6 July 2016
BBC Director General Tony Hall (left) has announced his reshaped senior leadership team at the Corporation.
He said: “I am proud of what we have achieved over the last few years. Together we stabilised the BBC after a difficult period in its history. We went on to create a compelling case for a new decade of the BBC and secured an eleven-year charter as a result.
“Now, as we move towards this new Charter period, I want us to turn our energy to focus on the future of public service broadcasting and what it means for our audiences. We must continue to harness the creative power of the UK. We must continue to be a creative beacon to the world and we will do this best by renewing the way we engage with our audiences as we enter our centenary year.
“The leadership changes I am making today can help ensure that the BBC is best equipped to do this. We must never stand still. We must always be looking to innovate and change. The new Executive will lead this process of creative renewal to ensure the BBC remains the most creative force in the world.
“On a practical level, these changes are also about creating a simpler BBC with fewer layers and clear lines of accountability. Much has already been achieved, but this process must now be accelerated.
“The BBC also needs to reinvigorate its offer to the public on education – something I am passionate about. That’s why its importance is now recognised at the very top of the BBC.
“The UK is changing and changing fast. The BBC needs to recognise and address that. That’s why the work of improving our news and programming offer to the nations and regions is so important. It will be a challenge in an environment where resources are tight, but it is a priority and the steps taken today recognise that.”
Below are the major changes:
• Anne Bulford becomes the BBC’s Deputy Director General. In addition to continuing to lead finance, operations, HR, legal, and design and engineering, she will take on the additional responsibilities related to the BBC’s marketing and audiences teams and create a new centralised commercial and rights group which will co-ordinate all BBC’s negotiations to deliver the best possible deals. This puts Anne in charge of the distribution of content and reaching audiences in the most effective way – something vital as audiences change viewing habits. Anne will look at what more can be done to ensure the BBC spends as much money as possible on content.
• We will have a new director of Nations and Regions. The BBC already produces around 50% of its output from outside the M25. That is a strong record, but the UK is changing and so must the BBC. The role will bring together and enhance the BBC’s offer to the nations and regions of the UK to improve our content while also looking for savings so that more money can be released for content. The role will bring together the nations and regions of the UK. The Directors in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the regional hubs in the North, Midlands and South West will report to this role. The Nations directors will continue to play a crucial role.
• Charlotte Moore will become Director of Content, and remain as Controller of BBC One. She will be responsible for all the BBC’s TV channels and iPlayer. She will also take on oversight of BBC Sport.
• James Purnell will become Director of Strategy and Education. He will lead the BBC’s work on strategy and on the delivery of the BBC’s new Ideas Service, which aims to partner the BBC with leading academic, arts and science institutions such as the British Museum, the Royal Society, the Royal Shakespeare Company, leading arts festivals and galleries to curate and commission content and offer an online resource. This is part of a renewed drive to put education at the heart of what the BBC does. The aim is to reinvigorate the BBC’s mission on education through a new education strategy for BBC Children and BBC Learning – both of which will now report to him. James will also lead on BBC’s broader partnerships work.
• Helen Boaden will continue to lead the BBC’s Radio output and will formally take responsibility for 5Live as it moves into BBC Radio.
• James Harding will continue as Director of News and Current Affairs. Tim Davie’s role as Director of Worldwide and Mark Linsey’s role as Director of Studios also remain unchanged.
• The BBC is also confirming that the Executive position representing BBC North will close. The director of BBC Children’s – Alice Webb – will lead the region on a day to day basis. As a result of these changes, the Executive Team will reduce from 16 members to 11. The BBC has already saved over 40 per cent on its senior manager pay bill and reduced its overall pay bill by £150 million a year. As a result of this reshaped top team, each area will now look at the immediate layers below to identify further headcount and post savings.
(Source: BBC press release)
4 July 2016
Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), operator of the world’s first Globalized Network, powered by its leading satellite backbone, announced that it has partnered with AfricaOnline, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gondwana International Networks, a leading provider of communications solutions across Africa, to provide a managed broadband internet service for sub-Saharan Africa.
Under the agreement, Intelsat will provide satellite services via Intelsat 28 located at 33° East, and Gondwana will provide ground support and network management services from AfricaOnline’s facilities at Hartebeesthoek in South Africa. Together, Intelsat and Gondwana will deliver high-quality, Ku-band broadband service on a virtual network operator (VNO) basis.
The VNO platform leverages Intelsat’s extensive service infrastructure and Gondwana’s network management expertise to facilitate easier deployment of Ku-band VSAT services. The large upfront capital commitment otherwise required of regional VSAT operators for both infrastructure and minimum capacity obligations will be reduced, as will VSAT operators’ operational costs. This is beneficial to VSAT operators, distributors and end-users alike and allows VSAT operators to focus on marketing, service provisioning/support and their customers, and not on network infrastructure.
“We want to be the preferred provider of VSAT services across Africa, and this initiative with Intelsat allows us to enhance our portfolio of service offerings,” said Mathew Welthagen, CEO of Gondwana International Networks. “The upfront capital commitment and ongoing fixed operating cost structure of Ku-band VSAT has constrained expansion of services in Africa. A managed VNO platform allows for increased economies of scale, both in terms of capex and opex, and is a giant step forward in bringing cost-effective connectivity to Africa. Our ultimate goal is to drive connectivity across the continent. Our vision resonates with Intelsat, and this partnership allows Gondwana to continue to lead the way in providing our customers with high-quality, cost-effective, forward-looking communications solutions.”
“Enabling connectivity to communities and businesses is at the core of everything we do, and our partnership with AfricaOnline and Gondwana International Networks will provide millions of people working in Sub-Saharan Africa businesses with access to high quality and affordable internet service,” said Kurt Riegelman, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Intelsat. “The continent is materially underserved with relatively low internet penetration. Leveraging the strength of Intelsat’s Ku-band satellite solutions with AfricaOnline’s ground segment services will help foster business development, enhance medical and educational services to local communities, provide critical backup support during times of crisis, and enable citizens across Sub-Saharan Africa to maintain communications with friends and family within Africa and around the globe.”
Supporting Resources:
(Source: Intelsat press release)
30 June 2016
Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), operator of the world’s first Globalized Network, powered by its leading satellite backbone, announced today that Marlink, the global business critical communication solutions specialist, selected Intelsat to deliver fast, high quality Intelsat EpicNG broadband connectivity to Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) cruise ships. At the end of May, MSC Cruises began to apply the benefits of EpicNG’s high throughput connectivity aboard the MSC Divina, one of the world’s largest cruise ships. Utilizing Intelsat’s Globalized Network, Marlink will provide broadband connectivity to all of MSC Cruises’ 12 existing ships, ensuring all of the Company’s ships will be covered globally.
Passengers and crew members are demanding mobile broadband on par with the speeds and reliability experienced at home. The agreement with Intelsat enables Marlink to supplement its existing maritime VSAT services with Sealink Cloud Services to one of the world’s largest, and fastest growing cruise lines. As a result, MSC Cruises will be able to deliver high speed, reliable and affordable connectivity packages to passengers and crew members anywhere the cruise ships travel.
Under the existing long-term partnership agreement signed in 2014, Marlink will take advantage of the flexibility and scale of Intelsat’s fully interoperable and integrated satellite network to provide MSC Cruises with global coverage for their worldwide itineraries. Marlink will use wide beam C- and Ku-band satellite solutions from nine Intelsat satellites initially, as well as Ku-band high throughput spot beams from Intelsat 29e, the first of the Intelsat EpicNG fleet, and Intelsat 33e, once it enters service in the second half of the year.
Marlink will also leverage the IntelsatOne terrestrial network, specifically teleports located in Georgia and California in the U.S., as well as Germany and South Korea.
“When serving a ‘floating town’ such as a cruise ship with connectivity requirements for its various itineraries globally, delivering consistent quality and reliability is essential to the passenger experience and the brand integrity of the customer that we are serving,” said Tore Morten Olsen, President Maritime, Marlink. “With Intelsat, we are providing a scalable and robust solution to MSC Cruises, delivering on high volume broadband demands across many ships operating in high-traffic regions. The high performing, resilient and secure network will enable our customer to further streamline vessel operations, deliver superior services to its crew and most importantly, keep thousands of passengers on each of their ships connected at all times.”
Kurt Riegelman, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Intelsat, said: “Marlink has been a great partner and understands the value that Intelsat’s fully integrated wide beam and high throughput global network can deliver to its customers, particularly those operating a fleet of ships in the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean and Mediterranean ocean regions at the same time. Our Globalized Network will enable Marlink to quickly and cost effectively scale to meet its customer demands and consistently deliver high performing, resilient and secure broadband connectivity to the many ships operated by their cruise ship customer.”
Supporting Resources:
Can Bandwidth Supply Keep up with Maritime Demand? http://www2.intelsat.com/e/48312/-keep-up-with-maritime-demand-/3ysdtp/178078452
Learn more about Intelsat’s Mobility Services: http://www2.intelsat.com/e/48312/solutions-mobility-/3ysdtr/178078452
Learn more about Intelsat EpicNG:
http://www2.intelsat.com/e/48312/bal-network-satellites-epicng-/3ysdtt/178078452
(Source: Intelsat press release)
29 June 2016
Arqiva, the communications infrastructure and media services company, has today announced that it has been selected by specialist Australian media company Inverleigh to distribute its premium sports content internationally, representing a first win for Arqiva’s new Australasian office.
As part of a three year, six figure contract, Arqiva will use its international leases on AsiaSat, Eutelsat and Intelsat, along with its teleports to distribute Inverleigh’s programmes throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas. The programmes will initially be delivered from Inverleigh ’s Melbourne base to Arqiva’s Sydney Teleport Services (Sydney PoP) via FTP, but Arqiva aim to move to a full-time fibre connection in the future.
With over 2,000 hours of content already developed, Inverleigh is a specialist producer of premium sports and entertainment programmes, including one of the widest reaching league football weeklies, ‘The Football Review’, which analyses the latest results and developments in all European leagues and internationals twice a week.
Peter Wraith, CEO at Inverleigh commented: “More than 260 international broadcasters already love our high-value content solutions and we have no intention of stopping there. The focus for Inverleigh is to continue our international growth, and by working with an experienced partner like Arqiva we believe we can deliver a reliable, high quality programming solution to a growing broadcaster base to meet our clients demands.”
“Having worked with Arqiva over the past few years we have come to expect outstanding personal service and dedication to our business. It was largely the quality of the relationship Arqiva built with us that convinced us to change from our long term provider.”
David Crawford, Managing Director of Satellite & Media at Arqiva commented: “This is a great milestone for our Australasian office and we are very excited to be working with one of the most progressive, and ambitious global media companies.”
“In a highly competitive market it is always tricky to convince a company to switch from its long-term incumbent – ultimately we believe that it’s the confidence Inverleigh has in our ability to deliver its content that has encouraged it to do so, and it delights us to see our partners having such high faith.”
(Source: Arqiva press release)
27 June 2016
In 2009 veteran TV producer Fran Mires set up Al Youm for MBN’s Alhurra TV, the live daily three-hour show for the Middle East that broadcasts simultaneously from Dubai, Cairo, Beirut, Jerusalem and the US. It proved a big challenge, not least because Mires did not speak any Arabic. In 2016, with Al Youm firmly established among audiences in 22 Middle Eastern countries and having spawned a number of successful spin-offs such as Street Pulse, Mires has turned the spotlight on female empowerment in Arab society with her latest production Sit B’Mit Ragel. The Channel spoke to Mires to find out more – click here to go to interview
