26 September 2007
One of Canadas largest communications companies, Rogers Media, has chosen a Quantel Enterprise sQ server-based production system for its Canadian cable television sports specialty channel, Rogers Sportsnet. System integration will be provided by Applied Electronics.
The Rogers Media system comprises eight sQ servers with 1000 hours of HD storage. Eighty-four sQ Views, 14 sQ edit software and six sQ edit plus systems, two sQ records and four sQ plays round out the news production system. Rogers Sportsnet is seen by 174,000 people a day.
Quantel is a company that understands broadcasting, said Frank Bruno, Vice President, TV Engineering for Rogers Media. They specialize in it and arent trying to be all things to all people. We opted for the sQ for many reasons–the main being that we needed to go HD and we loved Quantels easy to use interface.
In addition, the system they ultimately went with had to be proven technology. Bruno said they werent in the position nor did we want to be in a position to be the first company to use an untested product.
One of our prerequisites was the system had to support 120 users at all times, said Bruno. It had to be robust and possess built-in back up mechanisms and it had to have the toolsets for all these applications to be simple to use. Quantel met all of our criteria.
Rogers Media plans to start rehearsing with the system the first of November.
Enterprise sQ is specifically designed for live broadcasting, providing a true one-stop, no-copy production environment, with ingest, editing and playout all being achieved in the same box.
26 September 2007
As reported in the Moscow Times, the former head of a district in Chechnya has been charged as an accomplice in organizing the murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya.
Shamil Burayev, who was detained by police earlier this month in Moscow, was charged with complicity in murder as an accomplice by the Prosecutor General’s Office, defence lawyer Pyotr Kozakov said Friday. He gave no further details, but he later told Interfax that Burayev had maintained his innocence in the face of police interrogation.
Burayev was the head of Chechnya’s Achkoi-Martan district administration for eight years until 2003, when he was fired by then-Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov. He also ran for president of the republic.
Prosecutor General Yury Chaika has said the Oct. 7 murder of Politkovskaya was organized by a Chechen criminal group in Moscow that specialized in contract killings.
Chechnya’s ombudsman, Nurdi Nukhazhiyev, cast doubt on reports of Burayev’s involvement, saying investigators were stacking their evidence to find a scapegoat from Chechnya.
26 September 2007
Vizrt Ltd. announces today that the company has received additional backlog of USD 0.5 million from Poland. The newly signed deal in Q3 is substantiating the repeat sales business model of Vizrt with its customers. During 2006 and the first half of 2007 Vizrt had recorded more than USD 2.2 million in revenues. The company has taken a definitive lead in the Polish market.
The current Polish Vizrt customers are: The public broadcaster TVP, ITI group with its three channels TVN24, TVNBiznes and nSports, satellite channel Polsat and FOX Poland. TVP became Vizrt customer in 2005 and has constantly upgraded and expanded their Viz-installations. The TVP News Channel has currently purchased graphic software for a little under USD 600,000, which is to be recognized over Q3 and Q4 2007.
Vizrt’s product suite is used by the world’s leading broadcasters including: CNN, CBS, Fox, BBC, Sky, ITN, ZDF, Star TV, TV Today, CCTV and NHK. Also, many world-class production houses and corporate institutions, including both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, utilize Vizrt solutions.
26 September 2007
On Thursday, September 27, VOA’s Persian News Network (PNN) launches Today’s Woman, a one-hour daily television discussion program featuring influential women from around the world. The inaugural program will focus on the “One Million Signatures” campaign in Iran, a peaceful and civil effort to influence the country’s Parliament to reform laws discriminating against women.
“This is an important new program, with new faces, compelling topics, and a contemporary look,” said VOA Director Danforth W. Austin. “Each day we’ll tackle issues that affect all women, those inside Iran as well as around the world, and broaden our viewers’ horizons. It’s groundbreaking.”
Today’s Woman will feature a pool of participants discussing and debating a full spectrum of topics, including social, medical, human rights, legal, sports, and business. The show will include international call-ins, original reports, a male perspective, and profiles of women who make a difference.
“The launch of Today’s Woman will bring our expansion of VOA’s Persian-language television from one hour to seven and a half hours a day,” said James K. Glassman, Chairman of VOA’s oversight body, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). “This is particularly impressive since we were able to accomplish this in little more than a year.”
VOA has the largest combined radio and television audience of all international broadcasters in Iran, with one in four adult Iranians tuning into a VOA show at least once a week. Programs are also streamed on www.VOANews.com/Persian/.
25 September 2007
The AIB fax line is suffering problems at the present time, resulting in a highly intermittent level of connectivity.
We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause you – we are working with our telecoms provider to rectify the situation.
We recommend that, if possible, you convert any documents you are sending to PDF format and send them to our main e-mail address: contactaib (@) aib.org.uk.
19 September 2007
Independent medical experts from the United States and Britain, reviewing recent conversations with the detained Al Jazeera cameraman Sami al Haj, reveal that his mental state has deteriorated severely and he is in desperate need of medical attention. Based on recent comments from Sami, noted experts believe that he is suffering from severe depression, and characterize him as “passively suicidal.” According to reports, Sami believes that he has nothing to live for.
Sami has been detained in Guantanamo Bay since January 7, 2002, without any charges, any legal means to defend himself or information on when he will be released. Being held in the legal black hole known as Guantanamo Bay has taken a serious toll on Sami and on Sami’s wife and his young son.
D.L. Creson MD, a mental health professional with extensive experience working with prisoners in the United States, Bosnia, East Timor, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan, stated, “He, in my opinion, fits into a sub-category of severe depression often seen in complex emergencies where an individual has given up all hope; where nothing remains relevant to survival.” While describing Sami’s deteriorating condition, Dr. Creson elaborated, “
the marked change in attitude that was noted and the description of Mr. al Haj’s current behaviour suggests to me that Mr. al Haj no longer has the ability to cope with his relentlessly traumatic environment and is in the process of withdrawing into himself; in effect, he is becoming a case of passive suicide.”
Similarly, Hugh Rickards, MD, a noted consultant in Neuropsychiatry, suggested that Sami may be facing the onset of a mental disorder as a result of his indefinite detention and seemingly never-ending ordeal. In conclusion, Dr. Rickards states, “His (Sami al Haj) state of mind requires assessment and possible treatment from a qualified and experienced psychiatrist, which I understand Mr. Al-Haj is not receiving. Although I have not met or examined Mr. Al-Haj personally, the level of his mental suffering appears so acute that it is my duty as a medical practitioner to put this in writing to ensure appropriate assessment and treatment.” Given the apparent deterioration of Sami’s mental state, and his obvious anguish, the Al Jazeera Network would like to appeal to the U.S. administration and military to conform to international human rights standards and to provide medical attention for Sami.
Wadah Khanfar, the Director General of the Al Jazeera Network stated: “Our colleague Sami has been in detention now for almost six years without any charges and is suffering greatly from this unfair and illegal detention – we demand the U.S. officials to release him immediately. Al Jazeera continues to stand by Sami and this just cause.”
Sami, originally from Sudan, was captured while filming a news story in Afghanistan for Al Jazeera. To protest his indefinite detention without charges, Sami has been on hunger strike for almost one year. Support the campaign to free Sami from Guantanamo Bay.
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