28 October 2005
RadioScape, the world leader in end-to-end Digital Radio solutions, has provided the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) expertise for a new DAB safety broadcast system for use in road tunnels called RadioScape TunnelAlert. When an incident occurs in a particular tunnel bore, the system is switched in with the effect of replacing the audio on all the DAB audio services being re-broadcast in that tunnel bore with a live emergency message, thus providing the occupants of the vehicles in the tunnel with appropriate instructions. Systems have been in existence to deliver this service on FM for some time but RadioScape is the first company to provide systems for DAB.
Prompted by the Mont Blanc disaster a few years ago, a recent EU mandate requires that long tunnels (over 500 metres) must have an emergency broadcast system that will automatically change the in-car entertainment system to the emergency channel. There are over 2000 tunnels in Europe that will require such a system.
RadioScape has partnered with Tyco Traffic & Transportation, a major systems integration company that specialises in providing radio rebroadcast systems, emergency radio systems and PA/EVAC systems for new and refurbished existing tunnels, to create TunnelAlert. RadioScape used its unique end-to-end systems knowledge of DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast) to create the DAB part of the system. The system provided by RadioScape monitors the specified on-air DAB multiplexes (received outside the tunnel and, in normal conditions, re-broadcast inside), dynamically updating the in-tunnel DAB multiplexer system to follow their configuration. This local multiplexer can then be switched in to replace the rebroadcast signal if an incident occurs, encoding the warning messages in real-time. In this way, all the DAB car radios in the tunnel switch seamlessly from the external service to the warning message.
This was a very complex challenge, explained Les Sabel, Vice President of Development at RadioScape. We have patented the techniques used to effect the seamless and instantaneous transition of all the external DAB broadcasts to the emergency broadcast. David Giles, Business Group Manager for the Wireless Solutions Group at Tyco Traffic & Transportation, added, The EU has recognised the growing importance of DAB in cars and therefore this is a key part of the specifications. Interrupting FM reception is straightforward and we already have systems that can do that part but DAB is more complex requiring the use of a multiplex so we brought in RadioScape. Their Software Defined Digital Radio approach enabled them to create, test and effect all the modifications to their standard equipment via software very quickly.
The first tunnel to have TunnelAlert installed will be the Rotherhithe Tunnel in the UK, which is expected to go live early in the New Year.
25 October 2005
The BBC has this morning publicly confirmed its intention to launch a 12 hour-a-day Arabic-language TV service funded by the closure of a number of language radio services – a story we gave to AIB members last week.
The World Service announcement said that broadcasts in Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Kazakh, Polish, Slovak, Slovene and Thai would end by March 2006. BBC World Service Director Nigel Chapman said many of those services resulted from the Second World War.
“It is acknowledged that their presence has contributed to the building of freedoms now enjoyed by their citizens. We believe this will be a lasting legacy.”
But he said many national and local services “which subscribe to similar values as the BBC” had since been started in Europe.
According to the BBC News website, National Union of Journalists (NUJ) general secretary Jeremy Dear condemned the cuts ahead of the confirmation of job losses: “It would be a bitter blow to BBC World Service staff and a step which has the potential to cause massive damage to Britain’s influence in a significant part of New Europe. Does Jack Straw [UK Foreign Minister] really believe that countries like Kazakhstan where intimidation of political opponents remains common and there is significant international concern that recent elections were rigged no longer need the type of public service broadcasting offered by the World Service”.
All the countries will continue to be served by other BBC Global News division services such as BBC World Service radio in English, BBC World television, and BBC News Online. The changes follow a ‘root and branch’ strategic review of BBC World Service.
BBC World Service Director Nigel Chapman said: “The changes add up to the biggest transformation of BBC World Service that has been undertaken – and one of the most far-reaching – since the BBC began international broadcasting more than 70 years ago. Whilst the mix of services has to evolve as the world changes, the overall core aims of the BBC World Service will remain the same: to provide quality news and information that people trust, which stands out for its independence, authority and objectivity; and to be an open forum for global debate. Our new services on television and in new media will be judged by those values just as their distinguished predecessors have been.
“BBC World Service is already the most successful, trusted and respected voice in the Middle East with more than 60 years experience of broadcasting in the Arabic language on radio, and more recently and successfully, online. The BBC Arabic Television Service will build on this legacy by offering trusted and accurate news with an international agenda.
“It would mean the BBC will be the only major broadcaster who will provide a tri-media service in Arabic to the Middle East using TV, radio and online for sharing views and perspectives across the region and the wider world. Our research suggests there is strong demand for an Arabic Television service from the BBC in the Middle East.”
In its press announcement about the plans, the BBC says that the changes have been approved by the BBC Board of Governors. It also reports that the British Foreign Minister, Jack Straw, has given his approval as he is required to do under the terms of BBC World Service’s agreement with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
20 October 2005
Harris Corporation’s Broadcast Communications Division (BCD) has played a key role in rebuilding WQRZ-FM, a low-power FM station serving Hancock County, Mississippi that was nearly destroyed by the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. WQRZ-LP was the country’s first Amateur Radio-based organization granted a community broadcast FM station, hitting the airwaves in January 2003. Since then, the 24/7 station has been the premier source of information to Hancock County residents, providing music as regular programming but also offering communication resources and automatic Emergency Alert System (EAS) broadcasts to local listeners in times of emergency.
“We are passing on in-depth information to listeners about where to go for FEMA assistance, the Small Business Administration, medical center and shelter locations, and where to get a hot meal, ice, clothing and bare necessities,” said Sara Allen, an independent contractor assisting with WQRZ operations. “The hardest part of the update is reading the list of those still missing since Hurricane Katrina made landfall. But the feedback I’ve had from the public is that WQRZ has been a very important resource to the people of Hancock County. They are listening and trusting the source as we are attached directly to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) by way of the Public Information Office, and that co-location decreases the risk of faulty and inaccurate information.”
As Hurricane Katrina approached, WQRZ-FM Chief Engineer Brice Phillips, who operated the station from his home two miles from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, relocated the station’s existing 100-watt FM transmitter, the EAS, a portion of its four-bay antenna, and some studio components to the Hancock County EOC to continue broadcasts. When the storm hit on August 29, Phillips’ home was destroyed, but the station’s tower and a 10-foot by 10-foot shed survived. In the ensuing days, Harris engineers pre-built and shipped a turnkey studio system to the Hancock EOC featuring Harris resale products, including a Mackie VLZPRO mixer, a Denon 951FA CD player, microphones, headphones, wiring and cable. A Harris Quest(R) 1 kW FM transmitter from the Harris factory in Quincy, Illinois, was tuned and tested, crated and shipped to Phillips. Mark Goins, a Harris BCD national accounts manager, pulled all of the studio gear together and made sure it reached its destination in time. Harris also worked closely with Dielectric, which designed and built a one-bay antenna with transmission line for use with the Harris Quest transmitter and existing tower.
Once delivered, Gary Minker, president of Radio Works RF Consulting and a Harris contractor, headed the task of cleaning and converting Phillips’ shed into a transmission facility. “The working conditions were far from ideal with the heat, bugs and unbelievable amounts of mud,” said Minker. “We removed a foot of mud from the shed, rinsed it with water and drilled holes in the floor for drainage. We used repeater boxes, which had been used for local police and amateur radio communications before being destroyed in the storm surge, as stairs for access to the shed to create a new transmission facility. The Harris Quest transmitter frequency was changed from 98.1 to WQRZ’s 103.5 frequency, and we set the transmitter to mono so listeners using state-distributed transistor radios could pick up a stronger signal. Tower climbing, line sweeping, connector installation, antenna settings, and modulation testing were just some of the other tasks performed at the transmitter site. We then built the studio at the new Hancock EOC’s site at the Hancock Vocational Technical School seven miles from the transmitter. The entire project was completed in just four days.”
The Harris Quest transmitter has boosted WQRZ’s signal output to 1300 watts – 13 times its previous output – thanks to special temporary authority from the FCC that was secured by Allen. This has allowed Phillips and Allen to cover greater distances with these important broadcasts. Minker reports that he received clear car audio from the station at the Mississippi-Louisiana state line 15 miles from the site.
“WQRZ’s original purpose was to be the center of information for Hancock Country, providing trained radio operators to communicate public safety, health and property protection information to local residents,” said Phillips, who also serves as broadcast division director of Hancock County Amateur Radio Association, Inc. “We are very lucky that our tower escaped unharmed and are very appreciative of the help we received from numerous organizations and engineers. With the help of Gary Minker and his crew, plus the equipment supplied by Harris, we rebuilt quickly and transferred our temporary on-air operation to the new system with less than 45 minutes of off-air time.”
The state of Florida also donated a generator to keep the transmitter on-air due to the lack of electricity in the region. The generator was almost lost when Hurricane Rita blew through the area, but Phillips moved it to higher ground to ride out the second storm. Phillips reports that the new transmission system has been running perfectly since going on-air. There is no fixed date for changing the studio location, and it could be at its current home for up to several months. “The station is fairly portable at this point,” said Allen, “so all that’s required is to move the installed equipment to another site, connect it, and go back on the air in a fairly brief amount of time.”
Hal Kneller, manager of National Public Radio Initiatives for the Harris BCD’s Radio Broadcast Systems business unit, was instrumental in coordinating the Harris response to procure, pre-build and deliver the new studio equipment and FM transmitter. “It is gratifying to know that Harris employees across the company can come together very quickly to make the near impossible very possible. This was not just a Harris BCD project. Harris’ Government Communications Systems Division (GCSD) Homeland Security unit contacted us with a general description of what was needed, and we immediately turned to BCD’s Quincy, Illinois, factory to ensure rapid shipment of the Quest transmitter. GCSD had been in contact with the Florida Emergency Operations Center, which was coordinating all of Florida’s hurricane assistance to the Gulf Coast. This became the staging area for all the broadcast equipment coming in from different locations. We all feel a great sense of satisfaction from being a part of this crucial project.”
19 October 2005
After concluding a deal with the National Radio Society in Kiev, German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle’s Ukrainian programme is now on air nationwide on FM.
DW-Radio’s editor-in-chief Miodrag Soric welcomed the development as an opening of state media in the Ukraine towards Europe. Germany is one of Ukraine’s most important partners in Europe.
The station in Kiev rebroadcasts DW news during the week and on Saturdays DW magazine programmes such as Germany Report, Europe Magazine and Culture Magazine. DW-RADIO /Ukrainian is broadcast on the Promin channel, targetting mainly young listeners. The station reaches 2,5 million listeners, about 7 percent of all listeners. DW-RADIO’s daily one-hour programme in Ukrainian is being rebroadcast by 14 regional stations in the area.
19 October 2005
SES ASTRA has concluded an agreement with Channel 4 from the UK for a third transponder on its satellite ASTRA 2A in the orbital position 28.2° East. The new long-term agreement follows a successful two-transponder deal with Channel 4 in autumn 2004. Channel 4 will use the additional capacity to support the expansion of new services, including the launch of new channels and associated data services.
The new channels include the recently launched Quiz Call and More4+1, which is scheduled for launch today. Quiz Call is devoted to quiz and game-show programming that gives viewers the chance to compete for cash prizes. More4+1 will offer a blend of documentaries, films, drama, current affairs and a daily news program, and may include a late-night studio discussion show.
Alexander Oudendijk, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of SES ASTRA, said: “Channel 4 is one of Britain’s most prominent and innovative terrestrial broadcasters whose programs are watched by more than three-quarters of the UK population during an average week. Channel 4 is also an important customer for us and we are delighted that the company has once again come to us for additional transmission capacity.”
Kevin Burrows, Channel 4’s Chief Technology Officer, said: “We will be exploring several projects over the coming year and this third transponder will give us the capacity to launch new and supporting services as these plans develop. We chose SES ASTRA because we have a long-term relationship with our current contracts, and the company was able to provide a flexible option for us to take additional capacity as our needs develop. We have also found the service to be extremely reliable, which is a crucial broadcasting requirement.”
19 October 2005
The Foundation for New Latin American Journalism (FNPI in Spanish), chaired by Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Gabriel García Márquez, recently joined University of Guadalajara Radio to announce plans to produce a CD anthology of reports that won or were nominated for 2002 and 2004 New Latin American Journalism Awards.
The anthology will include Nunavut, el camino a nuestra tierra. This report by Radio Canada Internationals Latin American section eloquently presents the realities faced by the inhabitants of Canadas Far North in a series of touching testimonials produced in Spanish. Nunavut, el camino a nuestra tierra was a 2004 official selectiononly 15 of 110 entries were shortlisted.
Radio Canada International congratulates its Latin American team, and is very pleased about this landmark anthology that will be released this coming December at the Guadalajara International Book Fair.
