12 May 2004
Harris Corporation has appointed Jeremy C. Wensinger as president of the company’s Broadcast Communications Division. Wensinger had been serving as vice president and general manager of Harris Technical Services Corporation, which is part of Harris’ Government Communications Systems Division.
“Jeremy has been instrumental in guiding the rapid growth of our Technical Services business to nearly $200 million in revenue through successful pursuits and the award of new programs,” said Howard L. Lance, chairman and CEO. “He positioned Harris as a leading provider of critical mission support and IT services for government customers. In his new position with our Broadcast business, he brings exceptional leadership skills to one of Harris’ most dynamic commercial businesses. He will be building upon a new organization structure to more effectively serve our broadcast customers and markets.”
Wensinger joined Harris’ Government Communications Systems Division in 1989 and has held increasingly responsible assignments in finance and program management. He was named vice-president and general manager of Harris’ Technical Services business in 1999. Wensinger received a B.S. degree in finance from Bowling Green State University and an M.B.A. from the University of South Florida.
Larry W. Whitfield has been named president of Harris Technical Services Corporation, succeeding Wensinger. Whitfield had been vice president/general manager of Strategic Management and Business Development for Harris’ Government Communications Systems Division.
12 May 2004
The City of Tampere has started digital TV services as the first city in Finland. The Digital TV portal offers news, an event calendar, local bus timetables and web cameras over the city. Sofia Digital has been responsible for the UI Design and the technical implementation.
The project has been carried out in cooperation with Tampere Cable Company as part of their MHP deployment project. The city of Tampere is currently preparing a similar service on the Finnish Terrestrial Network to reach viewers outside cable networks.
The digital TV portal of Tampere is based on Sofia Stage XHTML Browser. The content for the services is delivered from existing content management systems and the updates to broadcast stream are automated. The return channel is also in use in some services, for example searching timetables for bus lines.
10 May 2004
Radio Aap ki Dunyaa, a new Urdu-language service of the Voice of America (VOA) began transmitting 12 hours a day today, providing millions of Pakistanis and other Urdu-speakers in India and the diaspora with news, information and entertainment.
Aap ki Dunyaa – “Your World” in English – features 10-minute newscasts twice an hour during prime time, and hourly newscasts throughout the night, with in-depth coverage of events affecting South Asia and the world; features on topics such as health, education, and political issues; call-in shows; roundtable discussions; and a mix of Pakistani, Indian, and Western music. With its combination of news and features, about half of Aap ki Dunyaa’s unique programming consists of information. The program runs from 7 p.m.-7 a.m. Pakistan time.
“We’re delighted we’re able to provide balanced and accurate news and to help promote a better understanding of the United States in such an important part of the world,” said Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors which supervises all U.S. nonmilitary international broadcasting, including VOA.
Steven J. Simmons, the BBG member who has spearheaded creation of Aap ki Dunyaa, said, “With this station, we are reaching out to millions of listeners primarily between the ages of 15 and 39. We want to interact with our listeners and to let them learn more about us while we learn about them. We’ll be using the latest research techniques to make sure this station becomes part of our listeners’ lives.”
Aap ki Dunyaa will be staffed by 27 people in Washington as well as a network of more than 15 stringers in Pakistan, India and North America. Dr. Brian Q. Silver is chief of the service. All staffers from the original VOA Urdu Service are now part of the Aap ki Dunyaa team.
The station will be distributed on a medium wave (AM) signal that reaches millions of listeners in Pakistan and northeast India. It can be found at 972 kHz. It will also be broadcast for three hours on shortwave (7 to 8 p.m., 10 to 11 p.m., and 6 to 7 a.m. Pakistan time). It will be carried for 12 hours on digital audio satellite and via the Internet. Internet enhancements will be phased in, providing audience interaction through e-mail, and texts of selected feeds, interviews, and other programs of interest to the listening audience.
10 May 2004
VT Merlin has launched two new weekly digital streams, bringing the benefits of Digital Radio MondialeTM (DRMTM) to a number of its most important international broadcast customers.
This new service ‘vtdigital’ features news and general programming from broadcasters compiled into a stream, interspersed with informative continuity announcements. Two streams are broadcast, one on Friday and one on Saturday on 9770 kHz. They are carried from VT Merlin’s Rampisham site in the UK on digital short wave into Central Europe in near FM quality. Broadcasters including Radio New Zealand International, Radio Australia, Radio Japan (NHK), Radio Taiwan International and Radio France International have joined and are keen to experience the benefits of the DRM system and range of services offered by VT Merlin.
These streams complement the highly successful Sunday stream based on religious programming, which began in February 2004.
Peter Gordon, VT Merlin’s Head of Digitalisation commented: “We are very proud to have brought some of the world’s leading international broadcasters together onto our DRM platform in an innovative way. Their commitment to DRM is a major boost for this new broadcast technology. We look forward to growing and expanding the stream concept over the coming months”. VT Merlin is a founder member of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), a consortium of broadcast related organisations working to bring digital AM radio to the market place.
10 May 2004
Following a new distribution agreement with Portugals biggest cable and satellite operator, TV Cabo, Extreme Sports Channel launched in Portugal on 8 May. This latest major platform deal opens up a new country for Extreme, making 53 in total. Portuguese is now the tenth language in which the channel is available.
Extreme launches in Portugal in grand style with live coverage of one of Europe’s biggest extreme sports events, the Lisbon Downtown mountain bike race. This race through Alfama, the old town of Lisbon, is also expected to draw in at least twenty thousand live spectators to see the world’s best mountain bikers battling it out on Saturday.
This is the latest European launch for the channel, following the conclusion of deals with a number of networks including 27 new deals in Poland, 12 in Romania, 20 in the Ukraine and several others in Croatia and Slovenia.
Extreme Sports Channel is the world’s first television channel totally dedicated to the world’s fastest growing participatory sports and the music, fashion and way of life that accompanies them. The channel was launched in 1999 and is now available in 53 countries across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. It transmits in 10 languages and broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to nearly 18 million households.
6 May 2004
Athens Broadcast Services partners, represented by GlobeCast, Gearhouse Broadcast and Stefi Productions, announced today that leading international broadcasters have selected the Athens Broadcast Base 2004 for their Olympics coverage. These broadcasters include: Sky News, Sky Sports News, ITN (ITV3 News) and Reuters from the UK; 9 Network Australia; Italian group Mediaset and global news network CNN.
The state-of-the-art Broadcast Base launched in May last year by GlobeCast, the global satellite transmissions provider, Gearhouse Broadcast, the equipment rental, sales & project solutions company, and Greek production company Stefi Productions offers non-rights holders a one-stop-shop for all of their production and broadcast requirements, including studios, work space, broadcast equipment, worldwide satellite transmissions, uplinking facilities, playout, conversion, encoding and mobile SNG facilities. It is located in central Athens, just 400 metres from the Olympic Stadium and the IBC, and features premium stand-up positions overlooking historical backdrops emphasising the return of the Olympics to their original Greek home.
High Definition equipment will be available for rental from the facility, including LDK 6000 cameras, Sony HDW-F900/HDW-750P camcorders, Sony HDW-F500 VTR’s, a full range of Canon HD lenses, Leitch routers and Grass Valley vision mixers. The Broadcast Base will also offer the latest technology on the market including the XDCAM range for rental incorporating Professional Disc technology launched by Sony including the PDW-530P camcorder, PDW-V1, PDW-1500 & PDW-3000 decks.
