VTC has been awarded a contract to broadcast a significant number of analogue and digital shortwave programmes for the German International Broadcaster, Deutsche Welle.
VTC will broadcast an initial 90 hours per day of Deutsche Welle programmes, in 14 languages, from its network of UK and worldwide transmission sites, targeting more than 108 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. The new arrangements will start from January 1 next year. The five-year contract, which provides Deutsche Welle with a highly flexible and cost effective service, includes potential to increase significantly programme transmission hours from May 2007.
VTC, which already owns and operates short wave and medium wave transmitter sites worldwide, will make a multi-million pound investment in its sites in the UK and its partner site in Austria to facilitate Deutsche Welles digital broadcast requirements. This will involve creating a newly re-engineered infrastructure to support the services required, including new transmitters, antennas and support infrastructure, demonstrating VTC’s commitment to providing state-of-the-art solutions for broadcasters in analogue and digital.
VTC has also been awarded a £1.4M contract with BBC World Service for the deployment of their new Satellite Media Distribution System (SMDS). The SMDS system replaces the current satellite based Global Delivery System (GDS), with Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) based technology. As the BBC addresses the challenges of the global media environment, this technology gives them greater flexibility and better management of their programme content and distribution.
The contract covers the migration from the GDS system to the SMDS system globally, over a 2-year period, including the shipping and installation of over 1000 new satellite receivers at BBC partner sites worldwide, as well as the reengineering of programme feeds at the BBC World Service overseas relay stations and FM relays and programme distribution hubs.
Award of this contract is recognition of VTC’s unique expertise and track record in providing programme delivery services to the BBC World Service over the last 9 years, and in managing innovative end-to-end solutions and system integration in over 100 countries from 29 locations around the world.