2 March 2017
The World Teleport Association (WTA) today announced that Arqiva Satellite & Media’s Chalfont Grove Teleport (London) has achieved Tier 4 Full Certification under WTA’s Teleport Certification Program. Tier 4 is the highest level of certification available under the program.
The program proceeds through two phases. Teleport operators apply for provisional certification by completing a +170-item questionnaire and submitting this self-reported data to WTA. The Association analyzes the data based on standards established by its Certification Committee and issues a Provisional Certification. The teleport then has six months to achieve Full Certification, which requires a thorough site inspection by a WTA auditor to validate the information in the questionnaire and identify additional factors that may positively or negatively affect the score. Full Certification is issued at a Tier number from 1 through 4, of which 4 represents the highest degree of excellence, and remains in effect for 3 years. The auditor also provides a report recommending additional improvements that can maintain or raise the facility’s performance.
“Arqiva Satellite & Media benchmarks itself against the highest international standards ranging from Safety, Health, Environment, Quality, Energy and Security,” said David Crawford, Managing Director, Satellite & Media, Arqiva. “Our customers expect the best so it was an easy decision to begin the WTA teleport accreditation process starting at the Chalfont Grove facility. Chalfont is home to our play out operations, part of our vast uplink and data centre resources as well as being a key node on our multi Tb fibre network.
“Achieving a Tier 4 rating, the highest of four quality tiers, is a terrific endorsement of our ongoing investment in service excellence, infrastructure, technology, people and process. This is a significant accolade but we continue to invest in those areas to ensure that we remain the industry leader – by any benchmark.”
“The Arqiva name has long been synonymous with the highest quality of teleport operation,” said WTA executive director Robert Bell. “The value of Certification is in providing independent, third-party confirmation of the engineering and operational factors that contribute to that quality.”
WTA’s Teleport Certification Program serves both teleport operators and their customers by creating an objective, transparent, and internationally accepted method for teleport operators to document the quality of their operations for customers and strategic partners. It also provides a means for customers to select teleport vendors delivering the price-performance level that is appropriate for their applications.
2 March 2017
Arabsat, a leading satellite services provider in the Arab world, has been selected by global media solutions provider Globecast to broadcast TRT World, the international news platform of Turkey, in high definition over the MENA region on Arabsat’s Badr-6 satellite at 26°E. Globecast is the worldwide distributor of the TRT news platform.
Building on its existing relationship with Arabsat, Globecast is supplying global packaged services to TRT World for this project. The company is providing connectivity through its fully redundant fibre network and its Paris NOC, which enables the uplinking of the channel to Arabsat’s Badr-6 satellite.
“This new HD channel will further grow our HD neighbourhood and reinforce our HD dominance in MENA. We are grateful to once again be working with our long-term partner Globecast for the distribution of a premium channel, which will undoubtedly attract a wide range of viewers,” said Khalid Balkheyour, President & CEO of Arabsat.
The cooperation means TRT World will be available to viewers in the Middle East and North Africa.
“We’re delighted to once again be teaming with Arabsat, our trusted partner in the Arab region, for this important project. We’re seeing a lot of growth in the 26° neighbourhood lately, especially in terms of exclusive content. This region is perfectly suited to our customer, TRT World,” commented Philippe Bernard, Globecast Group CEO.
(Source: Arabsat press release)
28 February 2017
From Monday 6 March, the Revolution-100 season of content on BBC Russian will connect audiences with the events of 1917 that led to the seizure of power by Bolsheviks and the birth of the Soviet Russia.
BBC Russian takes a new look at the crucial episodes between the two Russian revolutions – in February and October 1917 – often challenging conventional knowledge. Through documentaries, animation, infographics, picture galleries and stories on bbcrussian.com, TV, and via digital and mobile platforms, BBC Russian connects the events of 1917 with the world of today.
Between March and November 2017, Revolution-100 will feature a wide range of content including:
- A four-part video series, The Train from Zurich to the Revolution, tracing Lenin’s train journey from Zurich to Petrograd, which put him in the centre of the struggle for power in the Russian capital. Starring the popular Russian actor, Mikhail Yefremov, the documentary asks why Germany had facilitated that momentous journey.
- A special video feature filmed at the Russian Duma, re-enacting the drama of the political struggle of 100 years ago. The country’s budding legislative organ of the time – set up to establish democratic governance in Russia – was soon obliterated by the Bolsheviks.
- Research into the economic situation in the country as the February Revolution was largely triggered by bread riots and strikes in Petrograd – asking what an average worker could buy and if hunger was really widespread.
- Research into the social layout of the country whose monarch abdicated after centuries of absolute rule.
- Letters from the frontline: a personalised look at the role of the First World War in the disaffection that brought the soldiers – and their families – into the ranks of the protesters.
- Faces of the revolution: portraits of seven key members of the Provisional Government – Mikhail Rodzyanko, Alexandr Protopopov, Pavel Milyukov, Vasiliy Shulgin, Prince Georgiy Lvov, Generals Nikolai Ruzsky and Mikhail Alekseev.
- The world press reaction to the revolution as it unfolded.
- The story of three brothers from Nizhniy Novgorod, whose different political choices and resulting lives reflect the trials and tribulations of 20th century Russians.
Throughout the season, BBC Russian will report the centenary of the Russian revolution as it is reflected in Britain’s cultural scene.
BBC Russian brings global stories to the Russian-speaking audience and puts Russian and regional stories in a global context. The website bbcrussian.com offers a rich content of international and national news and analysis, video news bulletins and pieces, live and on-demand audio, interactivity and reports. BBC Russian connects with its audiences via Facebook, VKontakte, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, YouTube and Google+. BBC Russian TV news bulletins broadcast on Dozhd TV in Russia Monday to Friday and are available on bbcrussian.com. Twice a week, BBC Russian delivers news updates on the Russian TV channel, RBK.
27 February 2017
The AIBs 2017, the 13th annual competition for factual television, radio and online productions, are open for sponsorship.
This increasingly important and influential contest reaches broadcasters and production companies throughout the world, with entries arriving from more than 40 countries. These are judged by a global panel of media experts and the results announced at a gala dinner in London, taking place this year on 1 November.
The AIBs offer a unique opportunity to place a company’s brand before the most influential programme makers, executives, journalists and editors throughout the world. A range of sponsorship opportunities that benefit from nine months of constant outreach and marketing work offers companies a cost-effective and highly memorable way to reach this important audience.
Full details of how brands can be closely associated with the AIBs are contained in our sponsorship brochure. This is available online in digital page-turning edition here, in PDF format here, or in print format by calling the AIB on +44 20 7993 2557.
Clare Dance and Tom Wragg will be happy to discuss the sponsorship opportunities with you.
Reach them at the AIB head office, telephone +44 20 7993 2557.
27 February 2017
At its 85th meeting, the DVB Steering Board approved updates to TS 102 809 “Signaling and carriage of interactive applications and services in Hybrid broadcast/broadband environments” introducing an authentication mechanism to help prevent ‘Man in the Middle’ attacks in Smart TVs supporting interactivity.
This update was triggered by a security researcher demonstration showing that it was possible for attackers to modify the broadcast TV signal and so exploit bugs in the software of Smart TVs to gain control over the TV. A successful ’Man in the Middle’ attack could enable a hacker to access TV features such as its camera, microphone, and potentially other devices connected to the set. The new version will provide additional security to interactive solutions like the HbbTV specification, which relies heavily on TS 102 809.
The updated specification enables broadcasters to add authentication information to the signaling of their interactive services. In essence, the television receiver learns the legitimate transmission on each channel and will then identify and reject any subsequent tampering. This provides an extra layer of defense for TV sets and their owners in addition to manufacturers’ activities to improve their products security.
Commenting on this important action by the Steering Board, DVB Chairman, Peter MacAvock said “Although ‘Man-in-the-Middle’ attacks have been demonstrated, there is little real-world evidence of such attacks. Even so DVB acknowledges the potential risks, and has moved to address these with a comprehensive and appropriate specification to re-assure consumers and industry alike.”
Security across all parts of the broadcast chain is vital and the Association for International Broadcasting has an active Cyber Security Working Group to help its Members share expertise and information. See our Working Groups section for more information.
27 February 2017
Latest Africascope results confirm Africanews’ strong reputation in French-speaking Africa with 6.3 million people aware of the news channel across seven countries surveyed*, and boasting a healthy weekly audience of 2 million viewers.
Africanews is a leading multilingual, Pan-African news outlet. Africanews is available in sub-Saharan Africa via its complete offering (TV + digital: website, social media,mobile applications).
According to the latest Africascope 2016 survey, conducted by Kantar TNS in seven French-speaking African countries, Africanews has created an awareness of 38%, which represents 6.3 million people aware of Africanews. Less than one year after launching the channel it has also earned a weekly audience of 2 million viewers.
Africascope survey results show Africanews’ audience is young and more affluent than the average of the target population. The majority of its audience are men who account for 64% of Africanews’ weekly viewership.
Africascope also highlights the strength of TV in all countries surveyed, with an average 90% of people aged 15 and over watching television daily, which amounts to 15.1 million viewers.
Africanews, the key Pan-African media in Gabon, Cameroon and The Democratic Republic of Congo
Less than a few months after launching, Africanews is already exceptionally well-known in Gabon, where 2 out of every 3 respondents are aware of Africanews (65%).
Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo have also proven receptive to the new Africanews TV channel, where awareness levels for 2016 stand at 42% and 41% respectively.
Elsewhere across French-speaking Africa, the channel is known by 1 in 3 respondents, with 37% in Ivory Coast and 30% in both Senegal and Burkina Faso stating their awareness of the news channel.
Michael Peters, CEO of Euronews and President of Africanews said: “On January 6th, Africanews celebrated the first anniversary of its digital launch. The increase of the channel’s awareness ratings in just one year is a strong and deep source of motivation for our team in Pointe-Noire and its network of correspondents that extends throughout the world. These results confirms the relevance of our vision and our strategic project, an editorial choice made in Africa by Africans, with factual information dedicated to Africans.
These audience’s results confirm the growing ascendancy of the news outlet in Sub-Saharan Africa which also witnesses an ever-increasing number of leading advertisers and partners which choose Africanews as a channel for their communications.”
KANTAR TNS and its Africascope media survey
Kantar TNS has been measuring the audiences of national and international television channels and radio stations since 2008. Africascope is the essential survey for measuring audience and awareness, and for understanding target groups’ profiles and consumer habits.
Africascope is conducted in the capitals of seven countries in French-speaking Africa, on a sample of nearly 16,000 people aged 15 and over, representative of the survey areas population of 16.8 million people. The surveys were carried out face-to-face in interviewees’ homes, using the quota method (gender, age, education and profession of the respondent).
* Countries surveyed: Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou), Cameroon (Douala and Yaoundé), Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa), Gabon (Libreville), Ivory Coast (Abidjan), Mali (Bamako) and Senegal (Dakar).
(Source: Euronews press release)
