3 November 2003
Hostile rebels with missile launchers are watching every flight that risks landing at Baghdad International Airport. But the struggle towards peace continues, and AIB member ND SatCom has been chosen by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to implement a satellite-based air traffic control network for Iraqi airspace as part of the reconstruction process.
The ATC network, consisting of six satellite ground stations, will enable IATA to re-open the airspace, which has been closed down for more than 12 years, to civil air traffic.
The ATC network will be imbedded in the “Air Safety Programme” in which neighbouring countries such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Syria are already participating. Next to the North Atlantic route, the routes to the Middle East, India and South East Asia are amongst the busiest in the world.
3 November 2003
Starhub’s planned launch of its digital cable service has run into a wall of angry viewers, particularly those with older video cassette recorders. Incoming digital signals from StarHub interfere with the preset frequency of some VCRs, resulting in poor or no TV reception or video playback. TV sets not connected to VCRs are not affected by the digital signals.
StarHub’s assistant vice-president for corporate communications Jeannie Ong said the company had anticipated that some VCRs, especially older ones, would face the problem. StarHub said it will again send mailers about the upgrade to all households. Ms Ong said that with digital cable technology, viewers could look forward by the year’s end to more channels and interactive TV services such as an electronic programme guide and future applications such as e-mail, SMS and games.
Simon Twiston Davies, chief executive of the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA), said: “Digital TV is not going to revolutionize TV watching overnight. It will take time.” The Media Development Authority (MDA) told The Straits Times it “will monitor the situation and ensure that digital broadcasters retain their current analogue services until there is a substantial digital TV take-up rate.”
27 October 2003
AIB member Radio New Zealand International is back on shortwave. And to prove just how far the broadcasts from such a small broadcaster can reach, good reception was noted on 11820 kHz in the south of France.
The shortwave transmitter had been off the air since Saturday 30 August. The station’s web site reported: “Spare parts have arrived and we are back on the air. The transmitter is still under test but we hope our service has now returned to normal”.
RNZI has now ended its temporary relays over a transmitter leased from Radio Australia. In common with other international broadcasters, RNZI makes its seasonal schedule changes on Sunday 26 October. The current and new schedules can be found on the RNZI web site.
27 October 2003
The BBC Brazilian service BBC Brasil has further expanded its presence on the Brazilian media market through partnerships with CBN, RadioBras and online provider, Terra.com.
Following a deal signed with CBN, the main national all-news radio network in Brazil, the rebroadcaster will now take up BBC Brasil’s two new 30-minute programmes.
Cooperation is gaining momentum between BBC and its rebroadcasting partner in Brazil, state radio and TV network Radiobras. For the first time, the BBC’s international charity, BBC World Service Trust, has organised a special workshop for Radiobras journalists under its “Who Cares?” project.
The BBC is also expanding its online presence in Brazil. As a result of the deal between BBC and Terra.com – one of the largest access and content providers in Latin America – a whole new audience will now have access to BBC online product in Portuguese. The multimedia content of BBC Brazilian Service online site – bbcbrasil.com – will be distributed across Terra.com portals in Brazil.
22 October 2003
Speculation persists that one-time small phone company Kingston Communications, which started as a telephone company in the UK city of Hull and grew in the great technology boom into 6 operating divisions, may soon be broken up.
The division which most international broadcasting people know about is satellite division Kingston inmedia, specialising in enterprise, broadcast and Internet solutions to business customers. The other divisions include business services, call centre operations and local UK operations such as broadband and directories.
CEO Steve Maine was suddenly sacked recently, and the CEO-designate Malcolm Fallen is in believed to be in favour of a breakup. Likely purchasers of the UK-based bits of the business include UK telecoms operator Thus, IT services and telecoms provider Energis and communications specialist Colt Communications. Perhaps Kingston inmedia, being so internationally-based, will be a target for a buyer already in the international broadcasting field.
