Daystar Television, one of the largest religious broadcasters in the world, has today announced the launch of its network in High Definition (HD) on Sky, in the UK, which is supported by Arqiva’s Direct-to-Home satellite solution. This launch makes Daystar Television the first religious TV channel to launch an HD channel, on the Sky platform, in the UK.
Marcus Lamb, Founder and President Daystar Television Network says: “We wanted to make available to viewers watching faith based television on Sky, in the UK, the best viewing experience possible. Daystar is the first Christian Television Network to launch in HD (High Definition) on Sky. We feel that Daystar viewers will appreciate this enhanced HD viewing option.”
David Crawford, Managing Director, Satellite & Media commented: “We have worked with Daystar Television since their UK launch in 2011, and we are delighted to partner with RUM’s Media Service to help Daystar continue their growth in the UK, by launching Daystar HD on the Sky platform. Arqiva’s commitment to service excellence will ensure that we deliver the very best viewing experience to Daystar’s viewers.”
Broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Daystar Television is available on Sky Channel 583 after 4pm GMT on Monday 23 November, 2015.
The British government has announced that it proposes to provide a grant of £34m [US$51.42m] between 2016 and 17, and £85m a year from 2017-18 for the expansion of BBC World Service.
The BBC currently reaches 308 million people worldwide, and its goal is to reach 500 million people by 2022. The BBC World Service reaches into some of the most remote places in the world, providing a link to the UK for individuals and societies who would otherwise not have this opportunity. We will invest £85 million each year by 2017/18 in the BBC’s digital, TV and radio services around the world to build the global reach of the World Service and increase access to news and information.
BBC Director-General Tony Hall commented on the news: “I warmly welcome today’s announcement. It’s fantastic news.
“This new funding is the single biggest increase in the World Service budget ever committed by any government.
“The millions announced today will help the BBC deliver on our commitment to uphold global democracy through accurate, impartial and independent news reporting.
“The World Service is one of the UK’s most important cultural exports and one of our best sources of global influence. We can now further build on that. The funding will also help speed us on to our target of reaching half a billion people globally.”
The new funding will allow the BBC to develop a range of services, including:
Enhanced TV services for Africa
New radio services for audiences in North Korea; radio and digital services for Ethiopia and Eritrea
Additional language offers via digital and TV in India and Nigeria
More regionalised content to better serve audiences to the BBC Arabic Service
Dedicated TV output for Somalia and a fully digital service for Thailand
Enhanced digital and TV services for Russian speakers, both in Russia and surrounding communities
A video-led digital transformation of Languages services
To expand the impact and future-proof World Service English
The BBC took over the funding of BBC World Service – including all radio services and foreign language television services, but not BBC World News – in April 2014. It had previously been funded by a “grant-in-aid” from the British Foreign Office [Ministry].
Radio Taiwan International has been broadcasting since the 1920s. Now it’s moving into the future with increased online and video activities supplementing its traditional radio offering. AIB chief executive Simon Spanswick visited RTI’s headquarters and talked with the broadcaster’s President, Weber Lai.
We have been experiencing some difficulties with the AIB website as a result of migrating to a new server. We are working hard to correct the issues – please bear with us as we get everything back to normal.
MTG announced on 26 October that it had simultaneously signed and completed the sale of its Russian and international pay-TV channel businesses for a total consideration of 45.5m US dollars. The Russian channel business comprises factual, movie and sports channels, while the international channel business comprises pan-regional factual channels and the TV1000 movie channels.
These transactions do not include MTG’s other entertainment channels or platforms, or the global Trace pay-TV channels business. The businesses being sold generated combined revenues of 448m Swedish krona [US $52.8m] and operating profits of 102m krona for the first nine months of 2015.
Sabiero Holdings Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the international private equity firm Baring Vostok, has acquired MTG’s international channels business, and Russian company LLC Sinerdzhi has acquired the Russian channels business.
Irina Gofman, MTG executive vice president and CEO of the acquired businesses (pictured left), will be responsible for these businesses under the new ownership, and the existing management teams and employees will also stay with the acquired businesses under the new ownership.
“The sale has been made necessary by the changes in the Russian laws regarding foreign ownership of mass media that were announced last year and come into effect from the beginning of next year. We have undertaken a thorough review of the options available to us in this context and to seek the best possible outcome for the stakeholders in the businesses and MTG as a whole.
“I want to thank all of our talented and loyal colleagues who have contributed so much to the remarkable growth of these operations that we launched. We wish you the very best for the future and look forward to further success together as we continue to carry the channels on our various pay-TV platforms.
“These transactions and the agreement announced by CTC Media aim to conclude our act! ions to comply with the new Russian laws. Our total cash income from our 123m dollars of cash investments in Russia since 2001 would then be approximately 770m dollars and equivalent to a cash return of more than five times our investment.” – Jorgen Madsen Lindemann, MTG president and CEO
A preliminary accounting and non-cash gain of approximately 40m krona will be reported as a non-recurring item in MTG’s Q4 and full year 2015 results as a result of these transactions announced today. The effects of the CTC Media transactions are separately reported in the “discontinued operations” lines of MTG’s accounts.
AIB Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented to Larry King
Television legend and news icon Larry King is to be honoured with the presentation of the inaugural Association for International Broadcasting Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Award will be presented on 4 November 2015 during the 11th AIBs, the annual awards for factual television, radio and online productions at LSO St Luke’s in London.
Throughout his career King has interviewed the most prominent newsmakers in politics, as well as hundreds of celebrities and sports men and women. One of the best-known faces on news television in the world, he continues to delight audiences with his inimitable style and is set to return to UK screens with the launch of two shows on RT UK later this month – Larry King Now and Politicking with Larry King, developed specifically for RT.
“Larry King has been one of the most influential people in news television for the past three decades, and in radio for over 50 years,” said Simon Spanswick, chief executive of the AIB. “Larry is known across the world, thanks to his eponymous TV show that ran for 25 years on CNN and that’s now on RT Channel, Ora TV and Hulu. In recognition of his remarkable career on radio and television, and his extraordinary impact on the news industry, the Association for International Broadcasting is honoured to welcome Larry to London to present him with our inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.”
With his trademark braces (or suspenders, as they are known in North America) making him instantly recognisable everywhere in the world, it is King’s curiosity and compassion that has brought the best from his interviewees, whether president or pop star. He has interviewed every US president since Richard Nixon, world leaders such as Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Vladimir Putin, and pop stars from Paul McCartney to Lady Gaga.
King holds the world record for the longest-running television show hosted by the same person on the same network and in the same time slot – Larry King Live on CNN. The show launched in June 1985 and ran until December 2010. He’s quoted as saying that he has “never brought my opinions to the show”, as “I never learnt anything while I was talking”. Instead, he coaxes information from his guests through a non-confrontational style that allows them to be centre stage and perhaps reveal more than they might have intended.
King’s career started in radio as a morning DJ in 1957 in Miami Beach on WAHR where he doubled as an afternoon newscaster and sports reporter. In 1978, he began a nationwide night-time show on Mutual Broadcasting System, mixing a single 90-minute interview with a phone-in.
BBC Director-General Tony Hall commented on the news: “I warmly welcome today’s announcement. It’s fantastic news.
