RRsat launches new platform for the Iberian market on Hispasat

28 January 2010

RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd., a rapidly growing provider of comprehensive content management and global distribution services to the television and radio broadcasting industries, announced today that it has launched a new platform for the distribution of Spanish and Portuguese language content into European markets over the Hispasat 1D satellite. The Spanish-language version of Moscow-based news channelRussia Today (RT) is RRsat’s first customer for distribution through this platform.

“The European Spanish and Portuguese audience in Europe is an important demographic and we are providing a platform in cooperation with the satellite operator HISPASAT for content providers to tap into this market,” commented David Rivel, Founder and CEO of RRsat Global Communications Network. “We are already experiencing interest from potential customers as well as our existing customer base, and we believe we will experience growing demand for this particular service. The launch of this service is continued testimony that we remain attentive to our customer needs and intend to continue to build services to satisfy their distribution requirements.”

“The HISPASAT Group is proud to cooperate with RRsat in this project,” commented Miguel Angel Redondo Ugena, Commercial & Services Director of Hispasat. “HISPASAT, the Spanish satellite operator is already the seventh company in the world as regards income in its sector and is the leader in the broadcasting and distribution of contents in Spanish and Portuguese, with
more than 1,100 radio and television channels, including the contents of important digital
platforms of Direct to Home Television (DTH) and High Definition Television (HDTV), both in
Europe and in America. The Group leads also 3D TV projects with which the company tries to bring this new three-dimensional system to our homes, researching the technical possibility of creating live audiovisual productions with this technology”.

1GOAL's Education for All campaign supported by AIB

27 January 2010

Broadcast Media and Football Join Forces to Stamp out Illiteracy among the World’s Children

Media industry body AIB lends active support to the 1GOAL campaign in the run-up to the first FIFA World Cup in Africa

London, UK, 21 January 2010 – The Association for International Broadcasting (AIB), the global knowledge network for the international broadcasting industry, announced today that it has joined the growing number of active supporters and partners for the 1GOAL initiative which aims to get an education for the 75 million children around the world who are currently missing out on school.

1GOAL is working with footballers, celebrities, governments and broadcasters to deliver a lasting legacy from the 2010 FIFA World Cup taking place in South Africa. Queen Rania, Rio Ferdinand and Hillary Clinton are among those who have signed up for 1GOAL. AIB is helping 1GOAL by providing intelligence about broadcasters worldwide, introducing key executives to 1GOAL staff and facilitating a range of other activities. A number of AIB members are already involved and will be running 1GOAL trails and promotions in a number of languages over the coming months.

“This is a highly worthwhile initiative where broadcasters can really make a difference”, says AIB CEO Simon Spanswick, “in fact, the whole concept is built around the power of international broadcasting. AIB is very pleased that our experience and resources are contributing to the success of this important cause.”

The 1GOAL campaign aims to get 75 million children around the world into school – these children could be the next generation’s leaders, sport stars, doctors and teachers. They’re ready to do their homework—but school fees, conflict, working in factories and farms, losing their parents to sickness, the cost of a school uniform or sometimes simply being a girl keeps them from being able to attend school. The 1GOAL campaign is not about giving money – it is about giving your name to support the cause and galvanising political leaders into action.

About 1GOAL
Founded in 1999, the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) is a network of major non-governmental organizations (NGOs), teachers’ unions and civil society in more than 120 countries, that promotes action on making education free, available, public and quality for everyone. 1GOAL: Education for All is an initiative of the football strand of the Class of 2015 and the Global Campaign for Education.www.join1goal.org

euronews starts broadcasting in Turkish

26 January 2010

euronews, the multilingual international news channel, has unveiled today the launch of its programmes in Turkish. As of Saturday 30 January, at 20.00 CET euronews’ Turkish service will be on air, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Turkish internet service is premiering today, Friday 22nd January, and features all euronews programmes on demand.

The new language version will be provided by a team of 30 individuals. It will be broadcast on the euronews global network of satellites and can be rebroadcast by international platforms including those already distributing euronews (cable, ADSL, satellite and terrestrial) reaching some 300 million homes in 151 countries.

The Turkish version of the channel will be available via Turksat. Turkish Radio and Television (TRT), a euronews shareholder, will broadcast on a daily basis euronews programmes in partial-time windows on its terrestrial channel TRT2, reaching all Turkish homes. The satellite bouquet, Digiturk, which already broadcasts the existing eight languages of the channel: Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, will now extend its service to include Turkish.

At the invitation of Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, the launch of the ninth language of the channel will be held at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul. The Director-General of Turkish Radio and Television (TRT), Ibrahim Sahin, will attend the event, along with Pier Luigi Malesani, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of euronews, Philippe Cayla, Chairman of the Executive Board of euronews, and Michael Peters, Managing Director of euronews.

The ceremony will be broadcast in full, live and exclusively in the Turkish section of the euronews web portal, www.euronews.net. The channel’s website provides round-the-clock news coverage in 9 languages and supports video streams on demand.

Australia's ABC to launch 24-hour news channel

26 January 2010

Australian’s national broadcaster, the ABC, has announced plans to launch the country’s first free-to-air 24-hour television news channel this year.

The ABC’s Managing Director, Mark Scott, said the ABC’s commitment to quality news and current affairs would enter a new era with the creation of the new digital channel.

The channel would provide live continuous news coverage of major breaking stories from Australia and around the world.

“No media organisation in the country is better equipped to deliver this channel than the national broadcaster,” Mr Scott said.

“We can draw on the investment already made in the ABC, through its major newsrooms in every state and territory, 12 international bureaux and 60 regional newsrooms, to deliver to Australians a top-quality 24-hour news service that is comprehensive, independent and up to the minute.”

Although the ABC is government funded, it said the channel would commence with no additional funds from the government for content. The channel would be paid for through cost savings the ABC had already achieved.

(Source: ABU web site)

Australian Broadcasting Summit – discount for AIB members

26 January 2010

Celebrating its 8th year the Australian Broadcasting Summit 2010 comes during a time of great change and opportunity for the industry.

The broadcasting industry is facing radical change. Digital adoption is accelerating, and the challenges of audience fragmentation, a tighter advertising climate and increased competition from new media are all contributing to a new broadcasting environment. Whilst there are many challenges, there are also opportunities. Innovative content, on-demand technology, IPTV, and new media platforms offer broadcasters the chance to continue the drive of the digital revolution and ensure a strong, secure future for the industry.

This summit is considered the annual meeting place for key influencers in Australia’s broadcasting industry and features a two day conference on television broadcasting media, and a one day conference on radio. The Australian Broadcasting Summit 2010 will offer senior stakeholders a platform to discuss these pressing issues and explore strategies for successfully developing this key industry.

Event themes include:

• Tracking the Change in Digital Broadcasting Consumption
• Securing the digital broadcasting future
• Assessing Federal Government Policy Initiatives
• How broadcasters and regulators can work together
• 3DTV
• Defining broadcasters’ market position in the digital age
• Maximising branded distribution
• Rolling out content across adittional channels
• The forecast for advertising spend in the coming year
• The challenges of monetising content in a multi platform world
• Identifying the impacts of structural change
• Making the most of premium content
• Crafting the fully immersive media experience
• Radio’s role in the evolving media environment
• Maximising the reach of radio content across multiple channels
• Delivering radio with vision: The impact of emerging media on content development
• How are radio brands utilising social networks?
• Identifying the potential opportunities from convergence
• Consumer generated media
• Understanding the benefits of IPTV
• Bridging the gap between TV & PC
• Tomorrows mobile channel and the mobile consumer
• Content protection, digital rights management and intellectual property
• HDTV broadcasting
• Broadcasting 3.0
• Tackling audience behavior in a consumer recreational market