13 September 2017
Arqiva, the UK’s leading communications infrastructure and media services company, has extended its lease for C and Ku-band capacity with Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat), Asia’s leading satellite operator for sports content delivery across the Asia-Pacific.
The agreement will see Arqiva’s continued use of AsiaSat 5 to deliver a broad range of sporting events to Asian viewers, from football and cricket, to volleyball and tennis. The new agreement also provides Arqiva the option of using Ku-band capacity on AsiaSat 7, allowing additional flexibility in the deployment of smaller antennas for occasional use and live events. Arqiva’s expanded collaboration with AsiaSat demonstrates AsiaSat’s capability in presenting a wide range of satellite capacity of the quality and penetration that meets clients’ distribution needs. AsiaSat’s ubiquitous coverage now plays an essential role in Arqiva’s global content delivery network.
David Crawford, Managing Director, Satellite and Media at Arqiva, said, “In addition to our continued commitment to provide services in the Asia-Pacific region, this lease extension with AsiaSat gives Arqiva and our customers true flexibility for future live events. Our on-going strategic partnership with AsiaSat reinforces our commitment to providing premium occasional use services in the market.”
Barrie Woolston, Chief Commercial Officer of AsiaSat said, “We are delighted to support Arqiva with an expanding range of high quality capacity, enabling Arqiva to enjoy great flexibility and efficiency for delivering the best possible content distribution solutions to their clients, alongside the benefits of AsiaSat satellites’ strong penetration in the Asian TV market.”
(Source: AsiaSat press release)
13 September 2017
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to resolve claims brought by the Azerbaijani government that have hampered its news reporting inside the country for almost three years.
“We have been unable to make any progress on clearing these charges through the Azerbaijani judicial system,” said RFE/RL President Thomas Kent. “The charges are baseless, and as Azerbaijan is under the jurisdiction of the ECHR, we’ve decided to take our case there.”
RFE/RL’s Baku bureau was raided and shut down by state agents in December 2014 on charges, including two tax-related claims, the company has repeatedly said are bogus. While it has sought to challenge the tax case at all levels of the country’s judiciary (other charges were overturned in 2016), the Supreme Court ruled to suspend further review until what authorities say is a parallel, criminal investigation is complete. RFE/RL lawyers have questioned the validity of the criminal investigation, which began with the raid and has dragged on despite a requirement under Azerbaijani law that it be completed by the end of 2016. It has produced no charges or report.
Says Kent, “We can only conclude that this so-called investigation is an exercise in obfuscation. It has produced no evidence of wrongdoing, but it has kept our Baku bureau in legal limbo and created a threatening atmosphere for our journalists.”
RFE/RL’s appeal to the ECHR, filed in June, cites Articles 6.1 and 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Azerbaijan is a signatory, which provide for the right to a fair trial within a reasonable amount of time and the right to an effective remedy.
In addition to seeking remedy through the courts, RFE/RL has repeatedly appealed to Azerbaijan’s prosecutor general to resolve the status of its Baku bureau. Most recently, in a letter this past August, RFE/RL requested an update on the criminal investigation; the return of company stamps, seals, and documents that were seized during the 2014 raid and are needed if the bureau is to be reopened; and the release of bureau bank accounts that were frozen, with funds totaling more than $70,000. Authorities have acknowledged receipt of the letter but have issued no reply.
Separately, RFE/RL has filed locally to appeal a court-approved blockage of the Azerbaijani Service’s website for “posing a threat” to the country’s national security and for publishing “extremist content.” The ban has been in effect since March. No court date has yet been set.
RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service, known locally as Radio Azadliq, is an indispensable source of independent news in the country, actively publishing text, audio, and video content on the web, via satellite, and on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and other digital platforms.
(Source: RFE/RL press release)
12 September 2017
CEO John F. Lansing issued the following statement on the closing of RFA’s Phnom Penh Bureau:
“In recent days, the intimidation campaign by Cambodia’s government against free speech has intensified. As a result, and out of concern for the security and safety of its journalists, Radio Free Asia (RFA) has made the difficult decision to suspend operations of its news bureau in Phnom Penh.”
“In this interconnected age of borderless news and information, the Broadcasting Board of Governors is committed to achieving our mission of informing, engaging, and connecting people around the world in support of freedom and democracy. There has never been a more important time to hold governments accountable for treating press freedom as a human right and a universal priority. The Cambodian government’s actions have only strengthened our resolve to continue to respond to threats and harassment with accurate, factual reporting, analysis, and other vital information.”
“We condemn this crackdown and again call on the Cambodian authorities to permit journalists to do their important work in safe, unfettered conditions; and to allow the programs of BBG networks back onto FM stations in the country.”
“We salute the dedication and determination of the journalists of RFA, and independent media outlets in Cambodia who provide much-needed news and information to audiences eager for the truth.”
(Source: BBG press release)
12 September 2017
Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat) announced that it will participate in the Exhibition of the International Broadcasting Conference IBC-2017 in Amsterdam from 15th to 19th September. IBC is considered to be the largest international gathering attended by experts and professionals engaged in the field of Satellite TV broadcasting.
Eng./Khalid bin Ahmed Balkheyour, ARABSAT President & CEO said that Arabsat will showcase its new satellite services in addition to its new and updated marketing and sales strategies to accommodate market demands.
(Source: Arabsat press release)
6 September 2017
Cyfrowy Polsat Group, Poland’s leading media and telecommunications group, today signed a long-term contract with Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) for the lease of multiple transponders. The agreement covers the extension of existing capacity and expansion at the HOTBIRD video position. This new contract for capacity at Poland’s most popular video neighbourhood consolidates a collaboration that began in 1992 with the launch of Polsat, Poland’s first commercial channel, on a Eutelsat satellite.
The new contract adds 33 MHz to the capacity already used at the HOTBIRD position by Cyfrowy Polsat, Poland’s largest satellite platform and pay-TV operator and TV Polsat, the leading commercial broadcaster in Poland. The capacity will support the continued expansion of digital entertainment services and raise the bar for enhanced image quality. TV Polsat provides 24 popular channels under its brand and Cyfrowy Polsat offers approximately 180 channels, including over 80 in HD, in 4.8 million pay-TV subscriptions.
Dariusz Działkowski, CTO at Cyfrowy Polsat S.A. and Telewizja Polsat Sp. z o.o., said: “As Poland’s leading media group and the largest pay-TV platform, we have always placed the quality of our services among our priorities and their regular development as one of the main goals of our business strategy. The new satellite capacity and long-term cooperation with a reliable partner create a stable environment and give us a lot of comfort in these two areas.”
Michel Azibert, Eutelsat Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial & Development Officer, added: “The launch of Polsat on a Eutelsat satellite 25 years ago heralded the beginning of a multi-channel market that has evolved into a vibrant and innovative business offering viewers the benefits of quality, choice and diversity, and has seen Cyfrowy Polsat grow into one of Europe’s largest pay-TV platforms. We are proud to cement our collaboration with a new contract that underscores the continuing leadership of the HOTBIRD neighbourhood across Europe and chosen home for more than 200 channels in Polish.”
(Source: Eutelsat press release)
