10 June 2013
Following its launch in to The Netherlands last year, Horse & Country TV (Sky Channel 280), the specialist equestrian sports and lifestyle network, continues its international expansion by launching into Swedenin June 2013 via the cloud-based TV delivery service, Magine.
Magine will initially host Horse & Country TV’s UK-version channel, which will be replaced by the specially created Swedish version containing localised programming later in the summer.
Horse & Country TV Director of International Distribution, Wayne Dunsford said: “This is a major development for Horse & Country TV as we increase our international presence. Magine represents an exciting opportunity for us to enter the Swedish market for the first time. We are delighted that they have recognised that there is a large and passionate audience for equestrian sports and country lifestyle in Sweden and we very much look forward to working with Magine’s experienced and ambitious team in making the channel a success. We will be making further announcements about our Swedish channel in the near future.”
Magine’s Chairman, Michael Werner added: “Magine launched inSweden this spring with other European territories to come this summer. Horse & Country TV is unique inSweden and a great addition to the roster of national and international channels that have joined our cloud based delivery service. We are convinced that a quality, specialist channel like this will act as a driver to subscribers who will be able to access their favourite equestrian sports on any device, anywhere and anytime thanks to Magine’s pioneering UI.”
3 June 2013
RT’s YouTube channel becomes the first television news channel ever to reach the one billion views mark, confirming RT’s status as the top news content provider on the world’s largest video-sharing platform.
Robert Kyncl, Google VP and Head of Content for YouTube said that his organization is “thrilled that RT is getting to that number. It’s a massive landmark.” He noted that the key to success is “audience development…Programmers such as RT understanding that YouTube is different and that you have to program it slightly differently than the airwaves.” Kyncl added the payoff is seen in RT’s “numbers; it’s paying off in consumer adoption and response rates… It’s something that has to be both learned and earned and RT has been a great partner in that.[1]”
“RT, the Russian TV channel, is YouTube’s largest ‘news’ partner in the world,” said Danielle Tiedt, YouTube’s VP of marketing. “Very few of our partners can boast a billion video views, and RT will be the first news channel to get to this number. RT was one of the first channels to come to YouTube, back in 2007, and to create video content aimed specifically at ‘generation C’ – the kind of content that our users gladly watch and share.[2]”
“A billion hits – that’s a stunning result. From RT’s very first days we knew that in the nearest future the battle for viewers will be taking place on the Internet, on new platforms. This is why we are especially proud and happy to be the first. This is an amazing achievement for a Russian news channel – to become a major provider of news in the space that reaches the most important, young audience,” said RT’s editor in chief Margarita Simonyan.
RT was the first Russian TV channel to launch a YouTube portal, in 2007. In 2011 RT’s news video became the most watched YouTube news item of year[3]. A 2012 study by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism highlighted RT as by far the largest provider of news video footage on the platform. The research also concluded that RT produced the most popular individual videos[4]. RT’s montage of eyewitness footage of the February 2013 Siberian meteor blast became the most watched video of the event on YouTube, accumulating more than 30 million views in less than a week[5].
RT is a global international news network that broadcasts 24/7 in English, Arabic and Spanish from its studios in Moscow and Washington, DC, and is available to 630 million viewers worldwide. RT is the only Russian TV channel to garner two nominations for the prestigious International Emmy Award.
[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q261FLRcfas
2 http://lenta.ru/articles/2013/05/18/youtube/
3 http://rt.com/about-us/press-releases/most-watched-news-youtube-2011/
4 http://rt.com/about-us/press-releases/pew-study-rt-produces-most-popular-content-on-youtube/
5 http://rt.com/about-us/press-releases/meteor-video-shatters-records/
3 June 2013
Dailymotion, the world’s second largest video portal, is building upon its sports content through a strategic partnership with sntv.
A joint venture between IMG and Associated Press, sntv is the world’s leading sports video news agency. Its sole aim is to provide the best, most relevant, comprehensive and fast sports news service there is. Founded in 1996, sntv has become an indispensable service for more than 400 international broadcasters and digital platforms. Over the years sntv has developed relationships with all of the major rights-holders to enable it to cover the majority of the most prestigious global sports or events.
sntv’s crews are present at all major sporting events such as the Olympic Games, World Cup, Grand Slam tennis events and major golf tournaments. From there they provide previews and reaction with all interviews done in both English and native tongue whenever possible. This content will be uploaded onto Dailymotion (approximately ten videos per day) and available free of charge to Dailymotion’s viewers around the world.
Marc Eychenne, Head of International Content at Dailymotion, says: “Dailymotion is committed to growing its sports content, to deliver its global audience with access to the most up to date sports news, live games and competitions, as well as archived and VOD material. Our deal with sntv is the next step in this progression and will deliver many hours of sports news to our archive of sports content. We intend to build on this in the coming months with further deals for live and archived sports content, all designed to make Dailymotion the home of sport online.”
Elizabeth Eastham, Sales Manager of sntv said, “The partnership with Dailymotion is very exciting as it brings the breadth and editorial quality of sntv to a broader digital audience. We are continually extending our market-leading services and working with Daily Motion ensures we can have additional platform to deliver relevant sports news to the global audience.’’
See sntv on Dailymotion here: http://www.dailymotion.com/SNTV
3 June 2013
BBC World Service has become the first international media organisation in Burma (Myanmar) to deliver news on the mobile platform. Thanks to a ground-breaking agreement between BBC World Service and Burma’s leading mobile aggregator, Blue Ocean Operating Management, the country’s mobile-phone users can now receive two BBC Burmese audio news bulletins every day. The BBC is also the first provider of audio bulletins on mobile phones in Burma.
The BBC Burmese audio bulletins will be updated at 8am and 6.30pm local time every day via automatic feed. In addition, there will be special bulletins for breaking news. To listen on demand, subscribers can call 01-2399600.
There are around 4 million mobile subscribers in Burma, and the number is set to grow with the further liberalisation of the mobile market. BBC World Service Head of Business Development Asia Pacific, Indu Shekhar Sinha, says: “As Burma’s media scene goes through rapid change, we are thrilled to be spearheading the delivery of international audio news bulletins to Burmese mobile-phone users. We have also agreed with Blue Ocean Operating Management that the introduction of audio bulletins will be followed by the launch of a BBC Burmese news SMS, providing users with short text news updates.”
BBC World Service is a mass broadcaster in Burma. BBC Burmese has a weekly audience of 8.4 million listeners in Burma, reaching 22.9% of the country’s population. Independent surveys also show that BBC Burmese has established itself as a trusted international broadcaster in Burma.
Tin Htar Swe, Editor of BBC Burmese and BBC World Service South Asia Hub, adds: “The BBC continues to keep its audiences in Burma informed about regional and international events, via radio, online on bbcburmese.com, and increasingly via Facebook. This exciting development means these audiences will have access to our impartial and independent news content on the go. With the growing number of mobile-phone users in Burma, this is a great way for us to keep connected with our audiences and further expand our outreach in the country.”
Managing Director of Blue Ocean, Htun Htun Naing, comments on the collaboration between the BBC and Blue Ocean: “I’m very excited to launch this mobile service which is a first in Myanmar. We are always eager to develop and introduce new services to Myanmar people. With the BBC’s unbiased, independent news content and its existing listener base on the one hand, and our cutting-edge technology on the other, I believe this can soon become a very successful service.”
The BBC World Service radio output in English is available on the radio service of the digital receiver of Forever Group in Burma. Three BBC TV channels – BBC World News, BBC Entertainment and CBeebies – are available on Forever Group’s as well as SkyNet’s pay TV platform in Burma.
29 May 2013
“Larry King Now” and new politics show hosted by King to air on RT beginning in June.
RT television network and Ora TV announced a deal today that will bring legendary broadcaster Larry King to US cable television’s RT America. Beginning in June, “Larry King Now” will be carried on RT America, and additionally, RT will air “Politics with Larry King”, a new show also hosted by King and produced by Ora TV. RT America will be the exclusive US broadcaster for both programs, which will continue to stream online at Hulu.com and Ora.tv and also be available online on rt.com. The programs will be recorded in RT America’s Washington, DC studios and Ora TV’s studio in Los Angeles.
“I have always been passionate about government and issues that impact the public, and I’m thrilled at the opportunity to talk politics with some of the most influential people in Washington and around the country,” said Larry King. “I look forward to bringing these invigorating conversations, as well as my “Larry King Now” interviews, to television audiences with RT America.”
“Politics with Larry King” will bring Larry King’s signature interview style back to Washington and to topics of government, public affairs, policies, and politics. Mr. King will be interviewing world leaders, political and cultural figures, and other newsmakers and personalities who will lend their perspective on the most critical and controversial issues of the day. It will air weekly on RT America, and be available online at rt.com as well as Ora.tv and Hulu.com.
“Larry King Now” will be available to cable television viewers on RT four times per week, beginning June 1. “Larry King Now” has enjoyed tremendous success online, as viewers have flocked to watch King’s interviews with guests ranging from Seth MacFarlane and Wiz Khalifa, to Melissa McCarthy and Harrison Ford.
“We are thrilled to work with Larry King, who is a true media legend,” says Margarita Simonyan, RT’s editor in chief. “Whether a president or an activist or a rock star was sitting across from him, Larry King never shied away from asking the tough questions, which makes him a terrific fit for our network.”
“Larry King has entertained and informed millions of viewers over the years, and millions of digital viewers over just the past year,” added Ora TV’s CEO, Jon Housman. “We’re thrilled to bring Larry King’s insights and one-of-a-kind discussions, from celebrities to world leaders, to RT America’s television and online audiences.”
Mr. King’s broadcasting career spans more than 56 years. He has hosted a number of radio and television programs, including a 25-year run at CNN as the host of Larry King Live. Among the many awards and honors he has received over the years are the Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting, 10 Cable ACE Awards for Best Interviewer and for Best Talk Show Series and a Lifetime Achievement Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He has interviewed the most iconoclastic figures in modern history and culture including Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Yasser Arafat, Bill Gates, Frank Sinatra, Hugo Chavez, Margaret Thatcher, Vladimir Putin, and every US President since Richard Nixon. Ora’s “Larry King Now” launched on Hulu and Ora.TV in July of 2012, and has featured such guests as Ryan Seacrest, Julia Louis-Drefus, Bill Maher, Snoop Lion, Quincy Jones, and Kevin Bacon. King also moderated the 2012 3rd party presidential debate in October 2012 which was broadcasted live on RT.
Watch the promo for Larry King Now here.
28 May 2013
To continue the group’s ambitious path to growth, Jean-Thierry Augustin, Eurosport Group’s newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer, strengthens Eurosport’s development division appointing Julien Bergeaud as Development Director, reporting directly to Augustin.
In order to reinforce global coherence across all TV channels and the strength of Eurosport Group’s TV platform and offer, Arnaud Simon, Managing Director of Eurosport France, extends his responsibilities and becomes TV content director, broadcast and programmes.
In addition to his current responsibilities in charge of Eurosport France TV, Simon adds international as well as local versions of the channels to his remit.
Vincent Gérard-Hirne, Technical Director, takes over the responsibility for production and distribution technology for the different language versions of group channels.
Simon and Gérard-Hirne report to François Schmitt, Deputy Managing Director, Eurosport Group, in charge of broadcast and technical means.
The changes are effective immediately.
