8 January 2013
Fresh from announcing important new distribution deals in the US and Burma, the BBC’s international television news channel, BBC World News, is unveiling a dramatic new look next week when it re-launches from new studios in central London. The channel will feature a refreshed line-up of programmes and presenters, and will be investing heavily in additional newsgathering capacity around the world.
From 12:00 GMT on Monday January 14th the channel will be broadcast from new state of the art High Definition studios in the BBC’s new London headquarters, the redeveloped Broadcasting House. BBC World News is the first English language channel to go live from the new building.
BBC World News journalists will be at the heart of ‘the world’s newsroom’ where the BBC’s UK and international journalism teams have come together to provide output across digital, radio and television and 27 different languages, reaching an audience of 239 million people around the world each week. Eventually, 6,000 people – more than a quarter of all BBC staff – will be based in Broadcasting House, one of the world’s largest broadcast complexes.
The channel will also debut new on air talent including Yalda Hakim, one of Australia’s brightest international journalists, who has joined the channel as a current affairs correspondent and presenter for a new weekly current affairs programme. BBC World News has also announced that long time BBC News presenter and reporter Jon Sopel is joining the channel to present Global with Jon Sopel, a new weekday international news programme.
From 14th January, BBC World News’ core weekday programming will include:
- Newsday (00:00, 01:00, 23:00 GMT)
- HARDtalk with Stephen Sackur (04:30, 09:30, 14:30, 21:30 GMT)
- GMT with George Alagiah (12:00 GMT)
- Impact with Mishal Husain (13:00 GMT)
- Global with Jon Sopel (15:00 GMT)
- BBC Focus on Africa(17:30 GMT)
- World News Today with Zeinab Badawi (19:00 GMT)
- Business Edition with Tanya Beckett (21:00 GMT)
- BBC World NewsAmerica(23:30 GMT)
Richard Porter, Controller of English for BBC Global News said: “BBC World News is kicking off the new year with an entirely new look and feel. From virtual reality capability to full HD production, new presenters and a programming line-up that goes from strength to strength, BBC World News audiences will have access to not only the best, most dynamic journalism in the world, but also the latest technology to enhance storytelling and bring viewers inside the stories that shape our world.”
Jim Egan, COO of BBC Global News Ltd said: “This re-launch marks the biggest change for BBC World News in at least a decade and is part of a sustained commitment by the BBC to build on our long history of delivering high quality international news by enhancing our TV and digital offers to viewers, advertisers and distribution partners. We aspire to be recognised as the world’s best international news provider and will be making a series of investments this year to support that ambition.”
More information including an embeddable promo on the studio launch is available on the BBC Media Centre website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/worldnews/wn-studios-launch.html.
8 January 2013
YahLive, the Abu Dhabi, UAE-based HD television satellite platform for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and GlobeCast, a leading content management and delivery company, today announced a new partnership in which GlobeCast will provide YahLive with a 24/7 monitoring and reporting service for YahLive’s satellite signals (video, audio, and data) across the MENA region.
As part of YahLive’s ongoing Customer Excellency (Customer First) program, GlobeCast’s around-the-clock, real-time monitoring and detection services will enhance YahLive’s quality control, maintenance, and incidence response capabilities for its growing channel bouquet.
The local monitoring and reporting initiatives will be done by GlobeCast at Jordan Media City (JMC), inAmman,Jordan. GlobeCast’s global reach and JMC’s regional presence will result in detailed reporting that combines local expertise with global capabilities. GlobeCast is a subsidiary of the France Telecom-Orange group.
The agreement was signed by Georges Baroud, CEO of GlobeCast Middle East, and Mohamed Youssif, CEO of YahLive.
Commenting on the new partnership, Youssif said:
“As the region’s HD television satellite platform, YahLive has become synonymous with ‘Pure HD’ and the company that is spearheading MENA’s SD-to-HD conversion in response to the accelerated demand for premium-quality HD television — partnering with global leaders like GlobeCast ensures that we deliver on our number one commitment to television viewers and broadcast partners — to provide the best in service reliability, quality, and customer service.”
“Our solution offers YahLive the scalability and flexibility needed to meet its demands,” said Baroud. “GlobeCast is the first and only broadcast service provider to offer externalized monitoring services in theMiddle East. In building this monitoring center, we were searching for an integrated system that could do everything a channel needed. Broadcasters are concerned about their quality of service and are looking for professionals to help them.”
YahLive’s mission is to address the rapidly growing HD television demand across the MENA region. It is a strategic joint venture between Al Yah Satellite Communications (Yahsat), and SES, one of the world’s most prominent satellite broadcasting companies. Starting operations less than one year ago, YahLive has already created an exclusive HD bouquet of more than 40 quality channels including GEM Sports TV, Russia Al Youm, Abu Dhabi TV, MBC, Cartoon Network Arabic, and Saudi TV. By year-end 2012, YahLive’s bouquet increased to 50 channels.
GlobeCast operates over a dozen teleports worldwide, delivering the equivalent of 1,000 television and radio channels. The company used its extensive knowledge and experience in the broadcast industry to develop this 24/7 monitoring center, which will provide robust and secure service for clients in the region including satellite operators, broadcasters, and TV channels. This service is part of a catalog of value-added services that GlobeCast has tested in its centers worldwide and is now beginning to implement in theMiddle East.
7 January 2013
AIB’s Governance is undertaken by a six member Executive Committee elected from the membership. Nominations for the Executive Committee – AIB’s leading advisory group – are now sought from AIB members and elections take place in February.
The Executive Committee has an important role in influencing policy and standards in broadcasting and electronic media globally. It works, for example, to shape regulatory policy in many markets globally. It is unique in bringing together the views, knowledge and expertise of the broadcasting industry from all parts of the world.
Full information is being sent to members – only member companies are eligible to nominate and vote for the Executive Committee which defines the AIB’s strategy and work plan.
AIB’s CEO, Simon Spanswick, is writing to all AIB members seeking nominations which should be submitted by 31 January 2013. Elections will then take place in February with the new Committee members taking up their two-year post on 1 March 2013.
4 January 2013
Japanese public broadcaster NHK will present the latest iteration of its Super Hi-Vision system at the 2013 NAB Show. It will be featured in the new “NAB Labs Futures Park,” a section of the NAB Show exhibition floor reserved for broadcast-related research and development projects from around the world.
Established in 2009 as the “International Research Park,” the NAB Labs Futures Park will feature high-profile media technologies in development chosen by NAB Labs for presentation to the broad international audience at NAB Show.
A highlight of the 2013 Futures Park will be NHK’s Super Hi-Vision demonstration. It will feature a presentation theater for viewing the system’s 8k video and 22.2-multichannel sound (including content recorded in cooperation with the Olympic Broadcasting Service and the BBC at the London 2012 Olympic Games).
The system’s 7680 x 4320 video format provides 16 times the number of pixels as HDTV, for stunning clarity and an immersive visual experience. Meanwhile, the system’s massive multichannel audio system produces unprecedented immersion into a 3D sound space for viewers located anywhere within a large viewing area.
Besides the presentation in the theater, NHK will also show for the first time outside Japan the real-time, over-the-air transmission and reception of Super Hi-Vision broadcasts, using two UHF television channels.
NHK also plans to show its latest developments in production technology for the system, including a 120 Hz Super Hi-Vision camera, as well as the first compact Super Hi-Vision camera suitable for robust mobile use, and a 22.2 multichannel sound production system. The interactive capabilities of a converged broadband/broadcast service will also be presented in a demonstration of the NHK “Hybridcast” system.
The NAB Labs Futures Park will present a number of other exciting developments in broadcast technology at the 2013 NAB Show. A complete list of presentations planned for the 2013 Futures Park will be announced soon.
About NAB Labs
Created in 2012, NAB Labs is a program of the National Association of Broadcasters that provides a platform for innovation, a venue for forging partnerships and testing new technology, and educational events to create awareness about over-the-air radio and television technology initiatives.
About NAB Show
NAB Show, held April 6-11, 2013 in Las Vegas, is the world’s largest electronic media show covering filmed entertainment and the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums. With more than 90,000 attendees from 151 countries and 1,600+ exhibitors, NAB Show is the ultimate marketplace for digital media and entertainment. From creation to consumption, across multiple platforms and countless nationalities, NAB Show is home to the solutions that transcend traditional broadcasting and embrace content delivery to new screens in new ways. Complete details are available at www.nabshow.com.
2 January 2013
SatLink Communications Ltd., a leading teleport and HD Playout centre delivering content to every corner of the world, has confirmed that the Boxing Marketing Arm SA (BMA), a subsidiary of AIBA, the International Boxing Association, has selected SatLink for the global satellite delivery of the World Series of Boxing (WSB) 2012/2013 season. A total of 74 events across the globe will be distributed to five continents via SatLink’s Satellite and Fibre Network in High Definition (HD) and MPEG4 on Eutelsat, AsiaSat, IntelSat and Amos satellites. In addition services such as digital archiving, recording, SNG and Fly-Away units in various territories around the globe will be provided alongside post production editing of the matches highlights.
Developed by AIBA, WSB is a unique concept in the world of boxing. It is the only pro-style team competition where boxers retain their Olympic eligibility. It brings together the best Olympic and pro boxers representing their country in an explosive format with worldwide appeal.
SatLink will provide AIBA’s global satellite coverage in Ku-band and C-band on Eutelsat, AsiaSat, IntelSat and AMOS satellites and upscale the content to HD using the Snell Alchemist Ph. C to deliver the content in High Definition (HD) format to viewers around the globe. AIBA will also be utilizing SatLink’s content management capabilities including: recording, archiving, editing and conversion of news and highlights gathered from the satellite feed, as well as continuous customer service, including coordinating broadcasters and additional support before, during and after each event, and SNG services in various territories.
Kevin Na, BMA Media/TV Director commented: “In previous years we have managed our broadcasting distribution in-house, but with the current customer demands across the globe, we realized that we needed a provider that could back up our global HD distribution needs and will have the ability to manage our content during live shots and distribute it on time and high quality. This is one of the many reasons we chose SatLink. Not only do they offer a customized package suited to our needs, but they also offered us unlimited support before, during and after each of our broadcasts. Each boxing event during the 2012/2013 season will be recorded, edited and archived for future use, with the distribution of highlights following each round and the editing of a full-length magazine produced every two rounds, helping us maximize our outreach to our customer-base across the globe.”
David Hochner, Chief Executive Officer of SatLink, commented: “We are thrilled to be providing AIBA with the services they require for the broadcast of WSB 2012/2013 season, and it is another example of the benefits our Occasional Use capabilities can offer content distributors, channels, sports federations and rights holders. Using our global end-to-end distribution, transmission and content management services, broadcasters and networks are able to deliver high quality content to audiences around the world. This makes our central location, which borders onto three continents, and our global network, a reliable and effective solution for all of our customers’ broadcasting needs.”
17 December 2012
BBC World News, BBC Entertainment, CBeebies and BBC World Service in English to be available from 1 January 2013
(Monday, 17 December, London) The BBC and BBC Worldwide today announced the inaugural launch of three of its pay TV channels in Burma – BBC World News, BBC Entertainment and CBeebies.
BBC World News is the BBC’s commercially-funded international 24-hour news and information channel. BBC Entertainment showcases the very best of British light entertainment, drama and comedy; and CBeebies is a channel designed for pre-school children and provides a high-quality, interactive, entertaining and educational experience for them, offering them a safe haven in which to learn about, and enjoy, the world around them.
All three BBC TV channels, together with BBC World Service in Asia in English, will launch on Forever Group’s pay TV platform in Burma on 1 January 2013.
The BBC has a long history of providing vital news and information to Burma, via BBC World Service. Since its first broadcast in 1940, BBC Burmese has been an essential source of information for people living in Burma, as well as for the Burmese diaspora. The launch of these pay TV channels and the BBC World Service global English radio, will see this programming potentially reach around 250,000 homes in Burma on Forever Group’s pay TV platform.
One of two major private broadcasters in Burma, Forever Group is one of the earliest digital TV broadcasters in the region and broadcasting in DVB-T and DVB-T2. Forever Group is also extending its digital TV network all over the country using the DVB-T2 system.
Mark Whitehead, Senior Vice President and General Manager of BBC Worldwide Channels Asia, said: “I am pleased to be able to announce the launch of the BBC channels in Burma. We are very pleased to be part of Burma’s growing economy, and excited to be delivering our wide range of highly rated and award-winning programming – from programmes specially designed for pre-schoolers, to the best of UK comedy and drama and high quality international news to new viewers.”
Peter Horrocks, Director, Global News, said: “For many years, the BBC has delivered accurate, impartial international radio services to the Burmese people, serving as a vital lifeline service to Aung San Suu Kyi and those across the country. I’m so pleased that the BBC is now able to take the next step forward with the country to offer that same impartial news via television as well. It is a great sign of progress for Burma and I’m honoured for the BBC to play a role in opening the country up to the world.”
Mr. Winn Maw, CEO of Forever Group Co. Ltd, commented: “We are thrilled to be partnering with BBC Worldwide. High quality content is a key factor in driving our subscription growth, and we are confident that BBC World News, BBC Entertainment and CBeebies, together with BBC World Service radio will make Forever Group’s international line-up even stronger,”
More information on the channels:
BBC World News, the BBC’s commercially funded international 24-hour news and information platforms, is owned and operated by BBC Global News Ltd, a member of the BBC’s commercial group of companies. BBC World News is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and over 350 million households and 1.8 million hotel rooms. The channel’s content is also available on 152 cruise ships, 40 airlines and 23 mobile phone networks. For further information on how to receive BBC World News, download schedules or find out more about the channel, visit bbc.com/tvschedule.
BBC Entertainment showcases the best comedy, drama and light entertainment from the BBC and other UK production houses.
The channel is exclusive destination of The Graham Norton Show, with multi-award winning comedy talk-show host, Graham Norton and features his trademark comedy monologues, interesting celebrity chats, eccentric stories and characters. The talk show is broadcast just two weeks after its UK telecast.
BBC Entertainment is also home to Doctor Who, the longest running science fiction TV in the world, and the most successful in terms of ratings, DVD book sales, iTunes traffic and downloads.
CBeebies is UK’s number one children’s channel, loved by kids under six, and by their parents and carers. Inspired by preschoolers’ natural curiosity and zest for play, programming on the channel is designed by developmental experts to appeal to and suit the developmental needs of distinct age groups. The channel delivers a safe, interactive experience, and delivered by the trusted BBC brand, to promote imaginative play, social interaction, language skills and educational values.
Come January, CBeebies’ viewers in Burma will be able to catch a new series of Andy’s Wild Adventures – a live action animation series which sees park keeper Andy and his cat Kip embark on exciting adventures, travelling the world in their flying buggy – KipMobile, a high-spec, all-terrain, flying vehicle -for encounters with a whole array of animals in their natural habitats.
Preschoolers and their carers will also be able to watch internationally-acclaimed and award-winning household favourites such as Teletubbies, In the Night Garden, Charlie & Lola, Numtums and Mister Maker.
BBC World Service is an international multimedia broadcaster, delivering a wide range of language and regional services on radio, TV, online and via wireless handheld devices. It uses multiple platforms to reach its weekly audience of 180 million globally, including shortwave, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels. Its news sites include audio and video content and offer opportunities to join the global debate. BBC World Service offers its multilingual radio content to partner FM stations around the world and has numerous partnerships supplying content to news websites, mobile phones and other wireless handheld devices as well as TV channels. For more information, visit bbcworldservice.com.
BBC Burmese radio programming is broadcast on shortwave and on PAS10 and Palapa satellite television channels and streamed online via the website bbcburmese.com. BBC Burmese is part of BBC World Service.
BBC World News, BBC Entertainment and CBeebies will be available on the basic tier of Forever Group’s platform. BBC World Service will be available on the radio service of digital receivers.
For more information on BBC’s pay TV channels in Asia, please visit www.bbc-asia.com
