18 May 2004
New Zealands Minister for Broadcasting today announced a funding boost for Radio New Zealand International, New Zealands highly regarded international short-wave broadcaster servicing listeners in the Pacific.
The Government is to provide $2.64 million dollars capital in 2005 2006 for a new digital capable (DRM) short-wave transmitter. An additional $421,000 will be provided next year and in subsequent years to cover operating costs. Radio New Zealand International currently has just one analogue transmitter and it is nearing the end of its serviceable life.
Radio New Zealand International is the countrys only short-wave station, broadcasting 24 hours a day to audiences from Papua New Guinea in the west to French Polynesia in the east, covering all South Pacific countries in between.
While broadcasting mainly in English, Radio New Zealand International also carries news in seven Pacific languages, making it one of the most listened to stations in the South Pacific. News and information from the region flows back to this country through radio New Zealands domestic services providing an invaluable link home for New Zealands growing Pacific Island community.
Commenting on the funding announcement, Radio New Zealand Chief Executive, Peter Cavanagh, emphasised the importance of the Radio New Zealand International service:
The new transmitter will secure the long term future of what has become a vitally important service to the people of the Pacific region. This very welcome funding recognises the significant part played by Radio New Zealand International in increasing understanding and awareness of New Zealands role in the Pacific.
Radio New Zealand International played a critical role when Niue was devastated by cyclone Heta last year, providing the only means of communication with the outside world and Radio New Zealand International Manager, Linden Clark, says the Government announcement is a great boost for the broadcaster. Todays funding announcement means that our Radio New Zealand International programming can be delivered to the Pacific via a high quality signal … it’ll sound like FM. Weve known for a long time that our Pacific content is the best there is and now well know that our delivery system can match it. This is a great vote of confidence, it not only protects, but also strengthens the voice of New Zealand in the worlds most widespread region, a region where New Zealand really does make a difference.
18 May 2004
Kingston inmedia, the satellite services provider, has appointed Richard Vos, former chairman of Inmarsat, as chairman of the board. The appointment further strengthens the board of Kingston inmedia, which was acquired in a leveraged buyout in April 2004 by management and The Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm. The other members of the board include Nick Thompson, CEO, Julian Portman, Finance Director, and David FitzGerald and Bruno Mourgue dAlgue from The Carlyle Group.
Richard Vos was formerly chairman of Inmarsat, which he led following privatisation in 1999 through a private equity buyout in 2003 for $1.5 billion. He was a non-executive director of ESOA which is the association representing the interests of European Satellite Operators. Prior to Inmarsat he was head of Satellite Investments at BT, where he was responsible for the management of BTs investments of around £200 million in satellite companies and in the Intergovernmental Satellite Consortia. He also served as the UK Governor of the Board of INTELSAT, the satellite communications services company.
Nick Thompson, CEO of Kingston inmedia said; We are delighted Richard has agreed to join us as chairman. His broad experience in the satellite sector and knowledge of the industry will be of great value to us as we build the company.
Richard is currently chairman of the governments Telecommunications and Navigation Advisory Board, which acts as an interface between industry and the British National Space Centre, and is a non-executive director of NSSC Operations Ltd, the company responsible for the commercialisation of the National Space Science Centre. He also serves as an advisor on government relations for Inmarsat.
17 May 2004
The Dutch nationwide public service broadcaster NOS (Netherlands Omroep Stichting) will be using RadioScapes Professional DAB Broadcast Suite for its DAB radio service throughout The Netherlands. Nozema, the largest and most experienced broadcast infrastructure provider in The Netherlands, will be installing and running RadioScapes Broadcast Suite for NOS.
Hans Bakhuizen, senior policy adviser at NOS, said, We evaluated the RadioScape solution along with several others and selected it because it provides the flexibility and reliability that we, as a leading national broadcaster, require. RadioScapes solution is all software based so that enhancements can be easily implemented to ensure that we provide a state-of-the-art service to our listeners at all times.
The Professional DAB Broadcast Suite from RadioScape consists of a series of software modules, connected by a unique, IP-based architecture that controls and delivers audio and data from the studio together with any external service providers. It takes care of encoding and multiplexing to provide a complete baseband DAB broadcasting solution. RadioScapes easy to use scheduling software enables users to simply manage what has traditionally been a complex task. The software runs on standard industrial PCs so that hardware maintenance is straightforward. New software updates and enhancements can be easily uploaded to provide system improvements.
Nick Banks, RadioScapes DAB Infrastructure product manager, added, RadioScapes Broadcast Suite has been developed with the experience gained from many large scale deployments. In the UK, RadioScape equipment has enabled the worlds largest roll out of DAB, powering virtually all commercial broadcasts. This experience has ensured that our Broadcast Suite can scale to meet any countrys needs for both audio and data broadcasting.
17 May 2004
Eutelsat announced today that its new W3A satellite was successfully brought into full commercial service at 7 degrees East in the nights of May 15 to 16 and May 16 to 17 with the seamless transfer of all traffic to the new satellite from W3.
In addition to assuming all services formerly delivered by W3, Eutelsat’s new satellite substantially increases the business potential at one of Eutelsat’s most longstanding orbital locations by providing more capacity and extending coverage beyond Europe, the Middle East and North Africa to almost the entire African continent. In addition to Ku-band capacity, Eutelsat has deployed Ka-band frequencies and Skyplex on-board processing on W3A that in particular opens opportunities for broadband services between Europe and Africa such as voice over IP and Internet access.
Following launch on 16 March, W3A was positioned in geostationary orbit by Eutelsat in collaboration with prime contractor EADS Astrium and Telespazio. Tests of the spacecraft bus, the first in the Eurostar E3000 series, were completed on 31 March and the payload was subsequently tested and performance thoroughly verified during April on a test location. On 3 May, the satellite was triggered to begin a slow move towards its definitive operational position at 7 degrees East. It arrived on station on 14 May and was prepared for the transfer procedures.
The switch of services followed a meticulously planned sequence of events over two nights, with corporate clients such as Reuters and Hughes Network Systems being the first to move in the night of 16 May. In the night of 17 May the European Broadcasting Union’s Eurovision network, Digiturk’s pay-TV platform, RAI, TV Poland and other video clients were transferred. The majority of the switch manoeuvres lasted fewer than 30 seconds with the longest lasting fewer than 90 seconds.
Eutelsat’s W3 satellite, which went into service exactly five years ago, will start its drift later this month to 48 degrees East where it will continue its full commercial mission for clients with requirements in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and central Asia.
17 May 2004
Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) commissioned VT Merlin Communications to undertake a feasibility study into setting up digital broadcasts in the Hong Kong territory using the Digital Radio MondialeTM (DRMTM) system. RTHK has a number of analogue medium wave and FM radio services, but currently has no digital radio service. They were therefore keen to experience the benefits that the DRM system could bring to the region.
VT Merlin engineers conducted a pilot study during March 2004 utilising RTHK’s existing analogue transmitter on 783 kHz, which is broadcast 24/7 from its transmission facility at Golden Hill. During the test the analogue signal was suspended between 01:00 and 05:00 and the DRM signal was broadcast instead. A total of 47 RTHK sites located throughout the territory were included in the study, with measurements taken at each location. This clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of the digital system. The pilot transmissions also showed the flexibility of DRM by broadcasting dual language programmes in English and Cantonese over the same channel. VT Merlin also proved the possibilities for data transmission by sending electronic images during the regular audio service.
Peter Gordon, VT Merlin’s Head of Digitalisation commented: ” The results of this study are very encouraging and show RTHK how the DRM platform could
be constructed using existing broadcast infrastructure. We look forward to
helping RTHK to develop digital services in the future.”
VT Merlin is a founder member of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), a consortium of broadcast related organisations working to bring digital AM radio to the market place.
