. The shipments have already taken place and installations shall begin soon.
The regional newsrooms shall be scattered at various places all over the country and each of them shall have remote licenses too since Doordarshans central newsroom has also been Autocues QSeries in recent years. Currently Doordarshans 24 hours News Channel, DD News is using 35 QSeries Licenses.
Autocue now has ten QSeries Newsroom installations in India. Richard K. Dukes, Autocue Executive Sales and Marketing Director, states India is Autocues leading business market in Asia and the subcontinent and everyone is excited by this latest success in this most important market.
