1 June 2004
From 1 June Kingston inmedia, one of the industrys leading communications service providers, will trade simply as Inmedia. The change follows the leveraged buyout in April 2004 by management and The Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm. The focus of the name change is business and brand continuity. Inmedia will continue to deliver broadcast, enterprise and carrier solutions for content owners, programme makers, broadcasters, corporations, carriers and ISPs using satellite and terrestrial technologies.
It really is business as usual for those who work at Inmedia and in the past few weeks since the acquisition weve had lots of positive feedback from the industry and our customers. We chose to stay with the Inmedia name as we feel it is very relevant to all aspects of our business. In all fairness a lot of our customers and partners have called us Inmedia for some time now and we wanted to make sure that they know they can expect the same high levels of service and product innovation that they have become used to, says Nick Thompson, Chief Executive of Inmedia.
1 June 2004
On 1 June DW Director General Erik Bettermann welcomed the international broadcasters first nine foreign language trainees who, over the next year, will learn their bi-media journalistic trade at the DW Academy and eventually join DWs foreign language services in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Dari, Farsi, Hindi and Kiswahili. The nine trainees were chosen from over 200 applicants.
28 May 2004
On 31 May Radio Australia and Radio New Zealand International will join forces to bring the best of regional news and current affairs coverage to Pacific listeners. The joint initiative between the two regional broadcasters is part of a wider Pacific Radio Initiative under which several Pacific public radio broadcasters will soon exchange radio programmes via satellite. The planned programme exchange will enable Pacific listeners to hear debates and discussion programmes from around the region on their local stations.
Radio Australia will start broadcasting RNZIs flagship daily Pacific current affairs programme Dateline Pacific following its respected Pacific Beat programme every weekday morning. RNZIs Dateline Pacific will be broadcast on Radio Australias shortwave, satellite and FM services as part of its breakfast service to the Asia/Pacific region at 7.30 8.00 a.m. PNG Time (9.30-10.00 a.m. Suva) from Monday to Friday. The programme will be preceded by a RNZI Pacific regional news bulletin.
RA Head Jean-Gabriel Manguy says Radio Australia and Radio New Zealand International will bring together a unique service to Pacific audiences, drawing on their respective strengths in their independent coverage of regional affairs. RA and RNZI are opening the way to a new era of regional cooperation among public broadcasters to the benefit of Pacific audiences.” RNZI Manager Linden Clark says she is delighted to be able to work more closely with RA and looks forward to delivering Dateline Pacific to new audiences, through a greater range of outlets.
28 May 2004
As announced earlier this month, Jeremy C. Wensinger has been named president of the Broadcast Communications Division. In addition, Harris has announced the leadership team for five new business units: Broadcast Networking and Government Solutions, Europe Broadcast Systems, Television Broadcast Systems, Radio Broadcast Systems, and Broadcast Automation Solutions.
Jim Denny has been promoted to vice president of Broadcast Networking and Government Solutions. This new business unit is responsible for product development, product management, manufacturing, sales and strategic marketing for the Intraplex and NetVX(tm) product lines. In addition, this new business unit will identify additional opportunities in commercial content distribution markets where mission-critical communications networks are needed, and will support the U.S. Government segment.
David G. Stephenson joins the Broadcast Communications Division as vice president, Europe Broadcast Systems. Stephenson will be based at the company’s operation in Huntingdon, UK. Europe Broadcast Systems is responsible for development, management, manufacturing, sales and strategic marketing in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region for radio and television transmitters and related products, systems, and services. The business also will focus on increasing Harris’ market share in other parts of the world where European-standard products are required.
Denny and Stephenson join current Harris senior managers who will head the three remaining business units:
Dale B. Mowry assumes the position of vice president, Television Broadcast Systems. He is responsible for product development, product management, manufacturing, sales and strategic marketing for U.S.-standard television transmitters and related products, systems, and services.
Debra Huttenburg assumes the position of vice president, Radio Broadcast Systems. She is responsible for product development, product management, manufacturing, worldwide sales and strategic marketing for U.S.-standard radio products. She also will be in charge of radio and television sales in the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific regions.
Jim Woods will continue to serve as vice president, Broadcast Automation Solutions, which is located in Sunnyvale, Calif., with responsibility for the design, development, sales, strategic marketing and technical support of all Harris broadcast software applications worldwide.
25 May 2004
The British Broadcasting Corporations Board of Governors has concluded its process to select a BBC Director-General by appointing Mark Thompson.
The decision was unanimous. In considering the requirements of the role, the Governors sought a candidate with unquestionable public service credentials and commitment to the BBC’s editorial mission. They also required a candidate with the qualities to lead the BBC successfully through the Charter review process.
Speaking on behalf of the Board, BBC Chairman Michael Grade said: “We were impressed by Mark Thompson’s analysis of the challenges facing the BBC, and by his track record. We concluded that he was the right person to lead the BBC at this important period in its history. All the Governors wish to place on record their immense gratitude to Mark Byford for his outstanding stewardship of the BBC over the last few difficult months.”
Thompson returns to the BBC following two years at Channel 4. He originally joined the BBC in 1979, rising to become director of television, and effectively number two to Dyke. His move to Channel 4 was seen as an acceptance of the need to gain experience in the commercial sector before returning to the BBC as Dyke’s successor. Dyke’s sudden resignation in the wake of the Hutton Enquiry created such a vacancy earlier than anticipated.
25 May 2004
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA), today took new steps to stamp out pay-TV piracy in Hong Kong, issuing “cease and desist letters” to a number of bars and clubs in Hong Kong screening pay-TV services without legal pay-TV subscriptions.
Following a High Court ruling and support from the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) this new action aims to combat Pay-TV signal piracy across the SAR. If these venues fail to immediately discontinue screening pay-TV programming without obtaining legitimate subscriptions to licensed pay-TV services they are liable to further legal proceedings in the High Court of Hong Kong.
The cease and desist letters were issued in parallel with the launch of a “pay-TV piracy awareness” campaign, under which CASBAA will issue letters to 300 bars and clubs in Hong Kong putting them on notice of what constitutes the legal and illegal screening of pay-TV services.
Under Hong Kong law bars and clubs may only display pay-TV channels, such as ESPN or STAR Sports, under an appropriate subscription from a Hong Kong licensed pay-TV operator such as Hong Kong Cable Television Limited (i-Cable). Other pay-TV operators such as UBC of Thailand, Multichoice of South Africa and Dream of the Philippines are not authorised to offer subscriptions in Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, besides Hong Kong Cable Television (i-Cable), the licensed pay TV operators are PCCW (NOW), Yes TV and Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting (ExTV), all of whom are members of CASBAA.
Simon Twiston Davies, the CEO of CASBAA, said the pay-TV piracy awareness letters and cease and desist letters to the bars and clubs are part of a wider campaign to raise awareness of pay-TV piracy in Hong Kong and across the region. “Pay-TV signal piracy is a major issue for the broadcasting industry in Hong Kong. In October 2003, it was estimated that the gross cost associated with pay-TV signal piracy in Hong Kong amounted to approximately US$27 million (HK$210 million) over a 12-month period. We are all committed to improving this dire situation so the public is ultimately served with a wider choice and better programming. If these vast sums are stolen from the value chain, investment will fall and programming standards will decline.”
