15 April 2014
The BBC today announced that bbc.com reached a record 96 million unique users and generated an all-time high of 1.3 billion page views in March 2014. BBC World News welcomed its five millionth Facebook fan and new figures also reveal that the BBC is by far the most-shared news brand on Twitter (source: Newswhip), with its stories shared a record 2.71 million times across the month – almost 50% more than any other publisher. The driving factors were its coverage of major global news stories including the crisis in Ukraine and the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and the increased popularity of bbc.com’s feature sections including BBC Future, BBC Travel and BBC Culture.
The site, which offers up-to-the minute international and local news and in-depth analysis, saw unique user figures up 26% on the monthly average of 76 million, whilst page views rocketed by 35%. Over 34 million video views were seen during the month, with a record-breaking 11 million viewed via the bbc.com apps.
James Montgomery, Director of Digital and Technology for bbc.com, said, “As the leader in global breaking news, our users rely on the BBC to provide impartial and accurate news on developing stories and significant global events, whatever their nature or location. We are incredibly proud that so many people chose us as their trusted source for news on the major stories that captivated the world last month.”
March also marked a record month for traffic across the five feature sections of bbc.com – BBC Travel, BBC Future, BBC Autos, BBC Capital and BBC Culture which together attracted 7 million visitors and 63 million page views; resulting in a month-on-month increase of 42% and year-on-year growth of 106%. Popular articles included: BBC Future’s ‘The Future of Safe Sex’ which received over 269,000 page views, BBC Culture’s ‘Beyond Jodorowsky’s Dune: 10 Greatest Movies Never Made’ attracted almost 3.2 million views across the month and BBC Travel’s game ‘Geoguesser’ ‘How Well Do You Know The World’ drew an impressive 270,000 unique users.
Jonathan Fildes, Managing Editor, Features, BBC.com added, “The feature sections offer users of the site an alternative and in-depth take on a variety of current and unusual topics complementing bbc.com’s news output. We are delighted that these sections are growing in popularity and drawing record figures from fans of bbc.com.”
Bbc.com has seen a rise in mobile usage of 88% year on year to 24 million browsers per month, whilst figures for desktop have remained stable at 56 million. (Source: Press release)
14 April 2014
Amitabh Srivastava, the South Asia regional head of the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB), has been announced as one of the judges at the IRF annual awards, bringing his 20 years of broadcasting and related industry experience to judging the best in Indian radio.
The annual India Radio Forum is dedicated to advancing the role and increasing the effectiveness of promotion and marketing within the radio and media industry, related industries and the academic community. It gathers together key radio and media players to discuss radio of today and of the future. IRF presents strategic options, latest development and networking opportunities for all industry players and it attracts senior executives from within the industry and outside.
The aims are furthered through the annual Awards show, bringing together the best of talent, marketing & promotion and creative excellence in the Radio and Media industry in India every year.
The 2014 forum and awards ceremony is being held on the 30 May at The Habitat Centre, New Delhi with the theme: INSPIRE * CONNECT*SHARE
10 April 2014
euronews have become a member of the Association for International Broadcasting. euronews is the most-watched news channel in Europe and a full multimedia platform for viewers on the move, It broadcasts world news in 13 different languages (Arabic, English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Ukrainian) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“euronews is a major player in European and world news with its huge audience and multi-lingual coverage of so many of Europe’s major languages” said Simon Spanswick, CEO of the AIB. “We welcome them to the AIB family where they will add to and gain from the unique networking and knowledge-sharing of our truly global association of companies and corporations involved in broadcasting.”
7 April 2014
Globecast has today announced details of its multiple OTT service delivery packages, developing three distinct packages to ensure high quality deployment, cost-effectively: OTT Live; OTT VoD; and OTT Live-to-VoD. Globecast provides either end-to-end or modular solutions, both of which can be easily and quickly deployed.
OTT – over-the-top – video delivery is a dominant industry trend and Globecast has structured its packages and modularity to reflect industry requirements. OTT Live is for simulcast delivery of linear channels; OTT VoD ingests individual programme assets into the online video platform for VOD services and delivers the content over the Internet; and OTT Live-to-VoD creates a VOD package from entire linear channels.
Depending on the precise nature of the service and the broadcaster’s commercial aims, content can be viewed on iOS and Android devices, connected TVs and PCs. Live content can be monetised with advertisements with support for any VAST or VPAID server. In-player content payment is also available as an option, supported by an easy-to-use subscriber management console.
Sonia Missul, OTT Product Manager, Globecast, says, “We are able to target all kinds of customers: big broadcasters with complex requirements where we can integrate our technology with existing infrastructure if required; to smaller customers who need end-to-end solutions that can be quickly deployed. Our customers can then satisfy audience demand for content when they want it, where they want it. Our OTT services allow broadcasters to increase their audience and monetise that reach. Our OTT solutions benefit from our powerful heritage across the broadcast market.”
As well as deploying its own expertise and existing infrastructure, Globecast has selected leading technology suppliers to create these premium quality, cost-effective OTT distribution packages. Globecast has partnered with Akamai as its preferred CDN supplier. Akamai is a leading provider of cloud services for delivering, optimising and securing online content and business applications. At the core of the company’s solutions is the Akamai Intelligent Platform™ providing extensive reach across the world.
Kaltura is supplying its OVP and app technologies as well as providing the video management (metadata, catalogue creation) layer of the solution. Anevia is supplying its Viamotion Plus solutions suite that interoperates with all transcoders currently available. Globecast is deploying technology from Thomson Video Networks and Elemental to provide transcoding solutions for linear and non-linear content.
This combination of equipment also meets two further requirements outlined by Globecast as high priority for its OTT infrastructure: massive scalability to support future service delivery and the support of new formats like HEVC and Dash.
Missul says, “Globecast has looked very closely at the rapidly expanding OTT market developing a clear understanding of the deployment challenges. The technical and business solutions that we’ve created allow broadcasters and other content providers to concentrate on what they do best: develop quality content and strong brands.” (Source: Press release)
7 April 2014
In another landmark development for the BBC’s presence in Burma (also known as Myanmar), BBC Burmese has launched its TV news bulletin on the national TV channel, Myanmar National Television (MNTV). BBC Burmese service’s 10-minute programme brings the BBC’s coverage of regional and international news to viewers of MNTV, live, at 20.45 Burmese Time (14.15 GMT) Monday to Friday. The programme will also be streamed live on the website bbcburmese.com.
The launch of the new BBC Burmese TV news programming is part of the continued move of the BBC’s international news services towards digital platforms. BBC Burmese Editor, Tin Htar Swe, says: “We have enjoyed mass listenership in Burma, where the BBC’s balanced, trustworthy radio programming has been in demand for decades. Thanks to this milestone partnership with MNTV, viewers across the country will now have access to BBC news on prime time TV. We are looking forward to this exciting new collaboration which will benefit those who want to keep abreast of the regional and world developments.”
Nan Mouk Laung Saing, President of MNTV and Managing Director of Shwe Than Lwin Media Co, Ltd, adds: “We are delighted to form a partnership with the BBC. As a private media company, we are particularly proud to collaborate with the BBC and we look forward to a long-term partnership. Shwe Than Lwin Media’s core objective is to entertain and inform Myanmar people, and the broadcast of BBC international TV news in Burmese language on MNTV channel will benefit our audience greatly.”
The launch of the BBC Burmese TV news bulletins on MNTV follows the recent expansion of the BBC presence on Myanmar’s media scene which saw the inclusion of selected BBC radio programming to the schedules of some of the country’s nationwide FM networks. In another first for Burma, BBC Burmese audio news bulletins were made available to the country’s mobile-phone users.
The BBC Burmese radio programming is broadcast on shortwave and on PAS10 and Palapa satellite television channels and streamed online via bbcburmese.com. In addition to providing the latest news and current affairs, BBC Burmese offers its audiences a variety of programmes on education, sport, health, technology as well as weekly debates on topical issues.
BBC Burmese is part of BBC World Service. (Source: Press release)
7 April 2014
The Broadcasting Board of Governors has condemned a decision by Russian authorities to cut off all remaining radio transmissions by US international media in Russia.
In a one sentence letter dated March 21, Dmitriy Kiselev, the director of the Russian information agency Rossiya Segodnya (Russia Today), stated that “we are not going to cooperate” with the BBG’s request to continue a longstanding contract for broadcasting on Russian soil. From the end of March, this decision removes the last vestige of Voice of America [VOA] programming including news in Russian and English language lessons from a local frequency in Moscow (810 AM). This frequency also carried selected programmes from Radio France International.
“Moscow has chosen to do the wrong thing and restrict free speech,” said BBG chairman Jeff Shell. “This is a fundamental value shared by many countries around the world. The BBG will continue to reach audiences in Russia through digital platforms and via satellite transmissions.” Distribution of VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty [RFE/RL] programming in Russia reached a high point in 2005, when VOA Russian programming was distributed on a nationwide television network and both VOA and RFE/RL had extensive partnerships with domestic Russian radio stations. But starting in that year, the Russian government turned greater attention to these stations and
asked them all to reapply for their licences. And beginning in 2006, by denying the licences of the stations that reapplied and intimidating the others, Russian authorities systematically eliminated domestic radio distribution of BBG supported
programmes and almost all television distribution. In 2012, Russian authorities forced RFE/RL off its last remaining domestic radio outlet, an AM frequency in Moscow.
“We urge Mr Kiselev and other Russian authorities to open Russian airwaves to more of our programmes and those of other international broadcasters,” Shell added. “We’re asking for an even playing field: As Moscow’s media crackdown deepens, Russian media including Russia Today television, which is under Mr Kiselev’s authority enjoy
open access to the airwaves in the United States and around the world. The Russian people deserve the same freedom to access information.”
Kiselev was appointed in December 2013 to lead Russia Today. At the same time the Voice of Russia and the RIA Novosti news agency were merged into Russia Today.
Russians are increasingly turning to the internet and social media for their news. VOA’s digital strategy incorporates content across platforms. In addition to live interactives with domestic television channels, such as Russian Business Channel, VOA’s webTV
show, “Podelis”, allows users to connect and engage with the content in real time using social media. “Podelis”, which means “share” in Russian, provides a unique opportunity to engage in discussions about current events, Russian politics and US-Russia
relations. VOA’s social media following in Russia has grown significantly and visits to VOA’s website have doubled every year since 2008.
There is an abridged version of a report into the way Russians consume news in the MIPTV supplement to the AIB’s international media magazine, The Channel.
