23 May 2006
SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company, has concluded a new contract with the German Anixe GmbH & Co KG for the transmission of its HDTV channel. The programme ANIXE HD starts to broadcast today in high resolution and unencrypted from the main orbital position 19.2° East.
We are pleased that an innovative enterprise such as Anixe has chosen SES ASTRA and our satellites for its HD transmissions, said Alexander Oudendijk, Chief Commercial Officer of SES ASTRA. The new HDTV channel broadens our portfolio and will contribute to satisfy the rising demand for HD content.
The new contract with SES ASTRA allows us to expand our offer and business into the growing sector of HDTV, said Emanuel Lapidakis, Managing Director of ANIXE HD. Our high quality standards are reflected in our programme as well as in our business relationship with SES ASTRA.
23 May 2006
In a ceremony recognizing the contribution of the Czech Republic to the ongoing operations of RFE/RL, Inc., Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda presented a check for nearly 1.2 million dollars to the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), to augment the costs of relocating the RFE/RL broadcast center outside the city center of Prague.
“It is our moral and political duty to support Radio Free Europe,” Svoboda said. RFE/RL “has played an irreplaceable role in the life of my country, by transmitting the values of democracy, human rights and good governance. This is a small contribution that represents a permanent commitment, a political commitment of my country to support RFE/RL, because the fight for democracy is a never ending story.” The foreign minister noted in his remarks that hosting RFE/RL is one way the Czech Republic is supporting the war against terrorism, and promoting democracy and democratic values in the world.
BBG Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson, along with BBG Governor Steven Simmons, accepted the contribution on behalf of the United States and RFE/RL. Both Tomlinson and Simmons paid tribute to the Czech government for its support of the radios. “In this ceremony today, we have a new generation of leaders to whom we are going to pay tribute in saving Radio Free Europe,” Tomlinson said, “and Mister Minister, you’re at the top of the list.” Tomlinson stressed the importance of RFE/RL’s role in promoting freedom and democracy, saying “Today, let’s pause to celebrate what these radios are really about: casting the light of truth where there’s darkness; reporting the stories of truth to closed societies; providing information so that people in authoritarian societies can make up their own minds and act accordingly.” Simmons noted that “this is a great day for RFE/RL, but it is also a great day for Czech-U.S. relations and symbolic of the commitment both of our countries have to our mission.”
Undersecretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, representing the U.S. Secretary of State, pointed out the value of the relationship between RFE/RL and the Czech Republic, calling it “a unique and invaluable contribution to promoting liberty and freedom of speech around the globe. Since the collapse of communism in Eastern and Central Europe nearly 17 years ago, the relationship between the U.S. and Czech Republic has really undergone a very dramatic evolution to one of alliance and economic partnership.”
RFE/RL’s relocation will improve security of the station and its surroundings, according to Simmons. Construction of the new building will begin later this year. “With the Bush Administration and Congress and the cooperation of the Czech government, we have gained a new facility that will allow us to call Prague our home for years to come,” Simmons said.
16 May 2006
In May and June 2006, the Broadcast Integration Roadshow will be traveling to 16 European cities with a total of 26 presentations. These presentations will be focusing on the integration of broadcasting solutions for TV and post production.
They will comprise Partner Days, i.e. presentations for partners and system integrators of Apple and NorCom, and Tech Forums targeted at TV and radio broadcasters as well as media companies.
With NorCom Apple News Production System, NorCom Information Technology AG is the worlds first company to offer an all-in Apple-based TV and media production solution from the ingest to the playout phase together with archiving including video, audio, graphics and automation.
The NorCom Apple Content Production System is an end-to-end solution for TV and radio broadcasters, agencies and post-production specialists. Now everyone from graphic designers to journalists involved in the production of multimedia content, such as news and sports coverage, can benefit from a single integrated user interface.
The NorCom Apple Content Production System offers a homogenous solution for the MAC OS but can also be deployed in hybrid environments. As a result, the NorCom Apple Content Production System constitutes a cost-optimized solution with a price of around 60% below comparable alternatives.
Early registration is advised on account of limited capacity. This can be done at NorComs website at www.norcom.de, where further information is also available.
15 May 2006
VT Communications, part of VT Group plc has been awarded the contract to provide the National Physical Laboratorys (NPLs) Radio Frequency Time Signal Service commencing on 1st April 2007. This prestigious 10 year contract with NPL will see VT Communications build new highly resilient transmission infrastructure to deliver the Time Service from its Anthorn transmission facility in Cumbria, UK.
Utilising its extensive experience in delivering similar LF (low frequency) infrastructure projects, VT Communications is well placed to deliver this critical service, which is transmitted at 60Hz and provides both a time and frequency standard.
The proposed solution offered by VT Communications will see the introduction of new time code generation equipment, a remote control and monitoring system as well as a new LF transmitter, which will be installed and integrated at the Anthorn transmission facility. The site at Anthorn will provide NPL with infrastructure to accommodate the service and its geographical positioning provides greater coverage of the entire UK. The VT Communications solution will ensure that the maintenance schedule is minimised, reducing the overall service down time, providing NPL users with a highly reliable service.
The new time code generator will have the ability to accept up to 50 unused data bits which VT Communications will make available to third parties for data transmissions around the UK and near Europe. Utilising the signal allows VT Communications to offer other customers exceptional transmission integrity over a large geographical coverage area.
Doug Umbers, Managing Director of VT Communications, said: We are very proud to be working in partnership with NPL on a programme of national significance. We are excited to be implementing a highly resilient solution, which will provide tangible benefits to all stakeholders.
15 May 2006
Al Jazeera International, the 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel, headquartered in Doha, announced today plans for their sports offering and revealed their line up of sports presenters.
In keeping with Al Jazeera Internationals fresh approach to news and current affairs the channels international sports coverage will be a mixture of the familiar and the unfamiliar, the expected and the surprising. Viewers will be able to enjoy action highlights from the best of the football leagues in Europe and South America, the tennis grand slam events, the golf majors, cricket test matches, rugby internationals, Formula 1 and MotoGP, North American sports, athletics, boxing, cycling, sailing and winter sports.
The channels weekly magazine programme Sportsworld will also take viewers behind the scenes of some of these major sporting events. The team will interview not only the leading stars but also the unsung personalities – adhering to the channel’s aim of giving our viewers a 360 degree perspective on what is happening in the world of sport, both professional and amateur.
Al Jazeera Internationals Head of Sport, Stuart Young, has assembled a team of experienced reporters and presenters, whose diversity and own areas of expertise complement each other: Carrie Brown formerly of Eurosport; Brendan Connor formerly of CBC Canada; Imran Garda formerly of South Africas Supersport channel; Joanna Gasiorowska who joins the channel from ITVs Evening News; Dara McIntosh formerly of ESPN and NBC in the USA; Rahul Pathak from the UKs Five News as well as Andrew Richardson formerly of Five News in the UK.
Head of Sport, Stuart Young says, “I am delighted to have such a group of individuals whose breadth of knowledge, depth of experience and all-round strengths will take us to the forefront of sports reporting.”
Together, we will work to bring viewers around the globe the latest from the world of sport. From countries often overlooked, on sports often under-reported, we hope to inform and enlighten as well as entertain and excite, he continued.
Stuart Young has been a television journalist for 25 years, joining the BBC TV News team and eventually becoming the then youngest deputy editor of the Nine o’clock News. He has experience of the Middle East broadcast industry, having worked as Dubai TV’s news editor – combining the role with that of sports correspondent, and going on to produce and present the Gulf’s first home-grown sports programme. Start-up operations followed – launch editor at MBC and chef d’edition at Euronews – before Stuart joined Reuters, producing business TV programmes in a number of European countries. That was followed by three years as output editor at CNN International, before moving full-time into sports as weekend editor for SNTV. His first, and still greatest, sporting memory is of being taken by his father to see England beat West Germany to win the 1966 World Cup final.
15 May 2006
The Broadcasting Board of Governors has announced that Jan Brambilla will succeed Brian Conniff as the Executive Director of the BBG, effective June 5, 2006. Brian is leaving the BBG to accept appointment as President of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. (MBN).
As Executive Director, Jan will advise the Chairman and the Governors on developments in international broadcasting and serve as the day-to-day liaison with the IBB and the Agencys grantees to ensure that broadcasting activities accurately and effectively reflect the vision and priorities of the Board.
With more than 32 years of Federal service, Jan has served in senior executive positions since 1987 when she was appointed Director of Human Resources for the Voice of America, and subsequently for the U.S. Information Agency. In 1999, she joined the Department of State and served as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy where she handled financial and human resources. In January 2005, Jan rejoined the BBG as Chief of Staff to the IBB Director.
The BBG Board is also pleased to announce that George Moore has been selected to serve in a newly created position as IBB Deputy Director, also effective June 5, 2006. George will have the same responsibilities as those previously delegated to the IBB Director, pending appointment of a presidential nominee to that
statutory position.
George Moore has more than 35 years experience in broadcast and
telecommunications engineering, and has served for the past six years as Director of Engineering and Technical Services. During his 20-year Foreign Service career with US international broadcasting, he has served in senior management positions in two complex facilities (Munich and Morocco), and more recently in positions of growing responsibility in Washington.
The appointments will ensure continuity and strong, seasoned leadership in the Agencys top management, as well as at MBN, which the board believes is crucial for international broadcasting in the years ahead. The Board congratulates each of these outstanding agency officers, and looks forward to the continuation of their excellent service in support of the mission and goals of U.S. international broadcasting.
