19 June 2014
Channel NewsAsia has launched a nation-wide school competition – Days of Rage – Digital Media Competition. The competition, a collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Student Development Curriculum Division, is held from end May 2014 as part of efforts to celebrate Singapore’s 50th year of independence in 2015.
Students from various institutions in Singapore are invited to create a video based on themes and characters seen in the channel’s highly acclaimed series, Days of Rage. Entries should show how one key character featured in the Days of Rage programme would act in today’s context, and the impact it could have on the community.
The 5-part series was first telecast on the channel from January 2014, and the adapted versions in Chinese, Malay and Tamil were subsequently shown on the respective MediaCorp mass entertainment channels. Vice President of International Productions at Channel NewsAsia Network Programming and Promotions, Ms Mok Choy Lin, says, “Days of Rage is one of our top notch documentary programmes that has been very well received from all quarters since it was first telecast. Shot with some of the highest production values, it is not only very entertaining as a TV programme, but historically instructive as well. The Ministry of Education has found the series useful in educating the youths about Singapore’s History and we want to use it to kindle interest among the young about the iconic moments in Singapore’s past and to stimulate thought on some of the events and issues. We are also planning an encore telecast of the series from 1st July 2014.”
The competition is open to all secondary school, Junior College, ITE and Polytechnic students and deadline for submission is end July. The winning entry will win a cash prize of S$1,000 and will be showcased on the Days of Rage microsite on channelnewsasia.com. (Source: Press release)
17 June 2014
The Irish Bar in Tashkent
Bars, restaurants, and cafes in Uzbekistan say they are being forced to pay a US$1,000 fee for permission to show matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which began in Brazil on June 12, according to a report on AIB Member RFE/RL.
Owners of bars and restaurants in Uzbekistan say that they were instructed by the National Television and Radio Company (MTRK) to first sign contracts with the company that will allow them to legally show the matches to their customers. The bar owners say the MTRK threatened to impose fines if they do not comply. An official of the MTRK who wished to remain anonymous confirmed the information to RFE/RL on June 11.
The charges follow an immense hike in the TV rights fees charged to Central Asian broadcasters for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In 2010, the five Central Asia republics paid a total of around US$150,000 for the rights. This year, a Turkish company secured the rights for a figure believed to be around US$5m.
17 June 2014
An internet cafe in Uzbekistan
AIB Member Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has reported that Internet users in Tajikistan say that Google services, including YouTube and the Gmail electronic mail system, remain inaccessible and that international organisations have protested about the situation.
Reporters Without Borders and the OSCE’s representative on freedom of the media have urged Tajik authorities to restore access to YouTube and Google.
The services became inaccessible via Tajikistan’s leading internet providers on June 9.
The deputy chief of the Tajik government’s Communications Service, Rafiqjon Shakirov, told RFE/RL on June 11 that his agency had nothing to do with the situation and cited “possible technical problems” as the cause of the disruption. Meanwhile, owners of expensive Android smartphones, which run Google-based software, complain that the situation has turned their phones into ordinary mobile devices.
16 June 2014
Thomson Video Networks today announced that leading global satellite operator Eutelsat is launching an Ultra High Definition (UHD) demonstration channel for Southeast Asia and Australia, based on the award-winning ViBE™ VS7000 multi-screen video system and Sapphire MPEG stream server. Broadcast via Eutelsat’s year-old EUTELSAT 70B satellite, the demo channel will leverage the advanced high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) capabilities of the Thomson Video Networks solutions to provide a rich UHDTV picture at up to 50 frames per second (FPS) and in 10-bit color.
“The ViBE VS7000 system and Sapphire stream server combine to create a very simple and affordable platform for broadcasting a UHD channel — as well as an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the full power of HEVC encoding for delivering pristine UHD picture quality with maximum bandwidth savings,” said Michel Chabrol, Director Marketing Innovation and Digital Cinema at Eutelsat. “With this new initiative, we’re looking forward to demonstrating the latest developments in UHDTV, and just how cost-effective and bandwidth-efficient it can be for broadcasters.”
With its ability to create HEVC content at any frame rate and any resolution up to UHD with superb video quality, the ViBE VS7000 will provide file transcoding for the Eutelsat demo channel. Thomson Video Networks’ Sapphire channel-in-a-box broadcast server will streamline playout by creating playlists of HEVC clips and scheduling the broadcasts. The 4K channel will broadcast an array of documentary, cultural, and sports content created by TV channels, production companies, and Eutelsat itself to demonstrate the stunning viewing experience UHD affords.
“As a long-term Thomson Video Networks partner, Eutelsat is expanding its footprint in the vital and booming Asian broadcast marketplace, and blazing a trail for the next generation of television,” said Tony Berthaud, vice president, Asia-Pacific sales, Thomson Video Networks. “By applying our advanced HEVC technology to demonstrate the feasibility of UHDTV in Asia, Eutelsat is setting the scene for this new format worldwide.” (Source: Press release)
16 June 2014
Indonesia’s first English language entertainment and lifestyle channel is set to make its debut across the globe with Globecast. The Indonesia Channel has signed a deal with Globecast to launch its 24-hour channel on multiple platforms.
From the premises of Globecast Asia’s state-of-the-art digital media facility at Mediapolis in Singapore, Globecast is providing its playout and media management services for The Indonesia Channel, localising its content and ensuring that proper formats are available to suit to each region’s needs. In addition, Globecast also provides its Over-The-Top Managed solution, making sure that the content is suitable for mobile viewing on various mobile devices.
Viewers have easy access to watch the channel because it is available on different platforms. Firstly, the channel can be viewed from homes across Asia Pacific via the MEASAT-3 satellite. Secondly, the channel is also available across Europe via Globecast’s fibre delivery, and lastly, its presence online via the Over-The-Top model can be reached all over the world, in most countries where high speed broadband prevails. Viewers on the go can access the channel from their mobile phones, tablets and notebooks, anywhere, and at anytime they want.
“Globecast is privileged to be participating in this milestone for The Indonesia Channel. We hope to bring all the features of our digital media facility to bear in providing the quality of service and operational standards that are on par with the expectations of international broadcasters,” said Darby Sanchez, Chief Executive Officer of Globecast Asia.
The Indonesia Channel is privately-funded, the first-of-its-kind English channel that has a programming mix of news and general entertainment including music, movies, health, lifestyle and fashion.
Dalton Tanonaka, Chief Executive Officer of The Indonesia Channel said, “We seek to inform and entertain viewers around the world with cool and informative shows. We chose Globecast to deliver our content because of its international reputation for quality service.” (Source: Press release)
16 June 2014
Significant increase in Euronews‘ distribution in South-East Asia thanks to Telekom Malaysia‘s basic package.
The Euronews media group, Europe’s leading international news channel, is accelerating its development in Asia thanks to an agreement with Telekom Malaysia, the second biggest operator in Malaysia.
Euronews, available in its 24/7 English version, can now reach 530,000 households subscribing to the basic HyppTV package from Telekom Malaysia.
Arnaud Verlhac, Director Worldwide Distribution, said: “Euronews first launched in Malaysia in 2010. In 2014, cooperation with Telekom Malaysia has evolved, allowing 580,000 Malaysian households to follow international news in real time, in English. Today, 8.5 million households in the South-East Asia and Pacific region receive Euronews.” (Source: Press release)
