25 September 2006
Harris Corporation today announced it will introduce MicroMax, a new low-cost FM exciter, at the upcoming NAB Radio convention (Booth #405, Hilton Anatole Hotel, Dallas, September 19-21). The MicroMax exciter is specifically designed for small-market U.S. and international radio broadcasters seeking an affordable yet feature-rich alternative to more expensive exciters on the market. Competitively priced, MicroMax is a 30-watt, 1RU exciter that can interface with any existing Harris transmitter as well as other transmitters on the market. It is especially valuable for FM broadcasters when used with the new Harris ZX range of low-cost FM transmitters (available in four power levels from 500 watts to 3.5 kW).
While the MicroMax FM exciter is an excellent choice for small-market broadcasters, it is equally useful in backup situations for medium- to large-market stations such as Cox Radio Orlando. The station group will install two ZX 1000 1 kW transmitters with MicroMax exciters at its Orlando, Florida, studios. The frequency-agile transmitters and exciters, which are scheduled to go online in November, will serve as backup units for five Orlando-area stations (WWKA-FM, WCFB-FM, WPYO-FM, WHTQ-FM, and WMMO-FM) in the event of system failure or tower maintenance at any of the Cox Radio Orlando’s transmission facilities.
Steve Fluker, director of engineering for Cox Radio Orlando, pointed to price and flexibility as his reasons for selecting the Harris solution for backup transmission. “The MicroMax exciter, along with the ZX1000 transmitter, is an excellent choice for emergency back-up transmission at our studio because of the economical price and the ability to change frequencies on the front panel,” said Fluker. “They also will be available to rush to one of our tower sites in the event of a main exciter failure. These exciters are easy to set up and plug in, which will get us back on the air quickly in emergency situations. I also like the variety of input choices for AES, analog and composite audio.”
MicroMax combines time-proven PLL technology with modern RF amplifier circuits and abundant features to provide driving power of very high quality to any FM transmitter. Visitors to the Harris NAB Radio booth can see a static display of the MicroMax FM exciter and its various features, including a built-in stereo generator and automatic power control at any power level.
Visitors also can see the ZX1000 transmitter outfitted with WEB Remote, another new Harris product that offers an Internet connection for transmitter control and monitoring over IP. All ZX transmitters can accept the WEB Remote option through an internal circuit board card slot. WEB Remote is also available as a 1RU standalone system for all Harris FM and AM transmitters.
“The global radio industry at large still operates in the analog domain and will continue to do so well into the future, even as the U.S. and certain international regions work toward a digital future,” said Richard Redmond, director of strategic marketing for Harris Broadcast Communications Division, Radio Broadcast Systems business unit. “Therefore it is crucial that we continue to develop new platforms for analog broadcasting instead of simply focusing on digital radio. The MicroMax exciter is a clear indication that Harris will continue to bring new analog systems to market that reflect the changing requirements of both FM and AM broadcasters, domestically and internationally.”
The MicroMax FM exciter is available now and will begin shipping in late December.
25 September 2006
SES GLOBAL announces that its operating companies SES ASTRA and SES AMERICOM will support the worldwide non-profit initiative One Laptop per Child (OLPC). The initiative aims at improving the communication and education infrastructure in developing countries by launching a low cost, web-connected laptop. It is supported by leading international players in the hard- and software industry. SES ASTRA and SES AMERICOM will serve as worldwide partners to provide satellite connectivity and smart ground solutions for broadcasting, data and internet connections. SES AMERICOM CEO Edward D. Horowitz will represent SES on the initiatives Board.
One Laptop per Child was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January and is chaired by the former head of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, Nicholas Negroponte.
As new corporate partners of the project, SES ASTRA and SES AMERICOM will contribute important know-how for the conceptual development, give financial support of US$ 2 million and provide space capacity on SES global satellite fleet to countries and organizations. The conceptual contribution includes the development of a one dish per village model, whereby the low-cost laptops with a wireless connection receive data from local hubs connected via satellite. The price of such laptops is expected to be around USD 100.
The involvement with the One Laptop per Child initiative reinforces SES`s engagement in connectivity projects, like for example the NEPAD’s e-Schools project (www.nepad.org), a ten-year initiative started in 2003 to connect 600,000 schools in Africa.
Comments Edward D. Horowitz, President and CEO of SES AMERICOM: “Together with our world class partners in the OLPC initiative and the commitment of the participating countries, we have the unique opportunity to change the way educational resources are delivered to schools and students in every corner of the planet by taking advantage of satellite’s inherent ability to connect without geographical boundaries. We look forward to supporting this important global initiative.”
25 September 2006
SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company, announced today that its subsidiary SES ASTRA TechCom has been selected to participate in Vietnam`s first public satellite project VINASAT-1. The project, which is led by the Vietnamese Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), is realized with Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS) as the main contractor. LMCSS has subcontracted SES ASTRA TechCom to deliver two satellite antenna systems in Vietnam for Telecommand, Telemetry and Control (TT & C) as well as training to the Vietnamese satellite operations personnel. VINASAT-1 is scheduled for launch in the second quarter of 2008. The satellite will be used for telecommunication purposes.
SES ASTRA TechCom will work together with HITEC Luxembourg as subcontractor to deliver two antenna systems in Hanoi and Binh Duong Province for the new satellite. The antenna project is scheduled to be completed in September 2007. In a second step, SES ASTRA TechCom will provide training services for the future satellite engineers and technicians. These training sessions will last between 6 and 12 months, take place in Hanoi and Luxembourg and are co-financed by the Luxembourg Development Cooperation. Furthermore, the deal includes several follow-on options for SES ASTRA TechCom for further contributions to the Vietnamese satellite project.
We are very proud that SES ASTRA TechCom has been chosen to participate in the first Vietnamese satellite project, said Ferdinand Kayser, President and CEO of SES ASTRA. The decision shows that we are able to leverage our profound technical knowledge in the satellite business and can further grow our broad service offerings to the market through SES ASTRA TechCom.
18 September 2006
£1.8 billion contract signed for digital terrestrial TV and DAB digital radio
Two public-service TV multiplex networks from 1154 transmitters
DAB digital radio extension of up to 160 transmitters
The BBC and Arqiva have concluded contract negotiations for the design, deployment, and operation of its new high-power digital terrestrial television (DTT) network which will replace both the BBC’s analogue television networks and the current low-power DTT network. Arqiva will also build and operate additional transmitters to expand the coverage of the BBC’s DAB digital radio network, with the possibility of up to a further 160 new DAB transmitters being ordered in the coming years.
The deal is expected to be worth, taking into account inflation, in excess of £1.8bn over the contract period. Under the terms of the contract, the new DTT services will be introduced on a region-by-region basis between 2008 and 2012 and the service will continue to be delivered by Arqiva until 2031 (2023 for DAB). The BBCs two public-service multiplexes will be broadcast from all 1154 existing transmitter sites, delivering digital TV to 98.5% of the population via rooftop aerials.
Richard Waghorn, Controller of Distribution at the BBC, said: We are delighted to take this next step in the process of Digital Switch Over. The delivery of high-power digital signals to the whole country is crucial if the BBC is to help deliver a fully digital UK.
Steve Holebrook, Arqivas Managing Director, Terrestrial Media Solutions, added: Digital Switch Over is a complex and challenging task and we are absolutely delighted to have been chosen by the BBC to deliver their future television broadcast network. We have a long history in broadcast transmission and were proud that well be playing such a major role supporting the BBC in the future.
18 September 2006
Journalist Ogulsapar Muradova, a Turkmen correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has died in prison under unexplained circumstances. It is not known exactly when or where Muradova died. She was 58 years old.
Turkmen authorities declined the family’s request that a medical examiner at the morgue conduct an examination but allowed Muradova’s two adult daughters to take their mother’s body home after they appealed for help to the U.S. embassy in Ashgabat. Relatives said there was a visible head injury. The family called a medical examiner but Turkmen security have surrounded the apartment building and are allowing no visitors to the Muradova family.
Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, expressed “deep sadness” at the news. “Mrs. Muradova will be remembered for her courage and dedication to reporting the truth to the people of Turkmenistan.”
RFE/RL Acting President Jeff Trimble said “This is a terrible outcome of a long ordeal and a shocking indictment of the Turkmen regime’s callous and inhumane treatment of the people it rules. All of us at RFE/RL mourn the untimely loss of a colleague. Our hearts go out to Ogulsapar Muradova’s family.” Trimble added that RFE/RL will not let Muradova’s life be wasted: “We will keep her memory alive by carrying on her work, continuing through our broadcasting to bring truth to Turkmen citizens and to be their voice to the outside world.”
Sources in Ashgabat told RFE/RL that the first sign of trouble appeared yesterday when as many as four unmarked security vans took up position in front of the Muradova apartment building and the family was placed under 24-hour surveillance. This morning Turkmen security took Ogulsapar Muradova’s daughters Sona and Maral, to the city morgue and pressured them to sign a document, confirming they had taken custody of the body, without allowing them first to see it. The family was not permitted to see her while she was alive and was not told where she was incarcerated after her trial August 25.
Ogulsapar Muradova was put on trial with two other defendants — Sapardurdy Khajiev and Annakurban Amanklychev — behind closed doors with no counsel present, in a municipal court in Ashgabat’s Azatlyk district. In proceedings that lasted just a few minutes, all three were found guilty of being in illegal possession of bullets and ammunition under Article 287 of Turkmenistan’s penal code. Muradova was sentenced to six years in a medium security prison. Her family had not seen her since she was taken from her home in Ashgabat by police on June 18 and only twice before the trial were allowed to send her a package of food and medication.
The Director of the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation based in Bulgaria, Tajigul Begmedova said today “Ogulsapar Muradova “was an extremely healthy person, she had no problems with her health. Only after her arrest she started to ask for drugs and we started to worry… Now she is dead and if authorities claim it was because of ill health, it would be an absolute lie”. According to the family, the medication sent to Muradova in custody was for elevated blood pressure and a minor heart ailment.
The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent federal agency that oversees U.S. international broadcasting, including RFE/RL, issued a statement July 13, demanding that Ogulsapar Muradova be released. Major U.S. and international human rights groups have also condemned the Turkmen government for imprisoning Muradova. They included Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, the International Helsinki Federation and Reporters Without Borders.
RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service broadcasts six hours of programming a day to Turkmenistan, produced in Prague and transmitted to listeners via shortwave, medium wave and satellite broadcasts. Turkmen Service programming is also available via the Internet; English-language news about events in Turkmenistan can be found on the RFE/RL website.
18 September 2006
SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company, has announced today that its interactive BLUCOM service has been awarded Product of the Year 2006 by the renowned European technology magazine Cable & Satellite International. The award is granted annually at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam. BLUCOM was nominated in the category best playout/connectivity/service/solution, one out of 16 categories. The Cable & Satellite International awards are one of the most prestigious technology awards internationally. With more than 1,000 exhibitors, the IBC is one of the most important trade shows in the areas of digital consumer electronics, broadcast and media.
The innovative interactive BLUCOM technology is already used by several German TV and radio channels. BLUCOM supports services like program guides, weather and sports information and other added value services. Furthermore, it enables voting, downloads, advertising, chats and transaction television, thus allowing the consumer to interact directly with the program. The mobile phone with its SMS functionality is used as a return path. As BLUCOM can be received via a set-top box as well as via UMTS/GPRS, virtually every household be it cable, satellite or terrestrial can use the service. BLUCOM has been developed by the SES ASTRA affiliate ASTRA Platform Services (APS) in Germany.
