10 May 2004
VT Merlin has launched two new weekly digital streams, bringing the benefits of Digital Radio MondialeTM (DRMTM) to a number of its most important international broadcast customers.
This new service ‘vtdigital’ features news and general programming from broadcasters compiled into a stream, interspersed with informative continuity announcements. Two streams are broadcast, one on Friday and one on Saturday on 9770 kHz. They are carried from VT Merlin’s Rampisham site in the UK on digital short wave into Central Europe in near FM quality. Broadcasters including Radio New Zealand International, Radio Australia, Radio Japan (NHK), Radio Taiwan International and Radio France International have joined and are keen to experience the benefits of the DRM system and range of services offered by VT Merlin.
These streams complement the highly successful Sunday stream based on religious programming, which began in February 2004.
Peter Gordon, VT Merlin’s Head of Digitalisation commented: “We are very proud to have brought some of the world’s leading international broadcasters together onto our DRM platform in an innovative way. Their commitment to DRM is a major boost for this new broadcast technology. We look forward to growing and expanding the stream concept over the coming months”. VT Merlin is a founder member of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), a consortium of broadcast related organisations working to bring digital AM radio to the market place.
10 May 2004
Following a new distribution agreement with Portugals biggest cable and satellite operator, TV Cabo, Extreme Sports Channel launched in Portugal on 8 May. This latest major platform deal opens up a new country for Extreme, making 53 in total. Portuguese is now the tenth language in which the channel is available.
Extreme launches in Portugal in grand style with live coverage of one of Europe’s biggest extreme sports events, the Lisbon Downtown mountain bike race. This race through Alfama, the old town of Lisbon, is also expected to draw in at least twenty thousand live spectators to see the world’s best mountain bikers battling it out on Saturday.
This is the latest European launch for the channel, following the conclusion of deals with a number of networks including 27 new deals in Poland, 12 in Romania, 20 in the Ukraine and several others in Croatia and Slovenia.
Extreme Sports Channel is the world’s first television channel totally dedicated to the world’s fastest growing participatory sports and the music, fashion and way of life that accompanies them. The channel was launched in 1999 and is now available in 53 countries across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. It transmits in 10 languages and broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to nearly 18 million households.
6 May 2004
Athens Broadcast Services partners, represented by GlobeCast, Gearhouse Broadcast and Stefi Productions, announced today that leading international broadcasters have selected the Athens Broadcast Base 2004 for their Olympics coverage. These broadcasters include: Sky News, Sky Sports News, ITN (ITV3 News) and Reuters from the UK; 9 Network Australia; Italian group Mediaset and global news network CNN.
The state-of-the-art Broadcast Base launched in May last year by GlobeCast, the global satellite transmissions provider, Gearhouse Broadcast, the equipment rental, sales & project solutions company, and Greek production company Stefi Productions offers non-rights holders a one-stop-shop for all of their production and broadcast requirements, including studios, work space, broadcast equipment, worldwide satellite transmissions, uplinking facilities, playout, conversion, encoding and mobile SNG facilities. It is located in central Athens, just 400 metres from the Olympic Stadium and the IBC, and features premium stand-up positions overlooking historical backdrops emphasising the return of the Olympics to their original Greek home.
High Definition equipment will be available for rental from the facility, including LDK 6000 cameras, Sony HDW-F900/HDW-750P camcorders, Sony HDW-F500 VTR’s, a full range of Canon HD lenses, Leitch routers and Grass Valley vision mixers. The Broadcast Base will also offer the latest technology on the market including the XDCAM range for rental incorporating Professional Disc technology launched by Sony including the PDW-530P camcorder, PDW-V1, PDW-1500 & PDW-3000 decks.
6 May 2004
Lucia Annunziata, the Chairwoman of Italys public service broadcaster RAI, has resigned in a dispute that rekindled controversy over the influence exerted over the national media by PM Silvio Berlusconi. Ms Annunziata announced her departure at a news conference in Milan where she accused Berlusconi’s centre-right government and its supporters of trying to pack RAI with political appointees.
RAI has three of Italy’s seven main television channels, as does Mediaset, the company that forms part of the Berlusconi family business empire. Together RAI and Mediaset account for 90 per cent of Italy’s prime-time TV viewers. Berlusconi’s unusual position as media magnate and premier was criticised last month in a European parliament report that argued it was not right for one man to be in a position to influence so much TV content in one country.
Ms Annunziata described the proposed job appointments at RAI as “the final act in an organised campaign by the government majority aimed at full control over public service broadcasting”. Last week, Italy’s parliament approved a controversial media law which, critics say, strengthens Mr Berlusconi’s hold over the media. Ms Annunziata, once one of the country’s leading journalists, had said she would resign if the Italian government passed the bill.
5 May 2004
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia today launched the CASBAA Fast Facts 2004 handbook, a 92-page digest of regional pay-TV data highlighting the growth of cable and satellite TV audiences across Asia Pacific. Fast Facts 2004 comprises some 150 charts and tables of top-line data covering advertising expenditure, broad-based media consumption and audience research across 14 markets. The information includes Peoplemeter data as well as highly targeted regional surveys.
Fast Facts 2004 is designed as a tool for advertising sales directors, media buyers, media planners and clients with a need for quick-reference material about the fastest-growing advertising vehicle in the Asia Pacific. The handbook was developed by the CASBAA Research Committee working with the CASBAA Media & Research Director Robert Wilson.
“One of the greatest pleasures of bringing this project to fruition is the industry-wide cooperation that has made this possible,” said Marcel Fenez, Chairman, CASBAA. “The proactive input from the pay-TV channels, the pay-TV platform operators, commercial data suppliers and research agencies has been remarkable.”
The CASBAA Fast Facts 2004 handbook will be distributed to CASBAA member companies, as well as to advertising agencies, advertisers and other interested parties. Copies will be available at a cost of US$10.00 per copy (plus P+P) from CASBAA.
5 May 2004
ND SatCom, a leading global supplier of satellite based broadband, broadcast and military communication network solutions, has appointed Siegfried Schlabschi as new Chief Financial Officer to its executive management team. The management addition reflects the company’s direction to further expand its position in the worldwide satellite network solution market.
ND SatCom’s CEO Dr. Karl Classen commented: “We are proud to have Siegfried Schlabschi join ND SatCom as we move forward. ND SatCom’s increased global activities have resulted in new demands and we
believe that our addition will undoubtedly strengthen our presence and
our commercial efforts globally. We are pleased to have someone of
Schlabschi’s skills and experience on the team.”
