19 October 2005
SES ASTRA has concluded an agreement with Channel 4 from the UK for a third transponder on its satellite ASTRA 2A in the orbital position 28.2° East. The new long-term agreement follows a successful two-transponder deal with Channel 4 in autumn 2004. Channel 4 will use the additional capacity to support the expansion of new services, including the launch of new channels and associated data services.
The new channels include the recently launched Quiz Call and More4+1, which is scheduled for launch today. Quiz Call is devoted to quiz and game-show programming that gives viewers the chance to compete for cash prizes. More4+1 will offer a blend of documentaries, films, drama, current affairs and a daily news program, and may include a late-night studio discussion show.
Alexander Oudendijk, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of SES ASTRA, said: “Channel 4 is one of Britain’s most prominent and innovative terrestrial broadcasters whose programs are watched by more than three-quarters of the UK population during an average week. Channel 4 is also an important customer for us and we are delighted that the company has once again come to us for additional transmission capacity.”
Kevin Burrows, Channel 4’s Chief Technology Officer, said: “We will be exploring several projects over the coming year and this third transponder will give us the capacity to launch new and supporting services as these plans develop. We chose SES ASTRA because we have a long-term relationship with our current contracts, and the company was able to provide a flexible option for us to take additional capacity as our needs develop. We have also found the service to be extremely reliable, which is a crucial broadcasting requirement.”
18 October 2005
AP Television News can now send news stories directly from the heart of Beirut to anywhere in the world thanks to the installation of a fixed satellite dish on the roof of its eight-storey building in the city.
Independent systems integration specialists Megahertz Broadcast Systems carried out the installation to AP requirements and specification, which involved positioning a 2.4m Ku-band transmit/receive antenna on the roof and linking this to an equipment rack on the 4th floor where AP has its offices. Apart from the antenna, the system comprises a Tandberg MPEG encoder and a pair of redundant 750W outdoor Xicom HPA controllers with built-in linearizers enabling it to simultaneously uplink multiple channels. The complete system can be remotely controlled from anywhere in the world.
This enhancement to our technical infrastructure demonstrates the APs commitment to providing customers with the material they require in the quickest possible time frame said Nick Evansky, APs Director of International Services & Technology.
Steve Burgess, Megahertzs technical director, adds: The system we have installed has multi-channel capability, which makes it future-proof.
13 October 2005
Since August 1, 2005 AXN (Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.) has been using RR Satellite Communications Ltd’s playout center for transmission of their 24 hour per day channel.
RRSat’s playout center was chosen after a rigorous selection process. RRSat’s playout center now transmits more than 60 TV channels 24 hours per day.
A partial list of the satellite company can be found at: http://rrsat.com/clients.php
13 October 2005
Christian Visions media arm, CVC, is increasing the number of broadcast hours on VT Communications digital AM transmission platform, which utilises Digital Radio MondialeTM (DRMTM) technology. Until recently, CVC were broadcasting one hour a week as part of VT Communications AM broadcast pilot service from the UK to Western Europe, which has now been running for over two years. CVCs new development sees transmissions from mainland Europe into the UK, resulting in an increase to 7 hours per week, highlighting CVCs commitment to DRM and the distribution capability offered by VT Communications.
The programming is being broadcast from transmission facilities in Western Europe reaching the whole of CVCs target market in the UK and demonstrates the exceptional coverage offered by the AM DRM technology platform, as well as the exceptional quality of reception that is now available. VT Communications has already demonstrated these benefits through its broadcast trials in the UK to CVC and other major commercial broadcasters including Classic Gold Digital and Virgin Rock.
Christian Visions Head of Engineering, Andrew Flynn said: DRM is an ideal platform for bringing additional digital radio content to the UK. As DRM-capable receivers emerge the time is right to make the popular CVC International English service available to listeners in UK. We have been delighted with the transmission quality and service reliability VT Communications has been able to deliver from mainland Europe.
CVC UK Pilot Transmission Schedule
Frequency Times Day
11815kHz 1000-1100UTC 7 days / week
About VT Communications
VT Communications is a leading critical communications services company at the forefront of new technology, providing innovative, totally managed end to end solutions and systems integration in over 100 countries from 29 locations to customers in the broadcast, defence and government sectors worldwide. VT Communications transmits over 1,000 hours of both short and medium wave broadcasts every day utilising its global network providing broadcasters with exceptional coverage of the worlds most populous regions. Broadcast customers include BBC World Service, NHK (Radio Japan), Radio Canada International, Radio Netherlands, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Voice of America. VT Communications is a founder member of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), a consortium of broadcast related organisations working to bring digital radio to the market place.
About CVC
CVC is the new name for the media arm of DRM Associate Member Christian Vision, which has been broadcasting with DRM in Europe since the inaugural broadcasts in June 2003 using the facilities of VT Communications. CVC International English replaces the services formerly known as Voice International and The Voice Africa. A new style of interactive radio, CVC blends all types of popular and Christian music, predominantly hip hop, rap and R n B, with engaging talk and features “All About Real Life.
The new CVC brand, which will launch officially in October 2005, brings together the six language streams currently being broadcasting globally by Christian Vision, plus additional media content. Christian Vision and its subsidiary companies operate studio and transmission facilities for CVC in UK, USA, Chile, Brazil, Zambia and Australia. More information can be found at www.cvc.tv
About DRM
DRM revitalises radio with clear, FM like audio quality and excellent reception, free from static fading and interference. While DRM currently covers short wave, medium wave/AM and long wave, the DRM consortium recently voted to begin the process of extending its system into the broadcasting bands up to 120 MHz. This will enhance the range of non proprietary, digital radio solutions offered worldwide by the DRM consortium and the World DAB Forum, which work together on projects of mutual interest. DRMs European commercial launch took place in September this year.
12 October 2005
GlobeCast announced today that it has signed an agreement to deliver Russian-language channel Planeta Sport to audiences in Europe via the Hot Bird satellite. GlobeCast WorldTV Americas premier international direct-to-home satellite television provider also announced today that it has added RTR-Planeta and Planeta Sport to its channel line-up in the United States.
GlobeCasts Hot Bird platform at 13°East delivers more than 98 million television homes across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East and 99% of cable operators in the region. In addition to Planeta Sport, other leading channels on the satellite include MTV, BBC, CNN, EuroNews, Bloomberg, TV Romania and TPS, among many others.
Planeta Sport provides premiere coverage of a wide range of international sports including the top Russian teams and athletes. From the Russian Premier League in football, ice hockey, basketball and volleyball, to the National Championships in billiards and rugby to gymnastics, figure skating and bowling, Planeta Sport includes everything for Russian sports enthusiasts.
In addition to distribution on Hot Bird in Europe, Planeta Sport and RTR-Planeta have also been added to GlobeCasts WorldTV DTH service in the United States. RTR-Planeta is an amalgamation of the best of RTRs leading channels Kultura and Rossiya and offers Russian-speaking viewers prime time news, made-for-television and feature films and documentaries as well as an array of general cultural programming. The channel helps viewers stay connected to Russian culture through a varied slate of programs about subjects such as history, art and theater.
Planeta Sport is downlinked to GlobeCasts teleport in London and uplinked to Hot Bird for distribution in Europe. For delivery on GlobeCast WorldTV, the two channels are downlinked at GlobeCasts teleports in Paris and London, and then are transported via the companys global fiber network to its facilities in Los Angeles for uplink to the Intelsat Americas 5 satellite for distribution across North America.
RTR is the leading Russian language broadcaster in the world. The company is comprised of two national television channels, Kultura and Rossiya; two national radio stations as well as 90 affiliated television and radio stations. More than 200 million viewers enjoy RTR programs.
GlobeCast WorldTV a subsidiary of satellite service provider GlobeCast is the leading source for international programming via satellite in America, delivering almost 150 market leading television and radio channels in 30 languages representing 40 countries from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, via Direct-to-Home KU-band satellite on Intelsat Americas 5.
11 October 2005
For MIPCOM 2005, the European Audiovisual Observatory has released the latest figures on national television fiction broadcast in the 5 largest territories in Europe, as elaborated by the EUROFICTION network
Production volume grows in Germany, the UK and Italy but declines in France and Spain
Contributions by private broadcasters on the increase and by public broadcasters in decline.
Overall domestic fiction volumes have risen
The supply of first-run domestic drama (co-productions included) on the unencrypted television channels of the five largest European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom) has slightly increased in 2004 with regards to the previous year. And since in 2003 there was a relevant and generalized quantitative fall in the programming of local fiction across Europe, this means that the downward trend of the European television industry has been halted, if not substantially reversed.
In actual fact, the total amount of 5513 hours broadcast by these 5 countries in 2004 marks an modest rise of just 133 hours (+ 2,5%) in comparison with 2003.
Italy, the UK and Germany on the increase, downswings elsewhere…
The downward trend seems to be halted and even reversed in some territories, but still continuing and even accelerating in others. Far from being homogeneous, the contemporary Eurofiction landscape is divided if not fractured into two main areas comprising Spain and France on the one hand, and Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany on the other.
A downward trend in Spain and France
1. The television industry in the first area is feeling the blow of arrested development. This is the case for Spain and France. Spanish fiction, which reached the peak of over 1300 hours in 2001, has consistently diminished year after year, falling to 932 hours in 2004 (minus 8,6% compared with 2003, and minus 29% compared with 2001). What is more, it is the drama commissioned by the public channels, which turns out to be most affected by the downward trend (155 hours lost from 2003 to 2004). As for France, the ups and downs of the related figures from 2000 on don’t disguise the substantial decrease, which, again in 2004, confirms French fiction as the “last in line” of European production, in terms of broadcast hours.
Germany, the UK and Italy on the up
2. The other territories are experiencing the thrust of renewed development. German fiction, although still remaining below the 1800 hours it was able to reach in 2000-2002, has pulled itself up from the decrease of the previous year thanks to an extra 50 hours. This has been made possible by the advent of domestically produced telenovelas, launched for the first time in 2004 by the public channel ZDF; given their success, the German telenovelas are destined to multiply, further boosting the fiction production of the strongest television industry in Europe.
Even more remarkable is the growth of Italian domestic drama, which increased by 85 hours (+13%) in 2004. Italy is the only country where all the quantity indicators (hours, titles, episodes) are on the increase, shortening the gap with the more established and mighty fiction factories of Germany and United Kingdom, and diverging by this progressive trend from the Spanish regression. Both Italy and Spain, almost starting from scratch, were the most dynamic television industries in Europe in the late nineties. Whereas Spain is weakening, Italy is still strengthening its production capacities, with the aim of achieving 1000 hours per year in the near future.
In the UK there has been a rise of 100 hours in drama supply (+ 7%), mainly due to the new digital channels BBC3 and BBC4.
Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom are the only countries in which the public channels have increased their programming of home-grown fiction. Even though the public broadcasters remain the principle commissioners and providers of domestic drama in Europe the balance of the share has slightly shifted toward the private channels in 2004: local fiction broadcast by the latter increased by 158 hours (from 39% in 2003 to 41% in 2004), whereas the serious decreases in the volume broadcast by the Spanish channels and other minor decreases in the UK traditional public channels and in France, together with the growth in volume broadcast by the private channels, have lowered the share of the public broadcasters from 61% to 59% of the whole output.
