31 January 2006
RadioScape, a world leader in digital audio and multimedia broadcast technology, is leading the adoption of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) and Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) in China through the supply of the very latest Professional DMB/DAB Broadcast Systems to a number of major broadcasters. Systems have already been installed at Beijing Jolon Digital Media Broadcasting, Shanghai Oriental Pearl (Group), and Guangdong Yue Guang Digital Multimedia Broadcasting. Further contracts are expected soon from other leading broadcasters. DMB services for both audio and mobile TV will be on air by the second quarter of this year.
John Hall, RadioScapes CEO, said, We have worked closely with the major Chinese broadcasters over the past 2 years in the development of their plans for Digital Multimedia Broadcasting. Our unique expertise in both broadcast and receiver technology for DAB and DMB has been critical. It is very rewarding now to see these efforts come to fruition as China finally switches on live services across several major cities.
Nick Banks, RadioScapes Product Manager for Digital Radio Infrastructure, said, Now these influential broadcasters have selected Terrestrial DMB (T-DMB) over competing technologies such as Satellite DMB (S-DMB), DVB-H and Media FLO, we expect there to be a general adoption of T-DMB technology in China. A key ingredient of our success is our ability to provide both broadcast and network monitoring systems. Our portable Field Monitoring Receiver, which was used in major trials by broadcasters in the three provinces, allowed them to determine the actual performance of their DMB network and compare with the predicted performance to make their network planning significantly easier.
RadioScape has been involved in numerous trials of T-DMB and sending multimedia over Enhanced Packet Mode in both Asia and Europe. Its Professional Broadcast Systems and Research and Test Systems were used in the development of the DMB standard and compatible receiver handsets. T-DMB can provide H.264 QCIF (355 x 288 pixels) at a frame rate of 25 to 30 fps using 384 to 768 Kbps. The DMB broadcasts are anticipated to cover news, music videos, sports, education, movies and simultaneous transmission of terrestrial TV programmes. DAB radio will also be broadcast bringing the benefits of digital clarity and a wide range of content.
The Asia Pacific region is a major growth area for Mobile TV, added Murphy Wu, WorldDABs Asia Pacific Officer.at WorldDAB. We are very excited to see that China has chosen to use DMB, a technology based on the proven DAB standard, for its first commercial services. This is a huge potential market for both broadcast systems and handsets which could dramatically accelerate the global take off of DMB.
31 January 2006
Arqivas Satellite Media Solutions division and the European TV Guild are to provide a free month-long test platform to those considering launching their own new digital TV channels. New Start TV is a digital channel designed to power the introduction of more broadcast services with the free trial to help broadcasters achieve final funding for launch.
New Start TV provides free ingest, playout, compression, satellite uplink and support for content management. It meets the needs of broadcasters seeking a platform to demonstrate their content to potential investors, advertisers, sponsors and various carriers.
In addition, channel owners can monitor their content, trial new ideas and concepts. Arqiva is to broadcast up to four hours per day of each trial channels content from its state-of the art media centre to Eutelsats Eurobird 28.5E, which is also used for Skys digital platform.
Arqivas New Start TV model provides the ideal showcase for people with great ideas that make excellent television, says Graham Pitman of the European TV Guild. It gives the new generation of TV talent a significant step up in creating and launching the latest and most innovative channel businesses.
A major barrier to the launch of a new TV channel can be generating the funding for the launch itself, says Arqivas head of marketing services John Dunlop. New Start TV allows broadcasters to gain a head-start with a tried and tested business model before they become permanent TV fixtures.
31 January 2006
Dubai-based TV channel Al Arabiya has appointed Abdullah Schleifer as its Washington DC bureau chief.
Schleifer has been director of Television Studies at the American University of Cairo, heavily involved with observing and reporting on the electronic media in the Arab World, contributing extensively to Transnational Broadcasting Studies. He was a former NBC bureau chief.
26 January 2006
Danish Broadcaster, TV 2 Bornholm, marks its 3000th day using APs Electronic News Production System today (26 January 2005). The station which is one of eight regional channels in the TV 2 Denmark network – was the first organisation outside of the BBC to implement the cutting-edge technology which is now used by 40% of the worlds newsrooms.
“The reliability of ENPS – 3,000 days with no break – has exceeded all of our expectations,” said Jan Jørgensen, Managing Director of TV 2 Bornholm. “Even when we had a power supply failure on the main server, it didn’t disrupt our ability to produce because ENPS backup systems worked as designed,” he added.
Designed for and by broadcast journalists, ENPS operates in all types of demanding news production environments, with powerful, easy-to-use features including scripting, rundowns, planning, contacts, messaging, archiving, third-party device control, news wire management, remote access capabilities, and the industry’s only fully-integrated search engine. Using the MOS protocol, ENPS supports integration of news production products developed by more than 50 companies.
“We’re very proud that ENPS is continuing to meet TV 2’s standards and needs,” said Lee Perryman, Deputy Director of AP’s Broadcast division and Director of Broadcast Technology. “Its praise indeed to know that we have provided seamless technical performance on a daily basis year on year. Its been refreshing to work with an organisation focused both on their future and on helping us create and refine a world-class product.”
Part of the largest broadcast network in Denmark, TV 2 Bornholm has a staff of 52, and its regional newscasts attract the country’s highest viewership. ENPS is used throughout all areas of its news operations for the station’s three daily news broadcasts. Three other stations in the TV 2 group – Lorry, Nord and Ost – also use ENPS.
AP provides production technology for many of the world’s largest and most demanding broadcasters, and the ENPS system is now used by more than 40,000 reporters, writers, editors and producers in more than 500 newsrooms in 48 countries.
26 January 2006
GlobeCast, a global content management and delivery company, was chosen by France Telecoms IPTV arm MaLigne TV for technical management of the French operators newest IPTV bouquet, Le Bouquet TV, beginning with its launch on February 1st.
From its technical operations center in central Paris, GlobeCast will be responsible for aggregating and managing Le Bouquet TV, which will offer thirty general and thematic channels. GlobeCasts solution for France Telecom includes satellite downlink of the channels, MPEG-4 encoding, multiplexing, IP encapsulation and 24×7 supervision. GlobeCast will also create two mosaic index screens to provide viewers with an overview of all channels simultaneously. The finished bouquet will be distributed by MaLigne TV to its subscribers via France Telecoms broadband Internet network.
The MaLigne TV service, which delivers television content over the subscribers broadband Internet connection directly to the TV set, also offers premium bouquets through TPS and Canal+ Group, as well as Video-on-Demand.
GlobeCast, a France Telecom subsidiary, has been working on projects with MaLigne TV since the service launched in 2003. Most recently, GlobeCast collaborated with the IPTV provider to aggregate and manage an interactive TV bouquet during the French Tennis Open in the Spring of 2005.
26 January 2006
Al Jazeera International, the 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel, headquartered in Doha, has appointed Felicity Barr as presenter and Lauren Taylor as correspondent for their London broadcast centre.
Felicity will be the female presenter of Al Jazeera International’s London based broadcast centre and will co-present the news with Stephen Cole, former senior presenter for BBC World. She joins the channel from ITN where she presented various flagship programmes including the ITV Evening News and the sport on the ITV News at Ten Thirty. Felicity brings to the job nearly fifteen years of presenting and reporting experience. Felicity joined ITV News in 2001 and for the past 3 years she presented three hours of rolling news on the ITV News Channel every day. She has dealt with major breaking news stories from across the globe including the Iraq war, last year’s Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. Felicity is also an experienced “on location” presenter, covering stories such as the London terror attacks in July 2005 and the Athens Olympics under hugely challenging circumstances with great authority and insight. “I am thrilled to be joining Al Jazeera International at its inception and am really looking forward to being part of this very exciting project – to bring to the English speaking world a fresh perspective on world news and current affairs,” Felicity said.
Lauren Taylor meanwhile joins the channel as correspondent in the London broadcast centre alongside Alan Fisher, formerly Chief Correspondent at GMTV. Lauren was previously Economics Correspondent for ITV News. Prior to that she worked as a News Correspondent for ITV News. Recent assignments have included covering the UK 2005 election and reporting live on the night of the US 2004 Presidential Election from the Bush headquarters.
Speaking on the appointments from the channels headquarters in Doha, Director of News Steve Clark said, I have long admired both of these journalists and am delighted to finally have them on board. They will add a new dimension to our European news coverage.
As we gear up for launch in the Spring of this year well be revealing more details of our on-screen line-up and will be announcing further presenters for our other broadcast centres, strategically placed around the world in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London, and Washington D.C., continued Steve Clark.
