19 January 2012
In the countdown to crucial elections on both sides of the Atlantic, Euronews, the European-based International channel and ABC News, the US-based news division, are pleased to announce a news cooperation agreement. In the framework of this partnership, Euronews will soon open a bureau in Washington.
Under the agreement, ABC News correspondents, experts and anchors, including ABC News Global Affairs Anchor Christiane Amanpour, will provide regular analysis of US politics and others news events exclusively for Euronews in a series of interviews and two-ways.
In return, Euronews will provide ABC News exclusive current and breaking news on European affairs and coverage of upcoming European elections. Euronews will also make available to ABC News exclusive news footage from news events it is covering internationally.
Euronews will tap the vast resources of ABC News’ NewsOne, its domestic and international news service, for live and taped news footage from ABC News and its US affiliates.
For the upcoming elections in the United States, France, Germany Italy, and Russia each news organization will share information and content to serve their audiences in America and Europe.
Euronews will also open its new American bureau within the ABC News One Headquarters in Washington, DC. This agreement is part of Euronews’ strategy of international expansion and original content production.
Lucian Sârb, Euronews Director of News and Programmes said about the cooperation: “The Euronews – ABC cooperation is the perfect media fit for the current news agenda on both sides of the Atlantic. It is a collaboration that will maximize breaking news, high value reports and exclusive content on air and on line.
“Wide-ranging views from Europe and the United States bring a global and deeper understanding of what is at stake in 2012 on economic, social and political issues. With this partnership we open a new window on the most significant affairs in 2012 from US, French and Russian elections to more global challenges. All this to the benefit of our viewers around the world.”
18 January 2012
A new report from the European Audiovisual Observatory and MEDIA Salles shows that around 18 500 digital screens had been installed in Europe by the end of 2011. This means that over 52% of European screens are now capable of digital projection, up from just 4% three years ago.
While the initial phase of large-scale digital conversion during 2009 and 2010 had been more or less entirely driven by 3D installations, roll-out in 2011 was for the first time driven by 2D screens. This suggests that roll-out has entered its second major phase and is now driven primarily by full conversions of larger circuits under VPF schemes and by public initiatives ranging from legislation (France), publicly funded industry-wide conversion schemes (Norway and the Netherlands) to direct public funding schemes, 60 of which have been identified at national, sub-national and pan-European level, including the new MEDIA 2007 scheme.
Analysis based on a comprehensive site-by-site listing of analogue and digital cinemas as of 2010 clearly shows that small cinemas and exhibitors have significant problems converting to digital. By the end of 2010 only 11% of single-screen cinemas had installed a digital screen, compared to 89% of multiplexes. These small cinemas, however, form a characteristic part of the European cinema landscape, with single-screen cinemas alone accounting for almost 60% of all European cinemas. Though presumably not vital for overall box office results, these smaller cinemas play an important social and cultural role in many communities. The fact that these screens have not yet converted highlights the fact that commercial financing models cannot cover all European cinemas, causing a funding gap for between 15% and 20% of European screens.
At the same time, given the high penetration rates in various European markets, the end of 35mm distribution seems to be approaching rapidly. Distributors in Belgium, Luxembourg and Norway, which was the first country worldwide to become fully digital in mid-2011, were expected to end 35mm distribution as early as 2011/2012 and a total of 11 territories had converted at least 50% of their screens by mid-2011, including the two leading markets France and the UK.
Once large distributors switch to digital distribution in such major markets, demand for film stock will drop significantly, putting pressure on 35mm economics on a pan-European level. This could cause financial strain for those distributors and exhibitors still depending on it. Many of these are presumably small companies now faced with a growing competitive disadvantage: digital cinema increases the economies of scale related to both film exhibition as well as distribution so bigger companies stand to benefit more than smaller players from the transition to digital, both in terms of cost savings as well as in increased revenue potential. This economic reality will ultimately lead to fundamental change in the fragmented European theatrical landscape and poses a challenge to the European independent sector, characterised as it is by a large number of small exhibitors and distributors.
18 January 2012
MBC Group continues to evolve and deliver the latest in Global Entertainment and content by airing most recent series in the US, in addition to new episodes of existing series that have just been released. This dynamic strategy will affect two of MBC Groups channels, namely MBC Action and MBC 4 and have commenced on January 15th. Both Channel offerings will now consist of a 7-day daily block of the best in International shows and will offer their viewers an exclusive destination for the most-anticipated TV shows, for free.
MBC Groups contemporary strategy is testament to our dedication to providing our loyal viewers with content that is up-to-date and puts them on par with the Global scale of entertainment. It further distinguishes our channels as the ultimate destinations for the latest in International drama, delivered free to the Arab world, commented Ali Jaber, Group TV Director at MBC Group.
The new and updated series will be aired from Saturdays to Wednesdays while Thursdays and Fridays are allocated to the current running series, with DOUBLE UPS, for viewers to eventually catch up with the updated episodes/seasons.
The new content on MBC 4 include: The Ringer (Season 1), Secret Circle (Season 1), The Vampire Diaries (Season 3); while the new content on MBC Action will include: Hawaii FIVE-o (Season 2), The Mentalist (Season 4), Nikita (Season 2), NCIS (Season 9), WWE, and Alcatraz, a brand new US series, the latest from JJ Abrams.
16 January 2012
OASYS, the pioneering developer of IT-based automated playout solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ed Calverley as Solutions Design Manager. Calverleys new role will see him working closely with the Sales and Development teams and with clients to build feature-rich, reliable automated playout solutions that are both easy to use and to maintain.
Calverley joins OASYS from Miranda where he held a central role in the development and delivery of the iTX IT-based playout system. Prior to this,Calverley spent several years at the BBC, joining via a graduate training programme and subsequently gaining experience across a wide range of broadcast technologies and disciplines including Studios, Outside Broadcast, Engineering Support and Playout.
Ed Calverley commented, I have been aware of OASYS for some time, but when I actually saw the OASYS software in action it was a real eye opener to the true power of IT-based playout. By focusing on actual customer requirements, OASYS has built the most versatile playout device Ive ever seen.
Mark Errington, CEO, OASYS, said, We are pleased to welcome Ed to the team. His broadcast knowledge and experience combined with his ability to design pragmatic customer solutions will be invaluable, as will his input into the continued development of our Automated Playout solutions.
13 January 2012
Vizrt Ltd., a leading provider of content production tools for the digital media industry, announced today that the Company has promoted Bernt Kare Johannessen to Chief Development Officer.
This newly created position is effective immediately and will complete the Corporate Management team for Vizrt.
In this new position, Bernt will be in charge of developing and leading the Company’s business strategy process and oversee its appropriate implementation throughout the company in close cooperation with all areas and business lines responsible heads. He will further take a leading role in future M&A activities and integration of acquired companies.
Bernt brings a wealth of technical and managerial experience to this new role: he joined Vizrt in August 2003 as Customer Support Engineer after graduating Master of Computer Science of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. During the years 2005 to 2009, Bernt joined the Vizrt U.S. office in New York, as Vice President Customer Relations, before being promoted Senior Vice President U.S. Operations. In August 2009, the Company called upon Bernt to take on the position of Head of R&D in Bergen, Norway. Very recently, Bernt has returned from the Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley, as part of his ongoing Master of Technology Management.
Martin Burkhalter, CEO of Vizrt: “I am very happy that the best candidate for this important position was an internal candidate. Bernt has the necessary knowledge and experience to help the further development of Vizrt’s growth and profitability targets. In addition to his broad knowledge of our technologies he knows the media industry very well and therefore he will be a great asset in our efforts to continue to win market shares.”
13 January 2012
A hard-hitting documentary about the last remaining Westerner in Guantanamo Bay, Omar Khadr, will get its first global airing on Al Jazeera English next week. The channel made the announcement today on the tenth anniversary of the prisons establishment.
Four Days in Guantanamo is based on CCTV footage of Canadian agents interrogating their citizen Khadr, who has been imprisoned since July 2002 when he was just 15 years old. The film features interviews with US military personnel, the Canadian journalist who pushed for the release of the footage, as well as Khadrs family and legal counsel.
The film led to criticism of Canada, who has hitherto refused to seek Khadrs repatriation. The film airs on 18th January, almost three years to the day of President Obamas promise to shut Guantanamo within a year.
Paul Eedle, director of programmes at Al Jazeera English, said:
This is a very strong film that we are pleased to bring to our viewers. The raw, split-screen CCTV material together with supporting interviews makes for a disturbing insight into way intelligence agents from a Western democracy behaved in Guantanamo.
Four Days in Guantanamo will be broadcast on Al Jazeera English from 18th January 2012 on television and online (www.ajazeera.com/watch_now).
