14 December 2004
Dutch-language TV service BVN-TV, as well as the three audio streams of Radio Netherlands, are available throughout North America free-to-air 24 hours a day via the Intelsat Americas 5 satellite. The start date (originally 1 January 2005)was brought forward because of the funeral of HRH Prince Bernhard. Anyone with a suitable satellite dish and receiver in the US, Canada and Mexico can now watch BVN-TV and listen to Radio Netherlands round the clock. The 24-hour English stream is labelled RNW1. RNW2 is in Dutch, and RNW3 carries, amongst other things, Radio Netherlands Spanish output.
For technical details and a map showing the recommended dish size visit www.bvn.nl/html/n_amerika.html.
14 December 2004
Transponders on the Intelsat-Americas-7 satellite have been tested, are performing normally and are available to be put back into service.
Until the IA-7 investigation report is completed, Intelsat has temporarily delayed the launch of its IA-8 satellite. Given the current condition of IA-7, Zeus Holdings Limited, Intelsat’s prospective acquirer, would have the option not to consummate the acquisition of Intelsat if the loss is not remedied in accordance with the terms of the agreement with Zeus. Zeus has been advised of Intelsat’s decision to delay the launch of IA-8 and continues to evaluate the extent to which the IA-7 anomaly and the IA-8 launch delay could impact the pending acquisition.
9 December 2004
Harris Corporation announced on 8 December that its Broadcast Communications Division has struck a multi-million dollar business relationship with Cox Radio for the provision of digital transmitters through 2008. Cox Radio, with 78 stations in 18 markets, is the eighth largest radio broadcasting company by number of stations, and the fourth largest by audience and revenue. Cox has committed to Harris for its HD Radio transmission needs over the next four years as its stations convert to digital and HD Radio.
“HD Radio conversion is important to the radio business in order to remain competitive with other content providers,” said Sterling Davis, vice president, engineering, Cox Radio. “We don’t want to be the only analog service in a digital world. Our relationship with Harris allows us to develop a roadmap for implementing HD Radio, including additional benefits such as supplementary audio and data services. We’ve always had a good business relationship with Harris, and are extending that relationship into the digital radio world.”
The decision to install low-power or high-power transmitters will depend on the individual station’s physical layout and power requirements. In addition, some stations will not need transmitters or may simply add a second transmitter rather than replace a main unit, according to Davis. In this scenario, a station would simply add a Harris exciter to initiate a digital stream within the existing transmitter. Davis added that Harris provides excellent customer service, which was a leading factor in Cox Radio’s decision to commit to Harris for HD Radio transmission.
“Harris’ Radio Broadcast Systems business unit is privileged to continue its ongoing relationship with Cox Radio, one of radio’s premier broadcasters,” said Debra Huttenburg, vice president and general manager of the Harris Radio Broadcast Systems business unit. “We are organized as a smaller company within a large corporation, which allows us to provide immediate feedback and interaction to Cox Radio while offering the business and engineering benefits of a large company. We look forward to working with Cox Radio to provide a clear path to HD Radio as they develop their digital strategy leading to 2008.”
On 8 December Harris Corporation’s Broadcast Communications Division announced that Tony Morelli has joined the Television Broadcast Systems business unit as senior manager, TV Business Programs. Morelli’s position is designed to create business development and growth opportunities within the Television Broadcast Systems business unit, utilizing his skills in program and financial management to drive success. Based in Mason, Ohio, he reports to Dale Mowry, vice president and general manager of Harris’ Television Broadcast Systems business. Morelli becomes responsible for television programs including pursuit management of major contracts, development of adjacent market opportunities, expanded customer satisfaction programs, assessment and integration of television offerings into the division’s eCommerce initiative, and other initiatives that enhance the television business unit’s speed and effectiveness in capturing growth opportunities.
9 December 2004
As reported on the EBU web site, France’s international news channel which the government had planned to launch in 2004 will eventually go on air in the last quarter of 2005.
Some 30m euros will be allocated for the launch, half the 60m euros yearly budget needed to run the channel. The project brings together, on an equal footing, TF1 and Francetélévisions, to create a rolling-news channel drawing on the resources of TF1, LCI (La Chaîne Info), France 2 and France 3.
The European Commission is not opposed to the project which, being primarily aimed at Africa, the Middle East and Asia, will not have a significant impact on the EU broadcasting scene. The channel will broadcast in English and French, Arab-language programmes have been put on hold for the time being. Partnership agreements are reportedly planned with AFP, RFI and possibly EuroNews.
9 December 2004
OmniBus Systems, provider of broadcast automation and content management solutions, announced on 6 December that NY1, a 24-hour Time Warner Cable news channel covering New York City, has expanded its Columbus automation system to accommodate locally originated news programming and advertising in other areas of the region. As part of the system expansion, OmniBus worked closely with Avid Technology Inc. to develop and deliver an enhanced interface for Avid news editing systems and playout servers.
NY1s expansion involved the addition of regional bureaus that produce locally originated programming tailored to viewers in Staten Island and Bergen County, N.J. The bureau studio designs are virtually identical to the NY1 studio, and by using the same graphics and automation packages, NY1 is able to maintain continuity in the look and feel of its programming, as if the bureau anchor were sitting at NY1s desk in the Chelsea Market building instead of miles away.
Significant cooperation between OmniBus and Avid was required to meet the workflow needs of NY1. Content created at the Staten Island and Bergen County bureaus is edited by reporters using Avids NewsCutter XP software and published to Avid AirSPACE servers, where it can be accessed by the NY1 control room and played out via the OmniBus Columbus automation control system. At the quarter hour, NY1 broadcasts several minutes of bureau-originated content to viewers in those locations. Households in each region receive programming that covers local news and events, and local businesses are able to purchase advertising specific to their locality.
We chose OmniBus to handle our automation because their systems delivered top performance in handling the complex GPI clip triggers that our studio relies on, said Joseph Truncale, NY1s director of operations and engineering. W are very pleased that the system has been able to accommodate our needs as weve grown. OmniBus and Avid have been extremely responsive and cooperative, and the system is performing to our expectations.
Time Warner Cables NY1 station was the first 24-hour news station to employ an OmniBus-based production template, which has since been reproduced in similar Time Warner Cable local news outlets across the country. These templates feature an OmniBus automation system integrated with a Pinnacle Systems Vortex video server, APs ENPS newsroom production system, and VertigoXmedia graphics automation.
The OmniBus system serves as the central interface for controlling devices, getting feedback, and relaying playout messages, and the OmniBus Desktop Control interface gives users the ability to search and browse archived material, create graphics, put production elements for studio events into the script, and control a variety of other functions from a single desktop.
9 December 2004
The OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro today issued the following statement:
“Following the local elections held in Serbia on 19 September, newly established local authorities have initiated significant changes in the management and key editorial staff of local and regional broadcast media throughout the country.
When politically motivated, those changes might endanger the editorial independence and role of local public service broadcasters granted to those media by the Broadcasting Law until their privatization is completed.
In this context, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro wishes to recall that free, independent and professional media are crucial components of the democratic development of the Serbian society as a whole. This very fact has led the Serbian legislation to work on establishing a legal framework that guarantees such essential principles and practices.
The delay in the full implementation of the Broadcasting Law, adopted by the Serbian Parliament in July 2002, has in turn put on hold the prescribed privatization process of those media and left them vulnerable to political interference.
Aware of the efforts and expertise invested in strengthening the professional, managerial and editorial capacity of those media outlets over the last years, the OSCE Mission wishes to call on local authorities to refrain from any action that would prevent those media from fulfilling their role and obligations toward their respective communities, lower their professional standards and that would endanger the prospect for those media to be successfully privatized.
The necessity of ensuring that a proper legal instrument to guide the privatization of local and regional broadcast media is enacted by the competent authorities is therefore of utmost importance and urgency.”
