12 October 2003
Radio Taiwan International hosts Digital Broadcasting Symposium
The 2003 Taipei Digital Broadcasting Seminar took place at Radio Taiwan International’s Taipei headquarters from September 29th to October 1st. A seven-point final statement reached after a hot debate at the end of the symposium urges the government to initiate the roadmap for speeding up the development of digital broadcasting in Taiwan, to modify the broadcasting regulations and to bring up investment-incentive policies that would be helpful for the success of the industry.
More than 200 delegates attended the event, including local broadcasters, manufacturers, service providers, academics, government regulators and those who are interested in the developments and challenges of digital broadcasting industry.
RTI Chairman Lin Feng-jen said at the opening ceremony, “Radio Taiwan International attempts to be the pioneer of digital broadcasting in Taiwan and shall made all efforts to help integrate related sectors to facilitate the process leads to digital life.” Minister without portfolio of Executive Yuan Dr. Tsay Ching-yen and Minister of Government Information Office Mr. Huang Hwei-chen both gave confidence-boost speeches and proclaimed the importance of pushing digital broadcasting forward to match the 2008 Challenge National Development Plan, a project proposed by the Executive Yuan in May 2002 to improve living standards and the business and investment climate in Taiwan over a six-year course.
Mr. Josef Troxler of Thales B&M AG, Mr. Peter Gordon of AIB Member VT Merlin Communications and Mr. Johannes Noack of TELEFUNKEN introduced DRM and talked about challenges it will face. Peter Gordon also offered a Q&A session. Mr. Bernhard Baurngartner of Hirschmann Solutions, Mr. Hartmut Schaefer, Mr. Stefan Berger of ROHDE & SCHWARZ and Prof. The-nan Chang of TATUNG University talked about DAB and related issues. Mr. Donald Spragg and Mr. Steven J. Spradlin of Harris gave a review and comparison of three terrestrial digital radio systems. Mr. Jack Chang of PC-Radio Corp. talked about the media streaming platform solution. Mr. Jia-huei Wu, Deputy Director General of The Directorate General of Telecommunications talked about digital broadcasting regulations and said “The government will be glad to see the public radios to get more involved in digital broadcasting.” Dr. Johnson Hun of Chief Secretary of Digital Audio Broadcasting Committee Taiwan talked about the status of digital broadcasting in Taiwan. Dr. Hun said, “The idea is to make Taiwan the center of digital broadcasting manufacturing industry.”
ROHDE & SCHWARZ used its MA6050 500W DAB transmitter shipped to Taipei earlier to transmit at half power to live demonstrate DAB Data transmission at the symposium. Mr. Peter Gordon displayed a DRM software receiver and the Coding Technologies production-ready world band DRM radio. Taiwan-based GyroSignal Technology showcased its newest Gyro-1114 DAB/FM/RDS Receiver Module, and live demonstrate two types of Gyro loaded DAB radios and a DAB LED display panel. PC-Radio Corp. demonstrated its DAB IP tunneling system D-IPTUS, which is the solution to broadcast streaming services and r-commerce applications on DAB through a live transmission of a MPEG-4 video from a Hirschmann 100 mw transmitter exciter at the symposium. Minton Optic Industry displayed its Audio Avanti 5.1 DAB home theatre system with surround audio effects and Elansat displayed its pocket DAB/FM receiver.
RTI, one of the leading broadcasters of Taiwan’s island-wide DAB test launch in 2000, tries to get together at the symposium the people who know the digital broadcasting well to press greater involvement from all sectors in Taiwan so as to bring the exciting digital life to more people. The DAB signal now covers almost all the populated area of Taiwan. The digital broadcasting related regulations are to be scrutinized by the Legislative Yuan by end of 2003. Taiwan’s inaugural launch of DAB is expected to happen by early 2004.
12 October 2003
The AIB is a partner in an exciting industry seminar for the US marketplace. Participation TV will explore the integration of media brands and television programming with mobile (SMS, MMS) and telephony (IVR) based interactivity. This combination is generating direct revenues and branding benefits for carriers, broadcasters, content owners and production companies across the globe.
Millions of text message are generated by programmes like Big Brother; music channels in Holland have been developed with 24/7 integrated wireless interactivity, including the killer ‘fotochat’ application. Games channels, SMS chat channels, 2.5 million votes for American Idol finale. The list goes on.
The seminar programme will feature expert contributions from leading US &
International broadcasters, media productions companies, carriers and
technology providers, like ABC, Endemol and TXTme TV. Speakers will detail successful Participation TV case studies from international markets.
Participation TV will take place during the CTIA (Cellular Telecommunication & Internet Association) Wireless IT & Entertainment Expo 2003 (http://www.wirelessit.com/general/). This expo (in its seventh year) is one of the largest annual industry forums and exhibitions with over 10,000 executives scheduled to attend keynote sessions, workshops and special interest seminars October 21-23.
12 October 2003
Marc Tessier, CEO of the state-owned group France Televisions, says that Cll, the French international TV channel called for by President Jacques Chirac, will be “a voice speaking for France, but not France’s official voice. We must avoid the image of operating under orders from above” and said that the public-private partnership between France Televisions and TF1 would work. He explained that the idea from the outset had been of a 50-50 association, with the state providing all the financing. This was, in his opinion, “the only possible type of partnership”. “If things went wrong, the state would be the arbiter, since it provides the financing.”
M. Tessier said also that French news agency AFP would be a major source, and that he had “no objections” to RFI [Radio France Internationale], which participated in France Televisions’s original project, being also “associated with the network”.
12 October 2003
The French TF1 group is to buy up 49 per cent of the Italian company Europa TV for approximately 35m euros [approx 41m dollars]. The plan is to launch the national sports channel “Sport Italia” at the end of the year, in partnership with the financier Tarek Ben Ammar.
Holland Coordinator and Services B.V., Ammars company, is acquiring 100 per cent of the capital of Europa TV for a global price of 70m euros. TF1, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Eurosport, has reached an agreement with Holland Coordinator and Services to acquire 49 per cent of the capital of Europa TV.
Europa TV has coverage rights for 83 per cent of Italy. If the agreements get official approval, the partners plan to launch in time for this year’s Christmas and New Year periods on an unscrambled basis.
12 October 2003
The UK and Ireland will gain greater choice of satellite broadband services following the launch of e-BIRD, Europe’s first satellite specially designed for the provision of 2-way broadband communications.
The satellite will enter service in November at 33 degrees East. The launch of e-BIRD boosts Eutelsat’s commitment to developing resources and technology in Europe that enable satellites to be key players in bridging the digital divide by reaching regions not served by
ADSL and other terrestrial broadband technologies.
6 October 2003
AIB Member VT Merlin Communications took a major step in the development of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) services by switching on the UKs first medium wave transmitter at Orfordness in East Anglia at the end of September. The transmitter and encoding equipment were supplied by Canadian manufacturer, Nautel and German companies Telefunken and Fraunhofer Institute.
The highlight of the inauguration “pressing the big red button” was performed by Benny Ammar, Head of Go Digital, BBC World Service and Simon Tarrant, Managing Director, VT Support Services, at a ceremony attended by some 60 international guests.
The DRM service will carry BBC World Service programming into the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Northern France on 1296KHz during the day, and may extend into Germany and Poland during the hours of darkness. The digital DRM signal will show a marked improvement in the audio quality and the perennial problems of fading and interference associated with short, medium and long wave transmissions.
“This represents a significant investment in DRM technology,” said Peter Gordon, VT Merlin’s Programme Manager, Digitalisation, “and we’re delighted to be at the forefront of the technology’s introduction.”
