Al Jazeera Launches the 2nd Phase of its Campaign for Supporting Press Freedom

22 June 2018

With a series of videos in various languages, Al Jazeera seeks to shed light on the critical importance of press freedom around the world

June 22, 2018 (Doha, Qatar) – Al Jazeera Media Network is launching the second phase of its international Demand Press Freedom campaign to support a free press and denounce the harassment of journalists and media professionals across the world.

Phase Two of the campaign is being launched a year after the demand to silence and shut down Al Jazeera by the blockading countries, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, following the GCC crisis in 2017.

The Demand Press Freedom campaign (#DemandPressFreedom) incorporates video segments in different languages that shed light on the direct and visceral impact of a free press on people’s lives, and as a basic human right that is essential for the development and progress of societies.

The campaign will also go on to include events and international forums to highlight the conditions of journalists arrested in different countries, the assaults on media organizations, and the attempts to silence the press.

Acting Director General, Dr. Mostefa Souag, said: “Al Jazeera may be the one media organization which has suffered the most and has been targeted for its professional reporting. Our journalists have been threatened, imprisoned, tortured, and killed, our offices have been bombed, our signals have been blocked, our websites hacked, and our social media accounts taken down. We continue to support press freedom and highlight the sufferings of journalists and media professionals around the world.”

“Al Jazeera renews its calls for the safety and protection of journalists worldwide and calls on governments to adhere to international covenants, treaties and legal obligations.”

The first phase of the demand press freedom campaign saw exceptional engagements on social media platforms, as well as the support and engagement by celebrities, public figures, writers and presenters denouncing the targeting of Al Jazeera and the call for its shut down. In addition, Al Jazeera organized various International seminars and events to discuss and highlight the challenges faced by journalists and media professionals.

The Demand Press Freedom campaign 2017 was awarded a gold medal in the New York Festivals, received a Certificate of Recognition from AME Committee Awards; and was shortlisted for One Show awards. Despite the calls for its shut down, Al Jazeera’s achievements continued to see Al Jazeera English Channel awarded “Broadcaster of the Year” in the 2018 New York Festivals, and receiving a Peabody award for its documentary ‘The Cut’.

Celebro Moscow available for bookings

15 June 2018

AIB Member Celebro Media has opened new studio facilities in Washington DC and Moscow, with Los Angeles to follow in the coming weeks. Celebro Moscow overlooks the Kremlin and is available for stand-ups, interviews, discussion programmes and more – even during the FIFA World Cup taking place in Russia.

You can find out more in this introductory video featuring Celebro’s CEO, Wesley Dodd.

US international broadcaster cuts operations in Myanmar

15 June 2018

Radio Free Asia (RFA), the private, nonprofit US government-funded corporation that broadcasts to Asian countries, halted its TV broadcasts to Myanmar saying it “will not compromise its code of journalistic ethics.”

Myanmar

RFA aired its last original TV broadcast on the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) network on state-owned Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) on 11 June.

RFA took this decision after the Myanmar government told DVB that it could not carry RFA’s programming if the word “Rohingya” continued to be used. RFA’s Burmese Service’s TV programming has been available on DVB since October 2017.

Explaining the broadcaster’s decision to pull out, RFA’s President Libby Liu (pictured) said: “Radio Free Asia will not compromise its code of journalistic ethics, which prohibits the use of slurs against ethnic minority groups. RFA will continue to refer to the Rohingya as the ‘Rohingya’ in our reports. Use of other terms, even those that fall short of being derogatory, would be inaccurate and disingenuous to both our product and our audience.

“By forbidding the use of the word ‘Rohingya,’ Myanmar’s government is taking an Orwellian step in seeking to erase the identity of a people whose existence it would like to deny. RFA will continue to provide audiences in Myanmar with access to trustworthy, reliable journalism, particularly when reporting on issues that local and state-controlled media ignores and suppresses.”

Following a Burmese military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine state some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since August 2017.

RFA indicates that its content and programming will continue to be available for its audience in Myanmar on shortwave, social media (YouTube/ Facebook) and RFA Burmese’s website.

DVB, which aired RFA TV broadcasts, is a Thailand-based multimedia organization run by Burmese expatriates. It was launched in Norway in 1992, broadcasting to Myanmar on shortwave. It started TV broadcasts in 2005. In February DVB signed an agreement with MRTV to broadcast its channel free-to-air in digital format in the country.

Two Reuters journalists were arrested in Myanmar on 12 December 2017 and charged with violating the Official Secrets Act.

SatADSL and Cobbett Hill Earth Station team up to deliver flexible maritime data services

13 June 2018

SatADSL and Cobbett Hill Earth Station team up to deliver flexible maritime data services

Cloud-based Service Delivery Platform (C-SDP) provided by SatADSL will be used via Cobbett Hill Earth Station across the European Maritime sector – from yachts, cruise ships and commercial vessels to coast guard units and oil platforms

London, UK, and Brussels, Belgium, June 12, 2018 – SatADSL, a provider of professional VSAT services via satellite, and UK-based Teleport operator and service provider Cobbett Hill Earth Station today announced a new partnership to deliver value-added services across the European maritime sector.

Under the agreement, SatADSL is providing its innovative C-SDP, a complete OSS/BSS, carrier-grade, fully redundant platform which allows operators to easily outsource satellite services.

This platform, combined with the Cobbett Hill Group’s expertise in the maritime sector, in conjunction with both its International Ocean Networks and Emperion divisions, opens possibilities for the provision of VSAT data services to the maritime sector.

“The collaboration with SatADSL is primarily focused on the delivery of added value services to the maritime sector,” said Adrian Redfern, Sales Director at Cobbett Hill. “At Cobbett Hill we pride ourselves on our ability to be flexible, dynamic and reactive in what is an ever-changing market place and the versatility of the SatADSL platform provides opportunities for flexible, tailored, contract-free satellite services to be delivered on our European Maritime Network.”

Cobbett Hill is the owner and operator of one of the UK’s leading independent satellite Teleport facilities, with extensive satellite coverage, access to the London Fibre Ring and Point-Of-Presence at Telehouse North Data Centre. Its Network Operations Centre is manned 24/7/365 with dedicated on-site engineers, providing unparalleled service and technical support to customers.

The Cobbett Hill Group is the latest operator to deploy SatADSL’s C-SDP which provides satellite connectivity via the cloud, eliminating the need for physical infrastructure, and delivering a future-proof infrastructure.

SatADSL Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer Fulvio Sansone said: “Providing high capacity and flexibility in an often-dynamic environment is a key requirement in the sectors Cobbett Hill is serving and we’re delighted to be working with the Teleport operator to provide all-important connectivity to its maritime customers. There is a growing need for satellite solutions at sea as constant connectivity becomes the norm for consumers and businesses. Our C-SDP solutions enables Cobbett Hill to offer competitive, tailored solutions for end-users.”

About SatADSL

SatADSL (www.satadsl.net) is a satellite Service Provider which designs and offers innovative satellite networking solutions to banks, microfinances, broadcasters, NGOs, Governments, ISPs, telecom operators and other companies in Africa and the Middle East in remote areas or where terrestrial infrastructure is not reliable.

Founded in 2010, SatADSL has already installed more than 3,000 VSAT networks in more than 45 countries. It specializes in providing tailor-made solutions based on customers’ specific requirements and flexible service plans that meet its clients’ budgets.

Through its carrier-grade Service Delivery Platform (SDP), which integrates the most advanced technologies, SatADSL provides custom-made networking solutions, tailor-made service plans and value-added services, including hierarchical service control and monitoring, traffic prioritization and online billing and payments, for any frequency band and any access technology.

About Cobbett Hill Earth Station

Cobbett Hill Earth Station along with International Ocean Networks and Emperion Communication Anywhere collectively form the Cobbett Hill Group. Privately owned and fully independent, the group operates directly from the Teleport facilities located within its own 200-acre estate only 30 minutes from central London. With extensive satellite coverage, access to the London Fibre Ring and Point-Of-Presence at Telehouse North Data Centre, Cobbett Hill positions itself as a gateway to global connectivity.
The Earth Station operates an extensive range of satellite communication services across the Maritime, Terrestrial, Corporate, Broadcast, Oil & Gas, NGO, Military and Government sectors among others.
Core service provisions include but are not limited to Internet, Voice, Data, and Broadcasting. With specialist Network Design, Network Management, Co-location facilities and Satellite Bandwidth planning, the Cobbett Hill team are continuously researching new technologies to enhance satellite services and provide our clients the tools they need.

PR Contacts

SatADSL
Caroline De Vos
Co-founder & COO
+32 478 31 13 76
caroline.devos@satadsl.net
&
Jayne Brooks
Proactive PR
+44 1636 704 888
jayne.brooks@proactive-pr.com

Cobbett Hill Earth Station
Alex Stamp
Sales Executive
+44 (0) 1483 378 397
Alex.stamp@cobbetthill.com

Ruptly deploys a 5-camera UHD OB van in World Cup Coverage

12 June 2018

Berlin, Germany – Ruptly provided original multi-camera live transmission of the pre – World Cup match with FIFA and Russian football legends in five different languages.

The friendly game took place in Kaliningrad on June 3 and featured Brazil’s double World Cup winning captain Cafu, as well as Nwankwo Kanu, Nuno Gomes, Wes Brown, Niko Kranjcar and Pascal Zuberbuehler. The team was up against Ruslan Nigmatulin, Dmitry Sennikov, Andrey Fedkov,Dmitry Khlestov, Andrey Tikhonov and Aleksandr Panov.

A 4K OB van, equipped with Riedel’s Mediornet video router, Bolero wireless intercom and Arri’s Amira cameras has been utilised for an hour of uninterrupted multi-camera live broadcast, delivered to international clients and social media platforms in five languages by professional sports commentators.

Throughout the World Cup, Ruptly is offering broadcast services with three outdoor multi-camera studios in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Sochi, in addition to live stand-up positions in 11 host cities.

Ruptly’s extensive coverage includes all World Cup events, pre-match trainings, exclusive interviews, fan zones, and viral videos from every host city in Russia. Using “Ruptly Stringer”, a UGC app, the agency is able to source and provide the best user-generated videos in real time.

Ruptly expects a minimum of four World Cup live transmissions a day via the “Ruptly LIVE” platform, which enables users to broadcast up to nine simultaneous events to multiple destinations, including direct to social media. Direct social media streams require no additional specialist technology on the user side, making it possible to gain access to lives in as little as three clicks.

Along with state-of-the-art live solutions, Ruptly’s team operates drones and uses 360-degree cameras for video and live coverage.

A complete overview of the World Cup coverage and the technology used will be presented at the IBC Show in Amsterdam in September.

Ruptly is a global multimedia agency launched in 2013. Today its materials are used by more than 1,000 media companies from 89 countries — from major TV channels to online projects and mobile platforms. Ruptly videos have appeared on air and online for news outlets such as CNN, NBC, CBS, and VICE. Ruptly was awarded the Drum Online Media award for “Best B2B News Site” in 2017, “Commercial Team of the Year” in 2018 and its project Ruptly LIVE became a finalist of both The Drum Online Media Awards and Global Media Innovator.

Personnel changes, collaborative initiatives focus of BBG board meeting

11 June 2018

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the independent agency, which supervises the five government-funded US international broadcasting and multimedia organizations, held its latest meeting on 06 June.

The BBG 2018 Action Plan was unveiled on 14 March.

A number of personnel changes were announced and a wide-ranging overview of recent initiatives was given by BBG networks’ senior leaders.

The board meeting highlighted also the risks faced by its journalists around the world.

BBG Board Chairman Kenneth Weinstein first welcomed Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Heather Nauert to her first board meeting. Nauert, who represents Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as BBG ex officio board member, expressed support for Radio Free Asia’s (RFA) Uyghur journalists, whose families are held in Chinese reeducation camps, and sympathies for those affected by the double suicide bombing that killed 25, including three Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalists, in Kabul on 30 April.

Personnel changes

Weinstein announced the following personnel changes:

The appointment of veteran journalist Tomás P. Regalado as Director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB), Regalado was sworn in by BBG CEO John Lansing.

The departure of BBG Deputy Director Jeffrey Trimble, who will join Ohio State University after 21 years in US international broadcasting. Trimble, a fluent Russian speaker, joined the BBG as Director of Programming in 2007 after a 10-year career at RFE/RL.

On 04 June the White House announced that it had sent to the Senate, for confirmation, the nomination of conservative filmmaker and documentarian Michael Pack to succeed John Lansing as BBG Chief Executive Officer for the term of three years.

Key initiatives and collaborative activities

Leaders of the BBG networks, known as the International Media Coordinating Council (ICC), who meet twice a month, presented key initiatives and collaborative activities aimed at maximizing their operations in today’s challenging media environment.

Yolanda Lopez, director Voice of America (VOA) News Center, presented “The Dragon’s Reach”, a project coordinating resources from the five networks to highlight Chinese construction and energy projects worth more than a trillion dollars in 70 countries.

VOA Director Amanda Bennett announced that the five networks would cooperate for joint coverage of the Singapore meeting between the US president and the North Korean leader on 12 June.

OCB Director Emilio Vasquez introduced a short video highlighting the work and programmes of the network and the challenges faced by its journalists.

RFE/RL President Thomas Kent presented video reports describing the network’s coverage of recent events in Armenia that led to a peaceful change of government and of the brutal repression by Russian security forces of demonstrations in Moscow as President Putin was inaugurated. Video reports were screened to the BBG meeting. Kent said that international news networks like the BBC, CNN or France 24 used RFE/RL reports as the network, (with 19 staff in Armenia) was the only outlet to have exclusive footage of these events.

RFA Director Libby Liu described the six-part RFA series “How the West was won: The making of a police state on China’s New Frontier’”. Liu listed the measures taken by the Chinese authorities to control ethnic Uyghurs, their “staggering scope” and harshness. RFA has the world’s only Uyghur broadcast and multimedia service and some of its journalists say dozens of their relatives have been detained or sent to reeducation camps to put pressure on them.

Weinstein adjourned the meeting and announced that the next BBG board would convene at the Middle East Broadcasting Network (MBN) headquarters in Springfield Virginia, on 29 August.

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