16 June 2005
OmniBus Systems, the award-winning provider of comprehensive automation and content management solutions to the broadcast industry, announced that Ascent Media Network Services Asia (AMNSA) has installed OmniBus Colossus systems within its Singapore facility to provide reliable, efficient automation for transmission of more than 30 channels — broadcast in more than a dozen languages — to viewers in Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and Asia.
“OmniBus automation controls all of our equipment in an efficient multi-channel broadcast network, starting from ingest and including playout of video, audio language selection, graphics, subtitling, and cue tones,” said Tan Yee Tiang, vice president of operations and engineering, AMNSA. “Particularly important to our operations is the system’s ability to manage multi-language playout in accordance with our traffic schedule. OmniBus also worked with us to customize automation control to meet our unique specifications.”
A unique timeline-based, multi-channel, multi-delivery automation and control system, Colossus is highly scalable and easily accommodates increases in channel output, with tools for ingest, quality assurance, content management, and interfacing with archive systems. The Colossus system is capable of segregating content and managing multiple language files. It is integrated with an Omneon Spectrum media server system to provide language-stacking functionality that significantly simplifies multilingual playout. As a result, operators managing AMNSA broadcasts can match video files to corresponding audio in any number of languages. AMNSA has deployed independent OmniBus automation systems for two major brands the company services. One system handles 19 channels and is expandable to 30 channels, and a second system currently supports 13 channels and is expandable to 20.
OmniBus Systems also announced that the company has appointed Dagang Teknik as distributor of OmniBus solutions to the Malaysian market. Dagang Teknik will serve as the local link between Malaysian customers and OmniBus Systems, working to secure sales, assist in project implementation, and support after-sales service.
16 June 2005
Harris Software Systems Asia Pacific, an operation of Harris Corporation’s Broadcast Communications Division, announced that Prime New Zealand has purchased a complete airtime sales, programme management, automation and digital asset management system. The end-to-end solution, which will provide highly efficient and dynamic management of sales and on-air operation, includes the Harris Landmark airtime sales system, the Vision Programme Management system, Harris Automation, and Invenio(R) digital asset management.
The company also released details of significant orders which have been received in four markets across the Asia Pacific region in the last 12 months. Kevin Dauphinee has been appointed VP of automation and digital asset management solution sales for Harris Software Systems’ Asia Pacific operation. Based in Beijing, Dauphinee replaces Cheng Fan, who has been promoted to head international channel development for the Broadcast Communications Division.
At Broadcast Asia, Harris Corporation’s Broadcast Communications Division (BCD) showcases its flexibility across the television industry’s leading analogue and digital transmission standards with a display of its Atlas(TM) Analogue UHF solid-state transmitter. The entire Atlas Analogue range (2.5 to 30 kW) is generating global interest with its cost-effective upgrade path to DVB-T and other digital TV standards. At Broadcast Asia, Harris is highlighting a single-cabinet Atlas Analogue that is specifically geared for broadcasters seeking to replace older, less efficient tube transmitters with more reliable solid-state technology.
Visitors to the Harris booth at Broadcast Asia will find new growth in DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale), the digital radio standard of choice for many international markets, and a new, flexible console that is ideal for international markets in need of a compact yet full-featured system for the digital studio.
At Broadcast Asia, Harris is also introducing its H-Class Content Delivery Platform, a revolutionary new approach to content delivery for broadcasters and content providers, to the Asia Pacific region. Harris’ H-Class platform provides these organizations the means – for the first time – to integrate disparate processes into a single, modular system that handles all content management and delivery enterprise-wide from creation to consumption. H-Class enables companies to serve the rapidly emerging “audience of one” by intelligently managing the delivery of rich digital media across multiple networks, channels, formats and devices. This provides more targeted programming and advertising content, which in turn enables the creation of new advertising models for increased revenue.
In June, Harris announced that Beijing Radio has selected Harris DAB 660 transmitters for its DMB (Digital Mobile Broadcasting) application, and that the company has secured an agreement to supply Harris Atlas(TM) DTV660 DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial) transmitters to five Chinese broadcasters. Yunnan TV, Heilongjiang TV, Zhejiang TV, Chongqing TV, and Hangzhou TV have all chosen Harris Atlas DTV660 transmitters, ranging from 1.5kW to 3.4kWs, as well as a selection of low-power DVB-T transmitter and exciter products. Atlas DTV660 transmitters have been at the forefront of the transition to digital television.
16 June 2005
The U.K. broadcaster Services Sound & Vision Corporation (SSVC) is installing, through systems integrator ATG Broadcast, three Presmaster 2 master control switching and channel-branding panels and three Imagestore master control switching and channel-branding processors, as part of a complete digitization of the company’s entire production and transmission services.
ATG Broadcast is integrating the Miranda systems with IBIS automation for control of two channels, British Forces Broadcasting Services 1 and 2 (BFBS 1 and BFBS 2), which are broadcast via satellite to U.K. forces around the world.
“The BFBS television service brings the best of British television to our armed forces and their families serving outside the U.K.,” explained SSVC Director of Technology Simon Shute. “We ingest programs from all of the main U.K. networks, and it’s important that we transmit this material — especially time-sensitive and topical programs — very promptly. Some of these shows go out live, simultaneous with their U.K. airing, so a significant part of the branding effort we require is rapid ‘re-branding.’ Miranda’s template-based approach to channel-branding graphics allows us to store unbranded clips on our servers, and then use the IBIS automation to drive appropriate channel branding, rather than using conventional video editing to produce multiple versions.”
The upgraded production and transmission system at SSVC is due to go live in June 2005. IBIS automation will control the whole operation and fire pre-programmed templates as part of playout automation. The time saved by Miranda’s template-based branding system will allow SSVC to get programs to air more quickly, and will also enable the company to dedicate more time to the look of broadcasts through improved program junctions.
16 June 2005
The Voice of America will resume its radio broadcasts to the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan on June 12. VOA had ceased broadcasting on radio to Uzbekistan last year in response to research that showed Uzbeks watch television in significant numbers. VOA has been broadcasting television programming to Uzbekistan since December 2003.
“Because of the recent events in Uzbekistan and the Uzbek government’s tightening of controls on foreign television broadcasts, we have decided to resume our radio broadcasts,” said VOA Director David Jackson. “The Uzbek people deserve to have access to uncensored news and information about what’s happening in their own country, their region, and the world. In addition, our Uzbek language web site will continue to be updated with the latest news and information.”
VOA’s Uzbek-language radio broadcasts will consist of a daily (seven days a week), 30-minute program, airing from 15:00-15:30 UTC (20:00 -20:30 local time) on short wave. VOA hopes to offer the new Uzbek-language radio broadcasts on medium wave and FM in the future.
VOA’s coverage will focus on the news of the world, of Uzbekistan and Central Asia, and information about U.S. policy and opinion. The coverage will also include U.S. and world press reviews on Uzbekistan, as well as interviews with regional and international experts on Uzbekistan and the region.
16 June 2005
As part of its strategy to expand the geographic reach of its programming, China Central Television (CCTV) has signed a multi-year expansion agreement with PanAmSat for the distribution of its premium programming to Western Africa.
“As PanAmSat has expanded its global services, we have been able to utilise the greater power and coverage for the efficient and economical distribution of our global programming,” said He Zong Jiu, vice-president, CCTV.
PanAmSat currently provides full-time programme distribution services for CCTV via the Company’s PAS-1R Atlantic Ocean Region satellite, PAS-8 Pacific Ocean Region satellite, PAS-9 Atlantic Ocean Region satellite and PAS-10 Indian Ocean Region satellites. PanAmSat also provides CCTV with capacity on its Galaxy 3C satellite for direct-to-home (DTH) services in the United States.
This new agreement is for capacity on the Ku-band payload of the PAS-1R satellite. CCTV has been a PanAmSat customer since the launch of the company’s PAS-2 satellite in 1994.
16 June 2005
On 7 June, two journalists working for the German public broadcasters Amharic programme had their work permits withdrawn. The reason given by the government in Addis Abeba was imprecise reporting.
Deutsche Welles director of programmes, Joachim Lenz, stated that he saw this act as a clear infringement of the freedom of speech and the press, and as such not acceptable. He talked about massive intimidation of our colleagues in contradiction to all democratic rules.
