15 January 2004
On 7 January 2004, the French government officially launched the process of integration of RFO (France Overseas Network) with the state-owned group France Televisions, with the promise that there would be no job losses at RFO.
The bill turning RFO into a fully-fledged component of France Televisions on the same footing with France 2, France 3 and France 5, will be submitted to the National Assembly in February, and Culture and Communications Minister Jean-Jacques Aillagon said that the process of integration should take place by the end of 2004.
According to the government, RFO’s integration in the state-owned group is aimed at sustaining its development. It should enable RFO to ensure greater observance of the territorial continuity of national broadcasts, and to produce more local programmes, while the other networks of the France Televisions group, both national and theme-based, would be able to give a picture of life in the overseas territories.
7 January 2004
AIB Member Radio Prague, the international arm of Czech Radio, has signed a contract with VT Merlin Communications – also an AIB Member -to broadcast programming on its network of high power short wave radio transmitters. The programme is a daily service in Spanish directed at the Southern Americas. It runs from 0000 to 0030 UTC on a frequency of 11.665 KHz.
The programme is down linked from the Eurobird satellite in the UK. It is then sent via fully staffed control facilities, to a transmission site operated by VT Merlin in the Atlantic. This enables a live broadcast to be made, providing listeners with up to the minute news and information.
The use of a transmission facility close to the target area will enable listeners to receive Radio Prague’s programmes clearly. The broadcast is made at 250KW.
Miroslav Krupicka, Director of Radio Prague said, “This is a good opportunity to enhance our listenership in South America. With the advent of new technologies such as the Internet and DRM, we also want to demonstrate that we do not forget about our short wave audience. The first reports from our listeners are encouraging.”
Richard Hurd, Head of Transmission Services at VT Merlin Communications commented “Radio Prague and VT Merlin Communications discussed this opportunity at the AIB Global Media Business Conference in London in 2003. We are proud that Czech Radio have trusted us with their international transmission requirements. This is the start of a new broadcast relationship which will benefit Radio Prague’s listeners and programme makers.”
7 January 2004
Elections to the AIB’s Executive Committee are underway. There are six places on the Committee, which is the body that steers the direction of the Association and guides the work of the permanent staff. The Executive Committee also represents the overall interests of the AIB’s Members in setting the organisation’s strategic direction.
Candidates are:
Tom Wragg, Autocue Limited
Alan Booth, BBC World Service
Mark Smith, BT Broadcast Services
Dennis Israel, InterMedia Survey Institute
Jeff White, National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters
Elzbieta Olechowska, Radio Canada International
Thomas Dine, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Linden Clark, Radio New Zealand International
Mike Chandler, SES-Astra
Voting closes on 12 December at 1700 GMT.
7 January 2004
Viewers of Hong Kong’s new direct-to-home pay-TV operation, exTV, will benefit from international channels including BBC World, Bloomberg, CNBC Asia and Nickelodeon Asia.
exTV is due on the air in February, joining another five pay-TV platforms available in the SAR of Hong Kong.
7 January 2004
Star News has been given permission to uplink from India, bringing the channel to viewers of cable systems and DTH installations across the sub-continent. The Indian government had initially refused to give permission for the channel to be broadcast (see The Channel, September 2003) but has now relented, apparently changing the rules to allow the News Corporation-owned service to begin operations.
