22 September 2003
InterWorld Radio is capitalising on the growth of urban radio stations worldwide with the launch of its brand new website – www.interworldradio.net.
Any radio station that signs up to InterWorld Radio (IWR) via its website joins an emerging network of radio stations around the world finding new ways to cover topical, global issues for local audiences. Stations have the opportunity to find out what other stations are doing through interviews uploaded onto the site, through monthly emailed newsletters and by contacting each other directly.
“We’ve been working with stations for a couple of years now and our new website has been designed based on the feedback they’ve given us,” says InterWorld Radio director, Francesca Silvani.
“Audio files are now easier to download,” she explains,” and each programme comes with a full transcript, links to useful resources, and ideas on how to use them to set up studio discussions and phone-ins.”
22 September 2003
Two of the world’s richest media groups are interested in taking over Britains leading commercial broadcaster ITV. Although funded by advertising, ITV has for many years carried out a quasi-public service role.
Viacom, the world’s largest media group, confirmed it might consider a deal, as did Saban Capital Group, the US private equity company led by Haim Saban, the media entrepreneur. Both offers are conditional on a merger between the two ITV companies Carlton and Granada.
Meanwhile Greg Dyke, Director-General of the BBC, Britains leading public broadcaster, has launched a scathing attack on the “small coterie in Downing Street” behind new laws that will allow ITV being taken over by an American company for the first time.
22 September 2003
DVB-RCS is Belgacoms broadband platform, using 2-way satellite technology. With new developments ready for roll-out, the Belgacom solution will enable ISPs in infrastructure-poor regions the possibility to offer their customers broadband services.
Belgacom is working in partnership with Eutelsat and Newtec to provide these services. There is widespread use of broadband in Europe, North America and many Asian countries, because of existing sophisticated infrastructure.
But many regions lack the necessary infrastructure and Internet use suffers as a result. DVB-RCS offers an answer by enabling broadband via satellite. DVB-RCS is an Open Standard technology, and allows multiple ISPs to use the same platform. ISPs can then develop their own broadband solution for their customers.
19 September 2003
The US Broadcasting Board of Governors has been busy strengthening the signals of Radio and TV Marti, to allow the people of Cuba access to news and information not censored by the Cuban government. The next move is to see if TV Marti can be sent to the Cuban people by satellite. This would allow viewers in Cuba to receive the TV Marti signal via free-to-air reception, so that TV Marti can be viewed by anyone with a dish and an ordinary digital receiver. Radio Marti’s signal would also be included in the transmission.
Satellite power will be provided by Hispasat, with a footprint covering all of Cuba and nearly all of Latin America. Satellite receivers now on the island can be easily tuned to receive the signal. According to various commercial sources, satellite dishes are being used by more and more Cubans, and the numbers continue to rise.
Said BBG Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson: We expect that as a powerful television signal with reliable, objective news and information becomes available to the Cuban people, it will inevitably find viewers. If we build it, they will come.
19 September 2003
German company Sonarics Labs has unveiled a high-performance DAB radio reference design that may be a significant step towards more affordable digital radio receivers.
Sonarics Labs CSM1 DAB-ready reference design breaks the DAB module cost barrier of 25 dollars, enabling digital radio manufacturers to advance towards high-performance, cost-effective products. This was possible because of Sonarics’ unique technology for implementing the radio in software on a low-cost general-purpose DSP.
The chip used in CSM1 is from the Analog Devices BlackfinT DSP family and sells for less than US $5. Sonarics software enables key radio features required by modern electronic device consumers, including DAB Band III and L-Band reception, MP3 playback from MMC and digital sound recording.
The design could aid the transition from early-adopter to mass-market, as it is aimed at manufacturers of the next generation of low-cost, high-performance digital radios. It enables swift engineering and production cycle.
