26 July 2016
Arqiva, the communications infrastructure and media services company, has today announced a partnership with Welsh free-to-air TV channel S4C, enabling its delivery in High Definition (HD).
Delivered by Arqiva’s spot-beam satellite technology, S4C HD launched on 7 June 2016 – three days prior to coverage of the UEFA Euro 2016 Championships, which saw the Welsh national team reach the semi-finals and attracted an audience of over 416,000 football fans throughout the course of the competition.
The channel – available on Sky and Freesat 104 in Wales (and Sky 134 and Freesat 120 in the rest of the UK) as well as on-demand platforms, including BBC iPlayer – will deliver high definition, Welsh-language broadcast coverage watched by over 629,000 viewers a week on- and offline.
Steve Cowin, Chief Technical Officer at S4C commented: “HD is important for TV viewers in 2016 – it is something that audiences both expect and deserve. The fact that we were able to do this in time for the UEFA 2016 Euro Championship was very important for us.
“We’re pleased to be extending our partnership with Arqiva to include the delivery of this HD option. From day one the HD stream was nearly faultless, meaning minimal alterations during transmission testing and final deployment within a short time period.
“The successful channel launch means our local audiences can now enjoy content – be that original drama (like Y Gwyll) entertainment, news or sports – both in high quality and Welsh-language, which is a significant step forward for us.”
David Crawford, Managing Director of Satellite & Media at Arqiva commented: “At Arqiva we pride ourselves on delivering high quality, reliable satellite solutions, and consider service excellence and client support core aspects of our DNA.
“Having delivered S4C in SD via DTT broadcast for many years, we’re delighted that the channel has confirmed its confidence in Arqiva’s expertise by extending its HD business to our talented satellite communications team. We look forward to continuing our relationship with S4C, helping them to deliver an even higher standard of content to their Welsh and wider UK audiences.”
19 July 2016
The Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat) announced the launch of the its exclusive Mauritanian TV bouquet in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe on board of its satellite Arabsat Badr-4. This will contribute to the delivery of the Mauritanian broadcasting to its large sector of viewers in Europe, as Arabsat BADR-4’s footprint covers the entire Middle East, North Africa and Europe on the same frequency and only a small dish is required for reception.
Khalid Balkheyour, CEO of Arabsat said that this initiative is considered another remarkable milestone in the company’s partnership with the Arabic broadcasting television bodies. “We are proud to be the exclusive carrier of the Mauritanian bouquet for several years, and now we are thrilled to deliver the Mauritanian channels to all viewers in Europe and the Arab world, via Arabsat BADR -4.”
“We are delighted to launch the package of Mauritanian channels -exclusively- on Arabsat BADR-4,” says Mohamed Dieh Sidaty, General Director of the Mauritanian broadcasting cooperation. “We have a keen interest to ensure the proper delivery of the Mauritanian channels to all its viewers across Europe and the Arab world, who are always following news and media content from their home country, noting also the remarkable growth in the value proportions of Arabsat TV broadcasting hotspot at 26 deg East.”
You can now watch all Mauritanian channels on:
Satellite: Arabsat BADR-4 at 26° East
Frequency: 12563 MHz
Polarity: Vertical
Symbol Rate: 27500
FEC: ¾
Modulation: DVB-S, QPSK
(Source: ARABSAT press release)
18 July 2016
From today, the brand new BBC+ app is available to download, putting the things you care about from across the BBC at your fingertips.
Whether it is the big moments of the day, talking points on a wide range of topics or bringing you customisable content collections that matter to you, the easy-to-use app is available to download for free on both iOS and Android mobiles in the UK.
BBC+ is designed to put you in control of the information you receive. After signing-in, you can get up to the minute information about what’s happening in the world, discover new things from across the BBC that we know you love, never miss those ‘water-cooler’ moments with talked about TV and explore content you didn’t expect to find on topics such as Books and Authors, Mind and Body and Money Matters.
How does BBC+ work:
Download – Available for free for iOS and Android, all you need to do is download the app to your smartphone.
Sign in – By signing in to BBC+, you receive a better, more personal service, with relevant information and recommendations.
Customise – BBC+ keeps you connected to content that you want, whether it is news and politics or food and technology, the latest sporting updates or what’s new from the likes of BBC Three.
Use spare moments well – BBC+ means that whether you are travelling to work, in the queue at a shop or waiting to collect the kids from school you can get updates on the topics that interest you in one place from across the BBC.
BBC+ forms part of the BBC’s strategy for delivering a more personal BBC to viewers and listeners. To date, more than seven million people have signed-in to the BBC to benefit from more personalised experiences, giving you a better access to the things they like that fit their tastes and interests and discover things they might not otherwise have found.
Clare Hudson, Executive Editor, Homepage and BBC+ said: “By making BBC+ customisable, we are able to give users more relevant things to read, watch and listen to from across the BBC. This means you can use your spare moments well because once you’ve caught up on the day’s main events you can browse articles from across the BBC on topics you’ve chosen yourself. It’s also an easy way to discover things you weren’t expecting to find as everything is brought together in one simple app.”
Paul Owen, Head of Product, Homepage and BBC+ said: “As seven million people have signed up to myBBC, we are increasingly able to provide them with more of what they love based on what they’ve told us. BBC+ is a key part of the journey towards achieving a much more personal BBC and truly brings topical information from across the whole organisation to your pocket, ready for you to access at your convenience. This is just the start for us, and over time the app will evolve and add new features based on user feedback.”
myBBC facts and stats:
- 2 million people have signed in to the BBC to date – with over a third coming back each month.
- Signed-in users consumed 44% more BBC content than those who weren’t (Oct-Dec 2015).
- 6 billion programmes have been recommended to viewers and listeners.
(Source: BBC press release)
15 July 2016
Afghanistan was the most dangerous country for media workers during the first six months of 2016, according to the International News Safety Institute’s (INSI) biannual report of media casualties, Killing the Messenger.
Two separate attacks by the Taliban in Afghanistan claimed the lives of 10 media workers between January and June 2016, including eight from Tolo TV, one of Afghanistan’s largest entertainment channels, in a direct attack on press freedom. Veteran US journalist David Gilkey and Afghan journalist Zabihullah Tamanna were also killed by Taliban militants in June when the armoured vehicle they were travelling in was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.
A total of 49 media workers died in the first six months of the year, according to Killing The Messenger which is compiled for INSI by the Cardiff School of Journalism. This represents a slight decline compared with this time last year when the number of news media casualties stood at 60. However, that doesn’t mean the situation is improving.
“One reason for this slight decline is likely to be a decrease in the number of journalists reporting from bloody conflicts like Syria where in the past dozens have died – 28 were lost in 2012 for example,” said INSI director Hannah Storm.
“The growing prevalence of censorship is another possible factor in the decrease. In countries like Mexico, Guatemala and the Philippines, where powerful political and business interests often combine to violently silence the news media, the stakes are simply too high for some to continue reporting.”
Out of the 49 media workers killed so far this year, 26 died in countries supposedly at peace, such as Mexico and Guatemala.
Crime reporter Anabel Flores Salazar was one of eight journalists who died in Mexico, the second most dangerous country to report from, according to Killing The Messenger. The mother of two was murdered after being snatched from her home in Veracruz, a state that has become synonymous with journalist deaths.
Five journalists lost their lives in neighbouring Guatemala – the same number as in Yemen, a nation wracked by armed conflict.
INSI identified only two cases where suspects were identified or arrests made.
“At every international conference I attend, I hear the word impunity, but little has changed. The murderers of journalists are almost never punished,” said Storm.
“Impunity will remain and journalists will continue to die while ineffective authorities allow their killers to get away with murder.”
(Source: INSI press release)
14 July 2016
SES S.A. announced today that Japan International Broadcasting Inc. (JIB), the official distributor of NHK WORLD TV for Japanese public broadcaster NHK, has signed a long-term agreement to broadcast the 24/7 English-language news and information channel free-to-air in High Definition (HD) across Europe.
The transmission of NHK WORLD TV in HD has already started via ASTRA 1KR at 19.2 degrees East, and the SD channel is currently simulcast to allow for a smooth transition from SD to HD quality.
The number of HDTV homes in Europe has tripled over the past five years, and 78% of European satellite HDTV homes receive their TV channels from SES. In Europe, the number of HDTV channels broadcast by SES has grown by more than 30% over the last three years to nearly 700 channels.
“The expansion of HDTV continues to be an important growth driver for SES. SES is proud to be broadcasting the HD signal of such a premium news broadcaster from Japan in the European market,” said Ferdinand Kayser, Chief Commercial Officer of SES. “As NHK WORLD TV already reaches a wide audience in other markets via SES satellites, this agreement reaffirms their confidence in our ability to deliver highly reliable broadcasting services.”
“Better picture quality is undoubtedly becoming very important to the European audience,” said Yoshihiko Shimizu, President and CEO of JIB. “We are very pleased to partner with SES to bring our HD channel to our European audience.”
NHK WORLD TV (HD) is currently available on Channel 707 of the Sky Deutschland platform, on Channel 927 in the Logical Channel Numbering of HD+ Set Top Boxes, and on Channel 473 of the Canalsat platform.
The reception parameters for NHK WORLD TV on Astra 1KR (19.2ºE) are:
| Satellite |
Astra 1KR (19.2°E) |
| Transponder |
1.002 |
| Downlink Frequency |
11229.00 MHz |
| Downlink Polarisation |
Vertical |
| Transmission Standard |
DVB-S2 |
| Compression Standard |
MPEG-4 |
| Modulation |
8PSK |
| Symbol Rate |
22 Mbps/sec |
| FEC |
2/3 |
(Source: SES press release)
