17 September 2003
BBC Post Production is to launch a facility to cater for factual and learning programming in November 2003. The facility will provide both BBC and external production teams with more flexibility in their post production workflows, enabling more streamlined ways of working and potential cost savings, all within a newly designed, comfortable and inspiring environment.
The facility will allow production teams to use new working methods including direct to online editing. Fourteen Avid Media Composer Adrenaline systems are being installed which feature new technology that allows material to be ingested from different formats and mixed on the same timeline. Production teams will have the flexibility to choose to either edit at online resolution or use the traditional offline-conform-online editing route.
In addition, the system offers enhanced effects capabilities, including the ability to animate multiple layers as well as a draft mode to easily preview and refine the final look. The Adrenalines will be linked to the Avid Unity MediaNetwork system allowing teams to work simultaneously on the same material. With an initial storage capacity of 5.7 Terrabytes, production teams will be able to keep their programmes as current as possible.
17 September 2003
Kingston Communications started life as a humble telephone company in the English town of Hull. For a time the company rode high on the technology boom, and spawned numerous divisions. Among these was the business-to-business division which has had a considerable impact on international broadcasting
But all of a sudden, CEO Steve Maine resigned after six years in the saddle, with no reason is given. Malcolm Fallen, who has been Chief Financial Officer of the Group since January 2001, took over.
The word from the company was that trading overall was “within the range of current market expectations”. But it warned the performance of its business-to-business telecoms division was “considerably below our earlier expectations”. Kingston will report its interim results on 25 November 2003.
Chairman, Michael Abrahams said, “Kingston Communications is a strong business in which we have made a substantial investment, supported by an experienced, committed team. “We are confident that Malcolm Fallen, Group CFO, has the skills, knowledge and energy to provide the leadership to initiate this renewed drive. We are grateful for the contribution Steve Maine has made to the development of the Group, and we wish him well for future.”
17 September 2003
Security of content is becoming a vital issue, and at IBC 2003, Tandberg Television demonstrated how it can add this element to its iTTV delivery platform. As more and more Telcos and network operators look to deliver video-centric services such as subscription TV and video on demand over their DSL and FTTH broadband networks, the need for security grows.
Increasingly, network operators are recognising that in addition to their own need to protect their revenue streams through encryption, they are required to be able to demonstrate a secure network to content owners to attract high value programming such as movies and sports.
Visitors to Tandbergs IBC stand saw conditional access (CA) systems from Conax, Latens and Widevine working in tandem with the company’s complete TV over IP head-end package. In addition, Tandberg showed how it plans to integrate its TV over IP system with other leading CA vendors, including VideoGuard from NDS, the world’s most widely deployed TV content protection system.
16 September 2003
Convened by ESOA (European Satellite Operators Association) and SIA (Satellite Industry Association) chief executives and senior representatives from member satellite operators met in Paris to discuss the critical role satellites can play in meeting the needs of the Information Society.
This first session of the two associations, whose member operators reach the four corners of the globe, focussed on how satellites can serve the broadband needs of businesses, individuals and communities in developing and developed nations. Broadband objectives in different countries that call for universal access to high-speed networks within the next five years can only be met if satellites are a contributing technology, particularly for rural communities and for developing countries.
The CEOs underlined the need for ESOA and the SIA to work together on building improved awareness of how satellite communications provide enormous public benefits.
16 September 2003
ND SatCom AG, an AIB member and a leading global supplier of satellite based broadband VSAT, broadcast and military communication network and ground station solutions, introduced at IBC 2003 its new SkyWAN Compact solution. With this new product ND SatCom expands its model family from the high end VSAT market with fully meshed networks to comprehensive but lower priced star-topology VSAT solutions.
The SkyWAN Compact package combines SkyWAN IDU 2000 with the low-power Radio Frequency Transmitter family in a highly integrated and compact format solution. SkyWAN IDU 2000 is a derivative of ND SatComs flagship the SkyWAN IDU 5000. It is based on the same technology platform. This slim version is offered off-the-shelf in star topology configuration. Seamless integration into SkyWAN networks is possible.
SkyWAN is a highly flexible and versatile VSAT system for establishing wide area corporate networks whilst providing IP router and frame relay switch functionality. Thus a wide variety of end-user business communication applications are supported in a manner as yet
unparalleled in the industry.
16 September 2003
George Soros, the international financier and media philanthropist, and Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, the retiring director general of the World Health Organisation, and former prime minister of Norway, will address delegates at this years News Xchange conference in Budapest on 6-7 November.
George Soros has spent tens of millions of dollars supporting free and independent media in post-conflict countries..
Dr. Brundtlands keynote will focus on the the role the media play in covering health crises prior to an exhaustive study into the medias role in covering the SARS crisis as well as other health pandemics.
