1 April 2009
Recent data from the MAVISE TV database, developed for the DG Communication of the European Commission by the European Audiovisual Observatory, shows the continued expansion of television channels in the European (EU 27 + Croatia and Turkey) television market. More than 200 new TV channels were launched in 2008. There are now a total of 5587 channels (plus 412 non-European channels) available in the 29 countries.
Digital terrestrial television (DTT) has experienced significant developments in the last year. Six of the 29 countries included in the MAVISE database have already ceased analogue terrestrial transmission. France, Italy, Spain and the UK (four markets with large use of terrestrial television) have reached very high levels of DTT penetration in households and two of these have started regional switch-off of the analogue signals (Group 2). The third group includes smaller countries with established DTT services. The market will see more rapid development this year with the expected launch of new services in Slovenia, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Poland, Greece, and Slovakia. There are a number of channels on DTT line-ups in 16 countries. Currently the services in Malta are Pay-TV only, with FTA services to be launched in 2009.
DTT as a free to air platform plays an important role in the provision of universal service television. The presence of the public service channels (and their important role in the development of DTT) can be seen below in the breakdown between public and private channels on the DTT line-ups. On average the capacity used by public service channels on DTT platforms is approximately 25% as compared to 75% for private channels. In comparison, within the entire range of channels available in the 29 countries on all platforms, 7% are public while 93% are private. In Belgium, there are currently only public service offers.
When looking at the types of channels available on the DTT platforms (by genres) there are also some significant differences compared to the entire television market on all platforms. The DTT platforms have a significantly higher percentage of generalist, news, business and cultural channels. There is a lower channel capacity on DTT platforms in comparison to satellite or cable and this has probably led to a clearly higher focus on making available more public service, generalist and news and cultural content. Specialist channels such as sport, cinema and childrens channels are still significant, but other niche channels are much less prominent on the DTT platforms: home shopping, adult channels, weather, religious, minority interest etc. Adult channels are available on DTT platforms in Finland, Netherlands, Estonia, Italy and Lithuania (where pay-DTT services are available). Home shopping channels are included in the line-ups of Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom.
There is also a difference between smaller and larger markets regarding the number of national and international channels available. The larger countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK have significantly more national and regional channels. In contrast smaller countries such as Estonia, Lithuania and Malta currently rely on international channels for almost 50% of their DTT content.
1 April 2009
At the 2009 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nev., STATS (booth SL5011) and Vizrt (SL5508) will host an exclusive in-booth demonstration of its holographic-effect technology for members of the media on Tuesday, April 21st at 8:30AM. STATS and Vizrt are exhibiting from neighboring locations at NAB and this special demonstration will be seen from both companies exhibit areas.
Since we announced our plans to conduct in-booth demonstrations for NAB attendees, members of the media have clamored for their own opportunity to see the holographic effect up close, said Bjarne Berg, CEO for Vizrt. “The press event is an exciting opportunity for us to demonstrate it and show broadcasters how they can use it to their advantage. “
The press demonstrations will provide a wonderful opportunity to display the versatility of this product both in term of potential uses as well as set up and size, said Brian Kopp, Vice President at STATS. We look forward to demonstrating the product and answering any questions about the technology.
The holographic effect proved very effective in drawing viewers to CNNs election night coverage, with an estimated 13 million viewers tuning in. It is poised to redefine the remote interview, creating the appearance of a face-to-face exchange. The transmission is seamless, provides high optical quality and eliminates the traditional split-screen view and production sequences of typical remote interviews.
This innovative video treatment is comprised of STATS video processing and tracking technology, along with Vizrts real-time tracking and rendering software. The impression of the holographic interview is completed in fractions of a second.
Multi-participant interviews are possible, changing the scale of the hologram subject or using the image in post-production to create intriguing promos.
Press interested in attending will need to pre-register with Nick Stamm from STATS, stamm@stats.com or Robin Hoffman from Pipeline Communications robinhoffman@pipecomm.com and will be required to show a special exhibit floor pass for entry. Representatives from STATS and Vizrt will distribute the passes at the LVCC Main South Lower Hall entrance on Tuesday, April 21 beginning at 8 AM.
31 March 2009
The founding conference of the National Bureau of Investigative Journalism (NBR) is taking place in Moscow on March 31, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reports.
The chief editors of Russia’s leading media outlets are gathering to discuss the organization’s goals and objectives.
The president of the Moscow-based Fund to Protect Glasnost, Aleksey Simonov, told RFE/RL that the NBR should become a sort of lobbyist for journalists’ interests in state entities, such as the State Duma and Interior Ministry.
According to Simonov, the increasing violence directed against journalists in Russia demands closer cooperation between journalists and police investigators.
He also said investigative journalism remains one of the most effective and necessary genres in Russia.
26 March 2009
Kenyans have found a new place to watch and listen to the Voice of America’s (VOA) (www.VOANews.com) news and information: the palms of their hands.
In a unique arrangement with Safaricom (www.safaricom.co.ke), a leading telecommunications company in Kenya, VOA provides daily updated audio and video stories to cell phone subscribers who download the material.
“We’re dedicated to delivering VOA’s news and information to all people – on all platforms,” said VOA Director Danforth Austin. “This arrangement with Safaricom shows the benefits of new technology,” he said.
The Nairobi-based Safaricom estimates there were 800,000 attempted downloads of VOA reports between mid-December 2008 and mid-March 2009.
Many downloads tracked with VOA’s comprehensive coverage of the January 19, 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama, whose late father was Kenyan. VOA’s inauguration coverage spanned the days before and after the inauguration, and included an interview with one of Obama’s cousins from Kenya.
Safaricom networks reach areas throughout Kenya, an East African country of nearly 38 million where mobile technology often has leap-frogged conventional landline telephones. Safaricom has about 10 million subscribers in Kenya, with many concentrated in the major cities, including Nairobi and Mombasa.
Approximately 10 million Kenyans subscribe to the service. Subscriptions are reportedly concentrated in the major cities such as Nairobi and Mombasa.
26 March 2009
SIRIUS XM Radio has made WRN available to XM subscribers. WRN is broadcast on SIRIUS channel 140 and XM channel 135.
This is excellent news for WRN’s content partners as the merger between SIRIUS Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio brings the combined company, operating under the name SIRIUS XM Radio, to more than 19 million subscribers (based on subscriber numbers ending 4th Quarter 2008).
Tim Ashburner, WRNs Board Chairman, said, WRN has had a long association with SIRIUS and is absolutely delighted to make its programming available to XM subscribers across North America, bringing to listeners a unique perspective on the worlds news and offering different viewpoints from around the world.
WRN will be re-modelling its North American service specifically for satellite radio by adding a wide variety of programming from the worlds news broadcasters.
26 March 2009
Quantel today announced that its award-winning Genetic Engineering teamworking technology now supports the popular Lasergraphics Director pin-registered film scanner.
The Lasergraphics interface allows frames to be scanned at full speed directly to the Genetic Engineering shared workspace so that creative work can commence immediately, without wasting time and disk space on an intermediate transfer stage. The interface leverages the openness of Quantels Sam data server, which enables third party access to Quantel shared workspace without requiring a special API or licence.
The high speed Lasergraphics Director pin-registered film scanner replaces HD telecines and first-generation scanners while delivering higher quality, said Lasergraphics CEO, Dr. Stefan Demetrescu. “Quantel’s open access technology is very much in line with our efforts to design products that remove the risks associated with file-based workflow integration and interoperability while dramatically lowering overall system costs.”
Were delighted to add Lasergraphics to the many manufacturers with tried and tested workflow partner products for our Genetic Engineering technology, said Mark Horton, Quantel Strategic Marketing Manager. Working with the team at Lasergraphics, weve produced a practical and productive solution which will be of interest in DI, post production and restoration.
