5 February 2004
Harris Corporation recently completed the fourth in a series of DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) digital radio demonstrations over the medium wave broadcast band for officials at Guang Dong Radio, Zhu Hai, China. Guang Dong Radio runs 80 radio stations, and serves more than 60 million listeners in southern China. An existing Harris DX 10 medium wave AM radio transmitter was converted to DRM for the nine-day digital broadcast demonstration at the Zhu Hai transmission site.
The tests demonstrate the cost effectiveness and ease of conversion to high-quality DRM performance for Harris DX(R) MW radio transmitters. According to Don Spragg, director of high-power radio and programmes for Harris Corporation’s Broadcast Communications Division, Harris’ DX series AM transmitters can be prepared for DRM transmission in an easy, one-hour upgrade session.
Harris has the largest installed base of DRM-ready, AM transmitters with more than 1,000 DX series, solid-state Medium Wave AM radio transmitters installed worldwide. DRM field-testing has been completed on DX transmitters from power levels of 10-kilowatts to 200-kilowatts.
Harris Corporation is a member of the AIB.
5 February 2004
BBC Technology announced The Press Association (PA) as its latest Media Communications customer, joining the growing number of broadcast organisations – including Globecast, BBC News, EBU, Sky, TVNZ and MTV – to use its London Media Gateway. The Press Association will use BBC Technology’s London Media Gateway for ad hoc distribution of its television news and sports footage. PA will also use the service to distribute BBC television news material to broadcasters outside the UK from the day of transmission.
BBC Technology’s London Media Gateway, part of the company’s Media Communications services, is a fully resilient fibre ring in London that enables the London broadcast community to exchange content and access BBC and EBU feeds, as well as to access international gateways and BBC Technology’s teleports at London and Brookmans Park.
29 January 2004
BBC Director General Greg Dyke’s departure came 20 hours after BBC Chairman Gavyn Davies resigned in the wake of Lord Huttons damning verdict.
Both quit after parts of Andrew Gilligan’s BBC reports of claims Downing Street “sexed up” a dossier on Iraq’s illegal weapons were branded “unfounded” by Lord Hutton.
Leaving after four years in his post, Mr Dyke said his position had been compromised by Lord Hutton’s criticisms of BBC management.
Mr Dyke’s deputy, Mark Byford, has been appointed as acting director general until a successor is chosen.
The departure of both the BBC chairman and director general comes amid growing calls for the BBC to come under outside regulation. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said the Hutton report would be taken into account in the 2006 review of the BBC’s charter.
28 January 2004
A range of companies involved in international broadcasting have joined the Association for International Broadcasting this month.
Harris Corporation, the major supplier of systems and services to customers in more than 125 countries, has enrolled as a Gold Member of the Association.
Philippines broadcaster ABN-CBN, Germany’s international multimedia company Deutsche Welle, Britain’s ITN International and Television New Zealand have each become AIBCorporate Members.
“We’re delighted to welcome all these new members to the AIB,” comments Simon Spanswick, Chief Executive of the Association. “As the AIB gains new members, the strength of the organisation increases, providing benefits to each company that belongs to the Association. The range and depth of AIB services is increasing, from our market intelligence bulletins to our lobbying activity. We welcome the support of these new member companies and our existing members.”
28 January 2004
It is with great sadness that the AIB announces that Tom Walters, one of the co-founders of the Association, passed away on 4th December after a long battle against illness.
Tom Walters joined the AIB after leaving the BBC where he had worked since the early 1960s. He oversaw much of the AIB’s day-to-day administration until ill health forced him to take a less active role in the organisation.
In recent months, Tom had been working on the newsgathering and intelligence research, and was contributing news up until 2nd December.
The AIB sends its sympathies to his wife, Liz, and to Tom’s children.
28 January 2004
Gavyn Davies, the BBC’s chairman, has resigned after the Hutton Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of British government scientist Dr David Kelly heavily criticised the public broadcaster.
Davies’ resignation comes after Lord Hutton said the suggestion in BBC reports that the government “sexed up” its dossier on Iraq’s weapons with unreliable intelligence was “unfounded”.
In his resignation statement, Davies said the people at the top of organisations should accept responsibility for their actions.
“I have been brought up to believe that you cannot choose your own referee, and that the referee’s decision is final,” he said.
Davies questioned whether what Lord Hutton described as “bald conclusions” on the dossier’s production could be reconciled with the balance of the inquiry’s evidence.
The Report, available on the Hutton Inquiry website, runs to more than 700 pages. It appears to have cleared the British Prime Minister of any blame in the events leading up to the death of Dr Kelly.
In a move designed to improve systems within the BBC, Mark Byford – director of BBC World Service and Global News – was appointed the Corporation’s Deputy Director General in December with responsibility for complaint handling.
