19 April 2012
The Associated Press has unveiled the beta version of AP Video Hub, a state-of-the-art global platform for the online delivery of broadcast-quality video news. The beta launch reflects the increase in demand for video news from a growing segment of customers — online publishers. The new platform delivers video news from AP’s journalists in the field to digital customers’ desktops, faster and easier than ever before.
AP Video Hub (www.apvideohub.com) will give access to AP’s broadcast-quality world news, entertainment, SNTV (sports) and lifestyle video. In an industry-first platform, curators will select and promote breaking news content together with relevant footage from AP’s historic archive, allowing the development of richer online storytelling for customers who until now have lacked easy access to this kind of content.
Users of the platform benefit from AP’s established video newsgathering infrastructure. Breaking news from the field gets to Video Hub fast, via mobile satellite uplinks and a network of video news bureaus around the world, using the latest generation of video editing, compression and transmission tools.
The interface design is simple and intuitive for users, making accessing content easy. Unique functionality includes a “follow” stories feature that alerts users via Twitter as new content on the story arrives. Curated topic pages, quick video previews, one-click download direct to desktop and real-time search content filters are additional features that have been incorporated into the platform.
AP has designed Video Hub specifically for digital publishers and has developed the site in conjunction with some of the world’s leading newspapers.
“We believe AP Video Hub gives customers the ability to access broadcast-quality video news even if they don’t have the technical infrastructure to handle satellite news feeds,” said Sue Brooks, AP director of video transformation. “AP Video Hub will enable them to do this as quickly and easily as large broadcasters do already. We expect AP Video Hub customers to be online video producers for a newspaper, journalists at a regional news agency and news-centric websites. Their needs and work flow are at the heart of the way AP Video Hub has been conceived. Features such as the curated topic pages and ‘follow’ functionality make this an unbeatable and unique proposition.”
Senior Vice President Daisy Veerasingham, who heads AP’s video business internationally, said: “AP Video Hub represents a major opportunity for the AP. Video news is no longer the sole preserve of terrestrial and satellite broadcasters and AP Video Hub addresses this with an offering for the rapidly growing segment of the media market – online video news. Overall AP estimates that over the next few years the value of the online video news market across Europe and Asia will continue to grow by up to 13 percent and 16 percent, respectively, per year.”
Veerasingham added: “This launch forms a key part of our video business transformation program — a multimillion-dollar upgrade to transform our entire video business to ensure we maintain our leadership in video news. The investment is providing AP customers with a wider range of options in how they receive video content, both in the traditional broadcast market and on digital platforms. Not only will all of AP’s video news be fully HD by the end of May, but we will also be able to deliver it on more platforms than ever before.”
The beta version launched today is already being used by charter customers, including some of the world’s leading news sites. Further functionality will be added over the coming months with the full production release scheduled for Summer 2012.
For further information:
Paul Colford
Director of AP Media Relations
+1 212.621.1895
19 April 2012
The Arab Advisors Group concluded a ground breaking survey of cellular users in Kuwait probing smartphones adoption and usage. The survey revealed that 51.3% of the total cellular handsets used by the respondents are smartphones. More than half (58.5%) of smartphone users who use applications prefer the English language for their applications. The new major cellular phone survey of cellular users in Kuwait was conducted by the Arab Advisors Group in February 2012. The survey report, “Kuwait Smartphone Survey 2012” was released on April 5, 2012. The survey covered general cellular usage habits; smartphone adoption and usage patterns; smartphone awareness, cellular handsets’ brands and models in addition to tablets availability among respondents. The report has 53 pages and 63 exhibits.
22.4% of Internet users in Egypt use e-commerce services
A new major survey of Internet users in Egypt was concluded by the Arab Advisors Group in February 2012. The survey revealed that around 22.4% of Internet users in Egypt use e-commerce services to buy products or services or pay their bills online. The Arab Advisors Group conservatively estimates the number of these users to be around 2.8 million, which is around 3.4% of the total population in Egypt. The survey report, “Egypt Internet users and e-commerce survey 2012” was released on March 26, 2012 and provides the results of a major comprehensive online survey of Internet users in Egypt. The survey probed the patterns and trends of Internet use in Egypt including online and video gaming, mobile Internet, e-commerce, online banking (e-banking) and e-government. The report has 85 pages and 101 exhibits.
Arabic Reality TV shows secure a prominent place in FTA Sat TV programming
Spurred by the liberalization and the boom in satellite TV supply and viewership, many channels in the Arab TV industry recognize the need for offering quality content to maintain their attraction to viewers and advertisers. Reality TV’s attraction lies in its relative novelty to audiences as well as its lower costs of production as participants are mainly regular people and not highly paid movie and TV stars. The new report “Arabic Reality TV Shows” was released to the Arab Advisors Group’s Media Strategic Research Service subscribers on March 13, 2012. The 36-page report, which has 18 detailed exhibits, provides analysis of the Reality TV landscape in the Arab World.
The share of female Internet users who go to movie theatres in Jordan is higher than that of male Internet users
A new major online survey in Jordan was concluded by the Arab Advisors Group back in February 13, 2012. The survey report, Jordan Media Survey of Internet Users 2012 was released on March 18, 2012 and provides the results of a major comprehensive online survey of the online community in Jordan. The survey covered television, radio, movie theatres, newspaper and book reading habits and effective type of ads. The report “Jordan Media Survey of Internet Users 2012” has 83 pages and 123 exhibits.
www.arabadvisors.com
18 April 2012
17 April 2012
The 2012 AIBs are now open for entries. Download the entry booklet.
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/39546937 w=500&h=281]
The official launch of the AIBs 2012 took place back on Monday 2nd April at MIPTV in Cannes in front of an audience of broadcasters from all over the world. Our thanks go AIB member France24 who hosted the event on their stand.
Each year, AIB organises a global search for the very best content. Programmes are entered by broadcasters, independent producers and journalists from countries on just about every continent, including Antarctica. The goal for each entrant is the same – to be recognised by their peers in the international broadcasting business by winning an AIB Award. We know it means something. It helps producers spot rising talent. It provides a bench-mark for the information branch of the media sector. In the last 8 years, we’re proud to have helped talented people further their careers.
The winners of the 8th annual awards will be announced at a gala evening in London on Wednesday 7th November 2012. Book the date in your diary and watch out for more details. Click here to find out about Partnership Opportunities that prov
ide more than nine months exposure to major international broadcasters worldwide and to 25,000 media industry professionals throughout the worldwide.
This year, in addition to our regular awards covering radio and television current affairs, documentaries, investigative journalism, children’s programmes, science, sports technology and marketing, we are proud to announce two new awards which reflect the changing face of broadcast journalism:
- Best short documentary, feature or report which highlights the increasing production and consumption of top-quality short programmes from a range of new and existing content producers
- Best coverage of London 2012 which looks forward to the coverage of the Olympic Games which promise to break new ground in terms of 3D production and use of social media and second screens
The AIB is also looking to keep our judging panel fair and fresh. Although we’re based in the UK, we are proudly international in our outlook. Launching the awards on the France24 stand was deliberate. We’re aware that Western media has an Anglo-Saxon bias. Which is why our awards have always attracted entries from producers who don’t work in English, yet have an important story to share with their audiences. We also know that with the current financial crisis, you need to be creative and clever to get the budgets you need to do a proper job.
Our judges know how to spot genius when they see or hear it. So we’re looking for new judges who will help us continue the tradition of seeking out brilliance. We really do concentrate on world-class content. Anyone can set up a gong-factory – it takes real hard work to be fair.
For full details about the awards, download The AIBs 2012 entry book here.
17 April 2012
Sky News Arabia, the 24-hour Arabic language multi-platform breaking news service, will launch on 6th May, 2012.
The channel, which promises “a new horizon” for news reporting across the Arab world, will be available on Transponder 14 on Arabsat Badr 4, Transponder 15 on Nilesat 201, on du IPTV and e-Life platforms plus in high definition on the OSN pay-TV platform.
The announcement was made during a press conference held by the head of the channel, Nart Bouran, at Sky News Arabia’s state of the art studios in Abu Dhabi.
Commenting on the launch of the channel, Bouran said: “The Sky News Arabia idea was born more than two years ago. Our aim has been to create an impartial and independent breaking news channel for the Arab world across multiple platforms. It has been a huge collaborative team effort resulting in the most technically advanced news operation in the region. We have nearly 400 of the best journalists, reporters, presenters, producers and broadcast technicians working together to create an unparalleled news channel.’
“Sky News Arabia will offer the MENA region a fresh approach to television news with an independent editorial mandate at the heart of everything we do.”
The channel is supported by an Editorial Advisory Committee – a first for the region – to ensure Sky News Arabia delivers fair, accurate, consistent and independent news.
The Editorial Advisory Committee is made up of a variety of voices from the UK, US and UAE. Committee members are:
Dr Sulaiman Al Hattlan, Chief Executive, Arab Strategy Forum
Roger Alton, Executive Editor, The Times
Chris Birkett, Executive Editor, Sky News
Ahmed Al Blooshi, Director General, Emirates Media Inc
Nart Bouran, Head of Sky News Arabia
Martin Edelman, Of Counsel, Paul Hastings LLP
James Zogby, Author of Arab Voices and Founder & President of the Arab American Institute
James Zogby, Chairman of the Editorial Advisory Committee, commented: “We are looking forward to working with Sky News Arabia to support the channel’s aim to present an independent evaluation of the news agenda, free of external influence. It will have clear, unambiguous standards, upheld by an editorial charter that sets the framework for world-class news delivery as well as creating a new culture for Arab journalism.”
The Sky News Arabia digital news platform has been active since the website, www.skynewsarabia.com , launched in Beta format in February, and social media channels have attracted more than 100,000 fans on Facebook and Twitter.
The broadcast platform has been in 24-hour rehearsals ahead of launch and recently revealed the 16 presenters from across the MENA region who will anchor the channel. The presenters were chosen following a rigorous interview process and in-depth market research, each having the experience and personality to reinforce Sky News Arabia’s dynamic approach to delivering the best live news coverage as it happens.”
17 April 2012
“GlobeCast has provided videography, production, and creative services for the Men’s Health Urbanathlon 2012, a one-of-a-kind obstacle race organised by SPH Magazines and HiVelocity. Published by SPH Magazines, Men’s Health is Singapore’s leading lifestyle magazine for men.
GlobeCast provided camera coverage for nine urban obstacles over a 14-kilometre course that tested 2,300 participants’ fitness levels to their limit. GlobeCast produced and edited a 90-second race highlight video, which was broadcast on the same day on ESPNews in Asia.
GlobeCast also produced and edited a four-minute official event video, which is currently on the Men’s Health Urbanathlon’s event website and its official YouTube site. GlobeCast also delivered another version that features interviews with the organiser’s sponsors. This latter version showcases the sponsors’ involvement in this event, and it serves as a means of communicating their brand messaging effectively.
“”It is an exciting period to be offering our creative services, through which we provide a complete solution for the video needs of this obstacle race. From pre-production planning and scheduling to the actual day of video production, setting up interviews and editing of the event videos, this has been a true showcase of GlobeCast’s expertise and capability in extending our services,”” said Wei Khim Cheah, Director of Creative Services.
The videos can be seen on the Men’s Health Singapore Urbanathlon 2012 official website.
In addition to providing creative services in Asia, GlobeCast provides content management and global delivery via satellite and fibre for hundreds of broadcasters worldwide.”
