19 November 2015
Stockholm-based Newstag, an award-winning mobile first video news service, has announced an agreement with Euronews, the most-watched news channel in Europe. The global multi-year deal grants Newstag the right to share and distribute Euronews’ world news, business, European affairs, culture, science and technology videos. The content will be available in seven languages on Newstag’s mobile and online platform – English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic.
Newstag Chairman and Founder, Camilla Dahlin-Andersson, says: “Newstag is committed to providing global news coverage from truly distinct perspectives and we’re delighted that Euronews has partnered with us to offer our users access to a diverse range of European voices on international and European stories. Euronews is a leader and innovator in worldwide news and it’s exciting to have the opportunity to work with them to revolutionise the way in which audiences consume news.”
Six hundred Euronews journalists, from more than 30 countries, report round-the-clock in 13 editions (Arabic, English, Persian, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Ukrainian). The channel, which is received by 420 million homes in 158 countries, joins professional content producers around the world on the Newstag platform, including AP, AFP and Reuters, as well as top brands.
By presenting news stories from different global perspectives, the platform sheds new light on international news as it breaks. Users can create their own personalised TV channel in seconds, organising, consuming and sharing stories among their social networks on the ‘mobile first’ platform.
Newstag aims to make journalism sustainable through a proper funding stream, radically rebalancing the traditional relationships between industry stakeholders. The platform also offers users a unique opportunity to make a difference.
In response to developing news, consumers can take direct action by supporting relevant causes and research since a part of Newstag’s revenues are available for users to allocate to charitable, NGO and NPO partners, including as WFP, the Red Cross and Oxfam.
In recent months Newstag has rapidly expanded its network of commercial and content partners as it gears up to launch. Last month the platform, which is currently in public beta, announced that it will be partnering with CNBC Africa – the pan-African financial and business news channel – on a multi-year deal granting Newstag the right to share and distribute CNBC’s news videos.
Newstag recently won the best start up category in the TVB Europe Awards in London. The company was also selected as a top international start up by Mobile World Capital Barcelona and as one of the best international news sites at the prestigious WAN-IFRA awards in Hong Kong, alongside Business Week and Singapore Press Holdings.
19 November 2015
Broadcasting Board of Governors Chairman Jeff Shell, Governor Ken Weinstein and CEO and Director John Lansing testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on November 17 to discuss the importance of United States international media and options for reform.
Senator Bob Corker, who presided over the hearing, said in his opening remarks that the “BBG’s work is as critical as ever when authoritarian regimes around the world deprive their citizens of credible news and use sensational misinformation to undermine the credibility of democratic values and institutions.”
Ranking member Senator Ben Cardin added, “Despite the importance of U.S. international broadcasting, we have come to understand that the structure of the BBG has limited the effectiveness of its efforts….it is clear that reform is needed and that Congress has a central role to plays in strengthening its efforts.”
BBG Chairman Jeff Shell agreed and identified a number of structural improvements that would allow the agency to operate more effectively, including institutionalizing the position and power of the CEO and adding increased agility to the BBG’s operations to allow it to better surge its resources during overseas crises.
“While the Board has elected to delegate key powers to the CEO through its own volition, it is clear that we need to institutionalize this role through legislation so that all future Boards can benefit from expert operational leadership,” Shell explained.
Newly appointed CEO and Director John Lansing agreed, saying that the agency needs a CEO that is empowered to manage all operations and functions, including the ability to shift resources as needed and to appoint senior officials.
However, many improvements, he argued, have already been made.
“Regardless of these [needed] legislative fixes,” said Lansing, “My team and I have taken action internally to move the BBG into a more modern, impactful stance…. with the unanimous support of the Board, [I] am aggressively prioritizing five core themes to ensure the BBG is the 21st century media organization that the tax payers demand.”
He then outlined his strategic priorities: an emphasis on digital platforms, expanded coordination and content-sharing across the BBG networks and with other content producers, a focus on five key issue areas (including reporting on Russia, covering violent extremism, reporting on the expanding influence of Iran and China, and the promotion of fundamental freedoms in Cuba), and the emphasis on impact instead of simply reach.
Governor Weinstein also advocated for reform, citing the need to quickly respond to the technological changes and geopolitical crises that the BBG faces.
“US international media operates in an environment of rapid geopolitical change and growing instability in world affairs, he told the committee. “Last week’s horrific terror attacks in Paris are just the latest example of the challenging international environment, and one in which tragic events in one country are increasingly linked to those in others.”
The purpose of the hearing was to examine and get feedback on a reform bill introduced by the House Foreign Affairs Committee in May 2015, which includes a number of structural changes to the BBG. A second panel, which included former BBG member S. Enders Wimbush and former Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President Kevin Klose, immediately followed. A recording of the hearing, as well as testimonies from both panels, is available on the SFRC website.
19 November 2015
As the prices of High Definition (HD) satellite set-top boxes have become more affordable in Asia, larger numbers of viewers are demanding and switching over to HD services. With Direct-to-Home (DTH) TV platforms in Thailand expected to add more than 2.5 million new subscribers in the next 10 years, Intelsat S.A (NYSE: I), the leading global provider of satellite services, today announced that Next Step, a multi-channel operator and distributor, is leveraging Intelsat’s satellite solutions on Horizons 2 at 85º E to launch a new Free-to-Air DTH platform in Thailand.
Under its multi-year agreement with Intelsat, Next Step is utilizing Ku-band capacity on Horizons 2 to diversify its business offerings – moving from content provider to platform operator through its new Freeview HD platform, a platform positioned to serve an addressable market of approximately 67 million people. Given Intelsat’s global, flexible fleet, Horizons 2 was moved to the 85º E orbital location and its beam repositioned to enable Next Step to capitalize on the opportunity to support the HD trend in Thailand.
“The breadth and depth of Intelsat’s global satellite solutions provide a perfect complement to help expand and diversify our business,” said Philipp Heussen, Head of Freeview HD. “By partnering with Intelsat, we will be able to quickly and cost-effectively launch a DTH platform that will enable us to meet the demand for more affordable, high-quality HD content in the region. As a result, viewers across Thailand will have access to a greater variety of entertaining and educational content, regardless of whether they reside in the city or in more remote communities in the country.”
“Intelsat is a leading provider of satellite services for DTH operators, delivering programming to over 31 million subscribers and supporting more than 30 DTH platforms around the world,” stated Terry Bleakley, Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific Sales, Intelsat. “Throughout our history, Intelsat has incorporated the latest technology to enable our media customers to differentiate their service offerings and grow their businesses. We look forward to working closely with Next Step to ensure the seamless migration to HD as they launch their Freeview HD platform and distribute new and compelling content to Thailand.”
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19 November 2015
ZEIN AL-RIFAI, A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR TO AFP IN SYRIA, HAS WON THE PRESTIGIOUS RORY PECK AWARD WHICH RECOGNISES THE BEST WORK BY FREELANCE PHOTO AND VIDEO JOURNALISTS.
From June 2014 to February 2015, Zein Al-Rifai covered the daily lives of people living in the rebel-held zone of Aleppo. Formerly Syria’s economic capital, Aleppo has been divided since April 2012 into districts held by government forces in the west and rebel fighters in the east. Zein Al-Rifai’s coverage focused on the inhabitants’ daily struggle for survival in the face of bombardments by the regime.
Zein Al-Rifai is 28 and married; he was an anti-Assad activist at the start of the revolution before co-founding the Aleppo Media Center. His friends and colleagues taught him how to use a video camera. Since then he has worked as a stringer for several international media including AFP, to which he regularly contributes. In August 2015 he was seriously injured while covering fighting between rebels and government forces north of Aleppo.
Al-Rifai and fellow AFP stringer Yahya Hassouna, nominated for his work on the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip in summer 2014, were among the three finalists for the news category. He succeeds fellow AFP stringer Pacôme Pabandji, who won the prize last year for his coverage of the civil war in Central Africa.
Launched in 1995 by the Rory Peck Trust, the prize recognises the best freelance cameramen and women. The awards ceremony is one of the Trust’s main fund raising events. This 20th edition of the awards was chaired by Sky News journalist Alex Crawford, who has been chosen as the Royal Television Society journalist of the year a total of four times.
19 November 2015
Doha, November 15 – Al Jazeera’s Technology and Operations Division scooped two Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) BroadcastPro Television Awards for 2015, during the award ceremony in Dubai on November 10th, 2015.
The division was awarded “MENA Broadcast Trendsetter” for their innovative approach to re-configuring Al Jazeera’s bureaus around the globe, including state of the art technology for newsgathering and broadcast.
The second award, “CTO of the Year”, was presented to Mohamed Abuagla, Al Jazeera’s Executive Director for Technology and Operations, for having led the transformation of the Technology and Operations departments after combining them into one division.
Abuagla was also the keynote speaker at the BroadcastPro Summit & Awards annual flagship event where he walked the audience through Al Jazeera’s journey, having moved from the old ways of working on tape to becoming an industry leader.
18 November 2015
: Below is the text of a press release from the BBC Press Office:
The BBC is today setting out details of how we plan to save £150 million to address a shortfall in funding identified earlier this year.
The shortfall has arisen because as more people use BBC iPlayer, mobiles and other online catch-up, the proportion of households owning a television is falling, while a loophole allows viewers to watch catch-up TV without a licence.
We have welcomed the Government’s firm commitment to close this loophole, and will continue to urge Ministers to legislate as swiftly as possible.
An independent study by PwC has already shown the BBC to be among the most efficient organisations in the public sector and regulated industries, and our record betters that of Government. However, in July we committed to doing everything possible to protect programmes and services by making further savings from back office functions, cutting management and management layers and reducing historic levels of BBC bureaucracy. This is part of delivering a simpler, leaner, BBC.
Despite this, we always said that cuts to programmes or services would be unavoidable. Even after today’s measures, the BBC faces a long-term challenge to identify a further £550m of savings by 2021/22 and we will set out broad plans for this in the spring. We will inevitably have to either close or reduce some services.
The £150 million of savings detailed today will be delivered in the following way:
- £50 million will be saved by creating a simpler, leaner BBC, with fewer divisions and senior managers, fewer layers between the top and bottom of the organisation and cutting 1,000 posts. Strong progress is already being made – the first phase of work is now complete and subject to staff consultation and further detailed work:
- c£25m will come from reducing back office and professional support services
- c£10m from reducing management layers in content areas. Discussions are now beginning with those affected
- The remainder from the merger of technology and digital divisions, and changes to expenses, payroll management and other areas
- In total, we are on course to deliver the 1,000 reduction in jobs by 2017. Since July, we have already closed or are consulting on over 300 of these posts
- £35 million will be saved from the BBC’s TV sports rights budget. Meeting this savings target will be tough, particularly given the high levels of inflation in the market. We therefore anticipate this will lead to the loss of some existing rights and events. We have already made some tough choices which have contributed to the savings, for instance around the Open Golf. However, we have also recently secured a series of important rights – including Wimbledon, Premier League highlights, live coverage of Euro 2016 and 2020 football championships and Six Nations rugby shared with ITV
- Beyond Sport, a further £12 million will come from the BBC’s TV budget. Drama will be protected, including the prioritisation we have already announced, but a range of other genres will face cuts. This will mean some reductions to factual, comedy and entertainment, although we remain committed to making popular Saturday night shows and will use the savings from The Voice UK to develop new, home-grown formats
- £12 million will be cut from BBC Online. This will involve rationalising new features, innovation and development across the BBC’s digital services and focusing on those with greatest impact
- £5 million will come from News. This will include efficiency savings from a review of working practices, terms and conditions, and commercial income or cost reductions in BBC Monitoring (subject to approval from the BBC Trust)
- £20 million of savings will come from long-term contracts and other costs, due to the current lower levels of inflation
- The final c£16m will come from cross-cutting areas, including
- Savings in distribution costs
- Exploring a phased exit from the broadcast Red Button service and focusing our interactive TV offer on connected televisions and iPlayer
- Exploring further savings from BBC Online.
Director-General, Tony Hall, said:
“The BBC has and is doing everything possible to make sure the impact on the public is minimised. Wherever possible we’re targeting savings by creating a simpler, leaner, BBC.
“But cuts to budgets for programmes and services are unavoidable. No Director-General wants to announce reduced spending on services that the public love. This is very tough, but the BBC’s financial position means there is no alternative.”
The £150 million set out today is part of the £700 million overall savings the BBC must find due to the flat licence fee agreed in the summer and the need to fund the transformation the BBC must undertake for the future.
We will announce how the remaining £550 million savings to be met by 2021/22 will be made in the spring. These are likely to include broad service and major structural changes to how the BBC works and fulfils its mission to inform, educate, and entertain.
Notes to Editors
- In July, the BBC announced that the licence fee income in 2016/17 was now forecast to be £150m less than it was expected to be in 2011. This is because as more people rely on devices like BBC iPlayer, mobiles and online catch up, the percentage of households owning televisions is falling faster than predicted. This means they don’t always pay the television licence fee.
- A loophole means households watching only catch-up TV are not subject to the licence fee. The Government has agreed this loophole should be closed and committed to legislate by July 2016. We will continue to urge them to do this as quickly as possible.
- In July we announced £50 million savings – mainly through reductions in the scope and scale of back office functions. Details of the announcement are available here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2015/simpler-leaner-bbc
- Today we are providing details of how we will meet the remaining £100m and updating on progress on the £50m we have already announced.
- A report by PwC found that the BBC now spends under 8 per cent of total costs on general overheads in 2014/15. Completing the Delivering Quality First savings programmes will put the BBC into the current top tier of the public and regulated private sectors, cutting overhead costs to 7 per cent – well below the public sector average of 11.2 per cent. The BBC is also above average among a media and broadcasting peer group despite its public service remit and restrictions. The full PwC analysis is available here.
