15 October 2014
The Chinese government has blocked access in the country to the BBC’s English-language websites.
The blocking of all BBC English language internet pages would appear to be in response to Hong Kong’s “Occupy Central” civil disobedience movement, protesting for fair representation in Chinese elections. Earlier today, the BBC had published video of Hong Kong police assaulting and arresting a protestor which had been circulating online.
In a statement, BBC Global News director Peter Horrocks said: “The BBC strongly condemns any attempts to restrict free access to news and information and we are protesting to the Chinese authorities. This appears to be deliberate censorship. The BBC provides impartial, trusted news to millions of people around the world, and attempts to censor our news services show just how important it is to get our accurate information to them.”
News of the blocking was first announced today by GreatFire.org, a site which monitors web censorship in China in real time. Access to the BBC websites has previously been allowed in China, although the BBC’s Chinese language website has been blocked since its launch. The BBC reported that the last time the BBC’s English-language site was blocked was during its coverage of activist Chen Guangcheng’s escape from house arrest in April 2012.
Instagram, which had been used by Hong Kong protestors to share images, was blocked in China at the end of September. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are also inaccessible from mainland China.
14 October 2014
FremantleMedia International has concluded an unprecedented multi-year deal with pan-Arab media conglomerate MBC Group that will see both the pan-Arab versions of Idol and Got Talent recommissioned for three further seasons. In addition, MBC Group has also taken the pan-Arab format rights to the Syco TV created hit entertainment format, The X Factor and the globally renowned fashion competition, Project Runway for three seasons each.
Anahita Kheder, SVP, Middle East, Africa and South Eastern Europe, FremantleMedia International said: “We are immensely proud to be the first company to have completed a deal of this magnitude with MBC Group. Together we have already launched the very successful pan-Arab versions of Arabs Got Talent and Arab Idol, both of which were propelled onto the international press stage. The Middle East region has evolved a great deal in recent years with audiences wanting something a little special, and with the introduction of The X Factor and Project Runway, MBC will deliver just that. We are enormously excited to continue our partnership with MBC to introduce more future audience favorites to its enormous Middle Eastern reach.”
Ali Jaber, MBC Group TV Director said: “MBC is always keen on delivering premium content coupled with the best TV productions in the MENA region. With the introduction of global formats, such as Idol and Got Talent, amongst others, a couple of years ago, they soon became top-rated TV shows and have created unprecedented engagement with the audiences on multi-platforms.” Jaber added: “It only makes sense that we renew our contracts with FremantleMedia – thus keeping the momentum of these formats at its peak. We are delighted with this partnership that helps bring the best TV global practices to our region while allowing our own creative teams to excel, deliver and succeed.”
In 2013, Arab Idol attracted global media interest as singer Mohammed Assaf, a former wedding singer from Gaza, was declared the winner of the second season. The MENA region united as Assaf’s finale performance generatedaudience shares over five times higher than the broadcaster average. The Idol format, co-owned by FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment, has now been produced in 51 territories worldwide.
Arabs Got Talent’s third season concluded with Syrian dancing troupe, SIMA taking the top spot and once again dominated international headlines. The Arabic version of the format became MBC4’s number one show in both 2012 and 2013 consecutively. Co-owned by Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia, the global Got Talent phenomenon officially became the Guinness World Records’ Most Successful Reality TV Format Worldwide in April this year and has now been commissioned in 65 territories worldwide.
Internationally renowned singing competition, The X Factor will join MBC’s impressive roster of programmingfor the first time. The pan-Arab version takes the format to 51 territories worldwide. The Syco Entertainment owned and created format is co-produced/licensed by FremantleMedia worldwide. Since the launch of The X Factor UK in 2004 the British-born TV show has been watched by more than 360 million people around the world and can be seen in almost every country on earth. The X Factor format has discovered and launched more international break-out artists than any other singing competition show, with more than 160 million record sales by The X Factor artists globally.
Fashion reality format, Project Runway on MBC is the first pan Arab version of the show and will give talented and fashion hungry designers the chance of a lifetime as they compete against one another through a series of demanding challenges. The winner has their collection shown at a major catwalk show and is featured in a leading fashion magazine. The Weinstein Company owned, Project Runway has become the most successful fashion format worldwide having been produced in 23 territories including the US, Australia, Canada, Latin America and the UK. (Source: MBC press release)
14 October 2014
Vizrt Ltd. announced today a deal worth USD 330,000 for the implementation of broadcast graphics products with a production company in Oceania. The customer provides sports production services for broadcasters in several countries.
The deal includes several Viz Trios, Vizrt’s character generator (CG). Viz Trio will be used for live sports productions as a tool for controlling playlists of graphics. The Viz Trio operator monitors the playlist, creates new playlist items based upon templates, and triggers the playlist items live to air.
Graphics are triggered from Viz Trio and rendered in real-time with Viz Engine, Vizrt’s powerful real-time compositing engine. Vizrt’s reputation in the region for providing the best live production platform provider was the key reason behind the customer’s selection of Viz Engine and related products.
“Vizrt’s strength in Oceania, a major sports market, shows that the Viz Engine and our live graphics productions tools are a perfect match for any broadcaster wanting to make a mark in the sports production industry,” said Martin Burkhalter, Vizrt CEO. (Source: Vizrt press release)
14 October 2014
In another disturbing move against freedom of speech and independent journalism in Egypt, one of Al Jazeera Arabic channel’s presenters, Ahmed Mansour, has been sentenced in absentia to fifteen years imprisonment by Cairo’s criminal court on the absurd charge of torturing a lawyer in Tahrir Square during the January 25 revolution in 2011.
This is yet another bizarre and unjust targeting of Al Jazeera journalists after the sentencing of other Al Jazeera journalists this past year, from seven to ten years imprisonment. Baher Mohamed, Peter Greste, and Mohamed Fahmy remain in prison, while others were tried in absentia.
An Al Jazeera spokesman stated:
“This unjust ruling along with false accusations and criminal charges is further evidence of the attempt to silence journalists, tarnish their reputations and disrupt their work. Ahmad Mansour himself has been targeted with more than 150 false accusations and complaints against him by the Egyptian authorities, this verdict being just one of them.
“This case is another illustration of how Al Jazeera Media Network is paying the price for its professionalism, after the imprisonment of its journalists from Al Jazeera English, and Abdullah Elshamy, and the shooting of Mohammad Al-Zaki during the dispersal of the Rabaa sit-in. It is a price not only paid by Al Jazeera, but also other journalists from global and Egyptian media. Scores have faced harassment, been arrested, and even lost their lives for the sake of getting the truth to viewers and readers.
“The verdict against Ahmad Mansour – who is followed by millions and has interviewed world and thought leaders – reveals how the Egyptian judicial system is politicised and continues to use its authority to intimidate journalists.
“Al Jazeera remains dedicated and committed to its editorial and professional standards and maintains full confidence in its staff. Despite this baseless ruling, Ahmad Mansour remains one of the most respected journalists in the Arab world.
“Al Jazeera Media Network calls on the Egyptian authorities to refrain from character assassinations against journalists in their attempts to unfairly tarnish reputations. The network renews its demand for all jailed journalists to be released and stands firmly by its colleagues.”
Notes:
Ahmed Mansour is currently filming his show and will be available for interviews later this week. To register your interest, please email pressoffice@aljazeera.net
13 October 2014
“What holds you back” – that question is the starting point for Life Links. Young people around the world represent both the target audience and protagonists for DW’s new documentary-style format.
Life Links’ viewers help develop the program from episode to episode with an emphasis on multimedia presentation throughout the project. The search for topics, research, production and broadcast at Life Links are all interactive processes that come together at www.dw.de/lifelinks. Users can tell their own stories and vote for issues they’d like to see covered in the show.
DW reporters call upon followers on Twitter and Facebook to help them with research, and they take up users’ questions. Via mobile reporting, users are involved on site during filming. Using social media and the Life Links website, reporters present articles, images, audio and video of their encounters with those featured in the show.
“Life Links is an attractive element within the further development of our programming. We have put together a young, bilingual team that is coming up with concepts for new offerings tailored to a young audience. Life Links is the first format to evolve out of that innovation process,” says Director of Programming Gerda Meuer.
Three people – three stories. One unifying element
In each edition, Life Links draws together three fates that seem, at first glance, to be completely independent of one another. Online and on TV, users and viewers can experience how young people scattered around the globe deal with similar problems. Although their social surroundings and other aspects of their lives may differ widely, the protagonists in the show have a personal challenge in common.
What connects a North Korean living in South Korea with a Roma in Paris and a German rapper with Egyptian parents? What is stopping them from being who they are, and how do they still take control of their lives? The users and producers behind the first edition of Life Links are looking for answers to these questions.
Ultimately, the three stories come together in the TV report to form a global narrative. When the show is broadcast, a social stream on the Life Links website will bundle user’s comments under the show’s hash tag; and using the mobile version of the website, users can comment on it on a second screen. The documentary is expanded online with multimedia elements – such as material not broadcast in the show or additional information and facts.
The website www.dw.de/lifelinks goes live starting Tuesday, October 14. DW will broadcast the 30-minute, English-language TV show for the first time on Saturday, October 18. After that, it will be broadcast around the world every two weeks. Life Links is supported by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office.
Homepage: www.dw.de/lifelinks (Starting October 14)
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg5CoHrAAI4
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dw.lifelinks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dw_lifelinks
(Source: DW press release)
13 October 2014
Bloomberg today announced the launch of Media Source, a new online platform that will make it easier for broadcasters, publishers and other companies to access Bloomberg’s media. Media Source showcases Bloomberg’s full library of photos, video footage, short video clips and full-length shows, all of which is updated throughout the day and can be accessed from one place (mediasource.bloomberg.com).
“The world of global business moves fast, and our goal with this platform is to help others enhance their news content as quickly as stories break,” said Susan Vobejda, Global GM of the Bloomberg Content Service.
Bloomberg’s tagging and metadata lets users search across thousands of photos and videos (including footage, packages and soundbites) via a universal search function. For example, a single search of “iPhone 6” delivers results showing photographs of fans lining up outside stores, produced video clips of CEO Tim Cook, and footage from inside Apple stores.
Another example for those outlets seeking access to international events is a search for the Hong Kong protests. Results include powerful shots of pro-democracy protesters, footage of crowds amassing and clips for digital use both covering the news and analyzing how this will affect business globally.
In addition to the easy-to-use search, customers can download a wide range of formats and file types and save preferences for future visits, making it very easy to integrate with existing workflows and publishing platforms.
“As a market leader providing timely business and financial coverage to hundreds of global publishers, broadcasters and other organizations every day, we have a unique perspective on content value. We are seeing demand for Bloomberg visual assets explode as publishers and producers are addressing shifting news consumption patterns to formats like mobile and connected devices.” Vobejda added.
Bloomberg has 2,400+ media professionals in 73 countries, reporting on broad range of business topics including financial news, market coverage, technology and luxury. Bloomberg has unique relationships with business leaders, industry experts and newsmakers and often gains special access to business operations (e.g, distribution centers, factories, and headquarters.)
For more information about how to gain access to Media Source, please contact Head of Global Content Sales Josh Rucci, or visit Bloomberg’s MIPCOM booth in Riviera Hall, Booth R7 L4.
About Bloomberg Content Service
Bloomberg Content Service is a leading provider of business content to more than 1,000 outlets globally. It syndicates Bloomberg’s trusted global business news, photos, videos, data and live TV to customers for print, digital and broadcast use. With more than 15,000 employees in 192 locations across 73 countries, Bloomberg delivers information quickly and accurately through innovative technology. For more information about the Bloomberg Content Service please visit http://bloomberg.com/content-service/.
The Chinese government has blocked access in the country to the BBC’s English-language websites.