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Press Association and Associated Press join forces with video content deal
The Associated Press has signed a landmark distribution deal with the Press Association which will see PAs UK video news footage integrated into APs extensive video archive.
The agreement will dramatically extend the reach of PAs video footage beyond the UK, and will significantly bolster the UK news element of APs video offering.
From today, APs archive customers are able to access over 18,000 archived UK video news, entertainment and sports stories, amounting to 35,000 minutes of PAs video footage. New PA content will continue to be added on a daily basis with around 15 new stories being added each day. The PA stories supplied to AP have been specifically designed as `archive-friendly` compilations of the rushes from which the story was created. Fully shotlisted, the stories provide customers with longer sequences and greater depth than the tightly edited packages offered by other suppliers.
The deal also heralds a breakthrough in the speed with which video content can be accessed by archive clients. PAs footage will be available on APs archive website www.aparchive.com on the day of filming and can be easily accessed via AP. This contrasts sharply with competitor commercial archives where there is usually a time lag of several days before new content becomes available. This provides AP with a considerable edge in a market that is increasingly driven by speed.
The Press Association has ramped up its production of video news in recent years and launched its own video portal for UK clients in 2010. As well as investing in a team of dedicated video journalists, PA has instigated a training programme to multi-skill its news reporters and now has over 60 journalists covering news events in words, pictures and video.
Tony Watson, Managing Director, Press Association, commented: In recent years PA has worked hard to increase its video content output, and this has proved popular with newspapers and broadcasters alike.
By integrating our high quality UK video news into APs video portal we are not only increasing our potential client base, but we are able to offer UK video news to global clients quicker than ever before.
APs director of international archives, Alwyn Lindsey added, PA is now a significant force in UK video newsgathering and the addition of PAs video to APs offering provides customers with a fast, fresh and cost-effective alternative in the market. The PA video packages supplied to AP have been configured specifically with archive customers in mind, which is a unique approach and one that we expect to be very popular.
S4M at Media Finance Focus 2011 in Atlanta, GA
From Sunday, May 15 to Tuesday, May 17, S4M – Solutions for Media will take part at the MFM/BCCA Annual Conference in Atlanta, GA (USA).
Media Finance Focus 2011 is an exclusive source for professional education targeting media financial and business executives. It is hosted by the Media Financial Management Association (MFM) and the Broadcast Cable Credit Association (BCCA).
More than 150 speakers/panellists will provide the latest information on accounting, taxes, human resources, technology, newspaper, television, radio, cable, and credit & collection issues. S4M will present the solution S4AdOpt, a sophisticated advertising optimization engine that can be integrated in different airtime sales systems and also is available in the Cloud as software as a service.
Media Finance Focus 2011, MFM & BCCAs 51st Annual Conference, will be held at The Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta, GA starting on Sunday, May 15 at 8:30am, and concluding on Tuesday, May 17 at 4:00pm.
S4M Solutions for Media GmbH
The Cologne-based company S4M Solutions for Media, a subsidiary of arvato systems and RTL Television, develops and distributes specialized software solutions for the broadcast and new media industry. Customers in 30 countries around the world use S4M systems for commercial airtime sales, video content management, program planning, rights licensing, ratings evaluation, or production planning. S4M also offers customers professional consulting services based on its experience and knowledge of media and information technology.
MBC Group signs deal with Technosat to offer viewers FREE HD TV
During a joint signing ceremony at MBC Headquarters, Sam Barnett, COO MBC Group, and Irshad Contractor, Chairman of Technosat, signed a major new deal to offer MBC viewers High Definition (HD) TV as of July 1st 2011.
Elaborating further on this deal, Sam Barnett, COO, MBC Group said: As of July 1st, all MBC viewers will be able to enjoy up-to 7 of our current 10 channels in HD. Moreover, viewers can watch the channels for free. They will need to have a HD TV and theyll need a Technosat HD set top box. However, once they have the equipment, theyll be able to see most of MBC Group channels in High Definition quality. Barnett added that only the Technosat HD set top box would enable viewers to see the MBC HD channels.
On his part, Irshad Contractor, Chairman of Technosat said: We are pleased to be working closely with MBC Group on this milestone deal. We firmly believe that our set top boxes are the most affordable with state-of-art advanced technology for the High Definition satellite reception, and first of its kind in the MENA region. With our boxes and MBCs channels, we have a winning combination. Contractor added, We are one of the leading manufacturers and wholesalers of Satellite equipment in the region, and we shall be distributing the HD boxes across the Middle East.
Mohammad Windawee, Director of Distribution, MBC Group, commented on the deal: We are signing with Technosat so that our viewers across the MENA region will have the opportunity to get the right HD set top box and start to view for free. This deal cements MBCs position as a pioneer of high quality free to air TV in the region.
euronews on digital terrestrial television in Spain
A major distribution agreement signed with ‘La 10’ opens euronews to over 17
million homes in Spain. ‘La 10’ is a national digital channel operated by
Vocento, Spain’s #1 communications group, which also produces the national daily ABC.
17 million Spanish homes will be able to watch euronews on ‘La 10’ for one and a half hours every day starting Friday 29 April. From Monday to Friday the international news channel will be broadcast three times a day: from 7.00 to 7.30, 9.00 to 9.30 and 14.30 to 15.00 and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00 to 10.30, 14.30 to 15.00 and 01.00 to 01.30.
With euronews, viewers of ‘La 10’ will be able to follow international news from a pan-European perspective. Every broadcast on ‘La 10′ will include a European and world weather bulletin as well as euronews’ emblematic programme: ‘No Comment’, the day’s headlines presented in images and without comment.
Thanks to this agreement, euronews will increase its presence in Spain (where it is already available on every paying television platform) and open a new door to national digital terrestrial television for free at a time when international news is making big headlines.
This agreement was signed shortly after and extensively covered press conference in Madrid on 8 February 2011 during which euronews revealed a number of changes, including the opening of its international news correspondent offices, a new and improved programme schedule and the arrival of some well-known presenters.
APs Royal Wedding Coverage responds to unprecedented international demand
More than 700 television networks worldwide received live coverage of the Royal wedding through Associated Press Television News (APTN).
APTN was the first news agency to offer a worldwide High Definition (HD) live broadcast of the event, marking a new era in international news distribution.
A full 10 hours of High Definition coverage was delivered to news channels on a network of specially-leased satellites.
Since Monday, the groundbreaking live news service APTN Direct has delivered more than 53 hours of live coverage from Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the Goring hotel, culminating in Fridays ceremony and long-awaited kiss on the balcony.
The ceremony capped months of comprehensive coverage, with APTN producing more than 85 stories on the approaching wedding since February.
APTN clients received a further 35 wedding edits on Friday alone, capturing the event from every angle, with exclusive analysis from AP Royal Consultant Jennie Bond.
The Royal wedding is a truly momentous event in the history of the monarchy, and I am thrilled to have been part of it.
In addition to APTNs record-breaking global output, APs Global Media Services (GMS), provided 65 international broadcasters, including Al Jazeera and CCTV English, with operational support and facilities comprising:
21,000 minutes of live reports and anchoring for GMS’ international broadcast customers
10 kilometres of fibre-optic cable transmitting in all world standards
20 camera positions along the procession route and a live high definition signal from UK news partner Sky News with many more cameras for the big occasion
Five specially-built dedicated transmission booths in front of Buckingham Palace
Five permanent studios at New Zealand House, midway between the Palace and Westminster Abbey
30 different satellite channels spanning Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Middle East
125 telephone, ISDN and DSL lines