19 August 2003
Pilat Media Global plc announces a new contract with TV3, New Zealands second largest free-to-air broadcaster, to integrate and streamline its programme content and ad sales using Pilat Medias Integrated Broadcast Management System (IBMS).
TV3 (part of Canadian CanWest group) is a free-to-air national broadcaster that reaches 98% of New Zealands population.
TV3 will utilise IBMS to streamline and integrate its programme content, ad sales and traffic management operations, to progress from process-orientated functions to value-oriented functions, thereby eliminating duplication of data and automating manual processes. Using a wholly integrated approach, more informed business decisions can be made by the sales, programming, promotions, and operations departments. Previously, due to deficiencies in the current systems and processes it was not possible to integrate all of these departments.
15 August 2003
Radio Australia’s parent body, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, has announced budget cuts of 17m US dollars. The ABC’s managing director, Russell Balding, says the cuts are due to the corporation’s failure to secure additional funding by the Australian government in the last federal budget. The cuts had been forecast some time ago.
In his statement, Mr Balding says the ABC board has approved management proposals for cuts to programmes and non-programme areas. Included is the already announced cut to digital television services. There will be further reduction in television advertising, schools production, live sport and News and Current Affairs budgets in television and radio. It reamins to be seen whether ABC AsiaPacific or Radio Australia will also suffer.
Around 100 positions will be affected, although redundancies will be limited to 20 to 25 jobs, said Russell Balding.
15 August 2003
Radio Korea International, South Korea’s external radio broadcaster, is marking its 50th anniversary by introducing broadcasts via satellite delivered by AIB member World Radio Network.
Broadcasts in English, French, German and Russian from Radio Korea International (part of the Korean Broadcasting System, the country’s public service broadcaster) will be delivered via WRN’s radio networks.
Ms Han Hee-Joo, Executive Director of Radio Korea International said: “Radio Korea International is celebrating its Golden Jubilee and in commemoration of this very special year, RKI is diversifying its platforms for the future by launching satellite audio broadcasting in English, French, German and Russian, via World Radio Network.”
15 August 2003
Berlin has become the first area in Europe to abandon analogue terrestrial TV transmissions. The region’s terrestrial TV services are now available on digital platforms only. Since most household TV sets are still designed for analogue reception, many viewers have had to invest in set-top decoders.
According to the Berlin-Brandenburg Media Authority, 150,000 of the 170,000 households who depended on the analogue service had bought the set-top boxes ahead of the 4th of August changeover.
Next year the federal states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and North Rhine-Westphalia will also introduce digital terrestrial TV.The German parliament has decided that analogue broadcasting should be completely phased out by 2010. Analogue reception remains possible via satellite and cable systems.
