5 August 2004
The BBC has joined forces with Cosmote, Greeces leading telecommunications company, and the Greek media group, Imako Media S. A. to launch its international news content and breaking news alerts on the new i-mode platform for mobile phones in Greece. Starting in August, the BBC news headlines and summaries, in Greek and English, along with breaking news alerts in English will be displayed on an i-mode platform hosted by the Greek mobile operator, Cosmote and provided by Imako Media S.A.
The BBC content has been made available to the i-mode subscribers in Greece following an agreement with Imako Media S.A. The BBC site is added to the list of sites in i-modes News/Weather category provided in Greece exclusively by Cosmote.
Head of BBC World Service Business Development Miles Palmer welcomed the development as a step forward toward an even more innovative and comprehensive Internet mobile service for Greece: The BBC has a lot to offer to mobile phone subscribers in Greece. Through i-mode we will be able to provide them with breaking news alerts and distinctive, authoritative, reliable and impartial news and current affairs content, updated every five minutes, 24 hours a day, in Greek and English.
5 August 2004
PanAmSat Corporation has appointed Mike Antonovich as executive vice president of global sales and marketing. In this role, Mr. Antonovich will continue to lead the company’s global sales and marketing programme which includes: programme distribution, broadcast contribution, telecommunications and networking services.
Since joining PanAmSat in 1989 as a manager of broadcast services, Mr. Antonovich has served in a wide variety of senior leadership positions including in North American sales, Pacific Ocean Region sales, global sales and most recently, assumed the responsibility of leading the Company’s marketing initiatives worldwide, serving as senior vice president of global sales and marketing.
Prior to his tenure with PanAmSat, Mr. Antonovich worked for Group W Satellite Communications and the ESPN sports network in a variety of production, post-production and operations positions. His experience in the broadcast and satellite industries spans over 25 years.
5 August 2004
Germanys international broadcaster Deutsche Welle announced in July that the Canadian Radio and TV Commission (CRTC) has approved DWs application for a licence to transmit GERMAN TV in Canada. GERMAN TV is currently negotiating with several Canadian cable and satellite providers to bring the best of public service TV to German-speaking households in Canada. GERMAN TV is a joint initiative of ARD, ZDF and DW. At present, the 24 hour programme is available in the US, Chile, Mexico and Brasil.
5 August 2004
Citing the “promising initiatives” of U.S. international broadcasting in the Arab world, Iran and Afghanistan, the bi-partisan panel investigating the September 11, 2001 attacks called for increased funding for those efforts. “The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has asked for much larger resources,” the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States said in its report. “It should get them.”
On page 377 of its report, the 9/11 commission made the following recommendation: “Recognizing that Arab and Muslim audiences rely on satellite television and radio, the government has begun some promising initiatives in television and radio broadcasting to the Arab world, Iran, and Afghanistan. These efforts are beginning to reach large audiences.”
Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, chairman of the BBG, the independent federal agency that oversees all U.S. international broadcasting, said of the report’s recommendations, “We believe that the people of the Middle East and elsewhere are best served by providing them the truth. That’s what our broadcasting does.”
Currently, the BBG’s annual budget of more than $550 million goes to broadcasts around the world through various entities, including the Voice of America (VOA); Alhurra television and Radio Sawa, Arabic-language broadcasts; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Radio Free Asia (RFA.)
Since 9/11, the BBG has taken steps to dramatically increase its broadcasting to key areas.
The Middle East: Alhurra, a new satellite television channel launched in February 2004, is aimed at Arabic-speaking viewers in 22 countries across the Middle East. Radio Sawa, a 24/7 station, has garnered large audiences of young people in the region with its mix of news, information and Western and Arabic music.
Iran: Radio Farda, a youth-oriented, 24/7 radio, covers news about Iran, along with entertainment and features. It is a joint project of VOA and RFE/RL. VOA-TV launched a successful, daily, Persian-language show, News and Views, broadcast to audiences by satellite. Additionally, VOA has a Persian service and two other weekly television shows.
Afghanistan: Audiences in that country are able to listen to a 24-hour stream of news, information and other programs in Dari and Pashto. These are run by the VOA and Radio Free Afghanistan, which is part of RFE/RL. Additionally, the BBG arranged for two medium-wave transmitters to be installed in Kabul – one for the BBG, the other for Afghanistan to help bolster its media.
Pakistan: The VOA recently expanded its Urdu service to 12 hours daily to reach more Urdu-speaking listeners in Pakistan and parts of India.
3 August 2004
OmniBus Systems, provider of comprehensive automation and asset management solutions to the broadcast industry, has released a major new version of its leading large-scale, multichannel, multidelivery automation and control system. The new Colossus Version 3 combines the proven multichannel architecture of the core Colossus automation system with the modular flexibility of OmniBus G3 technology. The result is a system able to control an unlimited number of channels, items, or devices — all through customizable desktop-based user interfaces — to provide new levels of efficiency and flexibility to today’s large-scale broadcast operations.
“Colossus Version 3 bridges the gap between video, audio, Internet, and
data-streaming applications, just as earlier Colossus systems have, while
also providing broadcasters with flexible user interface and device control options that bring greater functionality to facilities of all types and sizes,” said Mike Oldham, CEO of OmniBus. “Through the use of modular control components that address virtually every device and process involved in media ingest, monitoring, playout, and management, Colossus gives operators precise access to and control over the specific areas of media and data necessary to perform their jobs efficiently.”
Colossus’ customizable G3 Desktop component features a highly intuitive
user interface with a timeline-based display that allows a single operator
to monitor the status of all channels at a glance and to focus in on any
single stream, confirm its data, and drive it in the traditional manner
should the schedule require it. Operators also have the ability to preview and adjust programme junctions ahead of time, inserting sophisticated visual and audio effects where necessary. Dynamic master control elements reflect the properties of each scheduled event. New revenue opportunities for OmniBus’ customers can be developed thanks to the flexibility and expandability built into Colossus Version 3.
3 August 2004
GlobeCast, a leading global satellite services company, has begun distributing Algerian television station Canal Algerie as well as radio stations Chaîne 1 and Chaîne 3 via multiple satellites, expanding the networks coverage over Africa and the Middle East via GlobeCasts C-band Direct-to-Home and cable distribution platform on NSS-7, and over North America via the GlobeCast WorldTV DTH platform on Intelsat Americas 5 (IA-5).
Originating in Algiers, Canal Algérie, Chaîne 1 and Chaîne 3 currently broadcast on NSS-7 Ku-band through Télédiffusion d’Algérie. GlobeCasts C-band platform offers expanded coverage of the entire African Continent as well as the Middle East and allows the Algerian broadcaster to reach not only additional DTH viewers, but also cable headends across the region. GlobeCast receives the Canal Algerie feed at its technical operations center in Paris where it integrates the channel into GlobeCasts NSS-7 multiplex.
Simultaneously, GlobeCast feeds the signal via fiber to its New York teleport for insertion into the GlobeCast WorldTV DTH platform on Intelsat Americas 5. This Ku-band service allows Canal Algérie, Chaîne 1 and Chaîne 3 to reach homes across the continent, as part of the fastest-growing international broadcasting community on American satellite.
Canal Algérie, Chaîne 1 and Chaîne 3 are owned by Algerias national television group, ENTV. Launched in 1994, Canal Algérie is a general programming channel, offering a range of programming that brings together news, culture, sports and entertainment for Algerian communities worldwide. Canal Algérie also makes a particular effort to reach out to viewers abroad who are interested in the current political and economic situation in Algeria.
