Vietnam :: REV Boosts IT Growth At Voice of Vietnam

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News can report that as a result of deliberations at the fifth congress of the Radio and Electronics Association of Vietnam (REV) a Five Year program of advancement in IT and telecommunications has been formulated. The program is to widen the scope and effectiveness into new technology research to include more universities across Vietnam and at the grass roots level. This move is presumably to tap into bright young talent across the whole spectrum of new technologies to the benefit of the IT and broadcast infrastructure. Two specific moves bode well for the future in tightly structured Vietnam. These are: to improve the quality of training and increase international co-operation. The current chairman of the Radio and Electronics Association of Vietnam (REV) is Nguyen Van Ngo. At the congress, the deputy general director of Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV), Ms Hoang Minh Nguyet, acknowledged the active contribution by professors and doctors who help VOV research and apply advanced technologies. The REV/VOV developments should be positive news if you have related business with Vietnam and Voice of Vietnam Radio and TV and state telecoms. The REV Congress opened at the National Radio Centre in Hanoi on December 12. REV's website: http://www.rev.vn Vietnam Story Source

World Cup 2010 | TVNZ and Sky Confirm Sports TV Deal

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News Asia (DBVNA) e-mail inbox on October 10 received the official notice that the two New Zealand rivals, pay-TV operator, SKY Television and national broadcaster, TVNZ are linking up for the third time over World Cup Soccer, this time in 2010. This will be under a programming sub-contract agreement with Australasian rights holder, SBS. The deal is split thus: SKY NZ will provide full LIVE coverage from hosts, South Africa. The coverage includes also all the FIFA events leading up to the 2010 World Cup, including the Women's Under 17 World Cup which is being hosted in New Zealand later this month (October 2008) with SKY as the "host broadcaster" for the event. Every match in the Women's Under 17s will screen live on SKY with TVNZ showing the NZ games and the final delayed. Further events include the Women's Under 20 World Cup upcoming in November (including the NZ Under 20 team), and the Men's Under 17 and Under 20 World Cup events, along with the Confederations Cup through 2009, and the Women's Under 17 and Under 20 events in 2010. The SKY NZ/TVNZ rivals trumpet the World Cup deal as ensuring comprehensive (nigh on complete) coverage for New Zealand TV viewers. TVNZ's part of the programming pie will include eleven LIVE matches on TV ONE during the 2010 World Cup, plus daily highlights from all other games.   The prized 11 live games will be The Opening Match, then 4 matches from Round 2, 2 of the 4 quarter finals, both Semi's, the Final and the runner up 3rd and 4th Place event. TVNZ coverage does not end there. The 11 Games above will be re-run on the TVNZ Sport Extra channel on the Freeview platform, as well as LIVE coverage of an additional eleven games and highlights packages from all other matches.   DBVNA can't believe it. In the world of political niceties, FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke positively 'enthused' over the New Zealand deal describing TVNZ and SKY NZ as "absolute leading broadcasters in New Zealand". Actually, who else could take on World Cup in the country? The two are the only TV players anyway with the resources (Sky also owns Prime TV) in the relatively small NZ market.

Digital Broadcast | Noor Dubai TV | Launches Sept 1

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News Asia (DBVNA) can tell you that the United Arab Emirates' largest cross platform publisher, the Arab Media Group (AMG) is launching 'Noor Dubai' a new free-to-air satellite TV channel broadcasting locally-originating programs. AMG has chosen today, September 1, the auspicious first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan. "Noor Dubai" TV channel is a natural extension of AMG's popular Noor Dubai radio station on FM 93.9 MHz. Like its radio counterpart, the TV channel aims to embody the social and cultural values of the UAE Noor's unique style of presenting daily life in the country. Nahla Al Fahad, Head of Radio Television Projects, commented: "Noor Dubai has always been a popular radio station that clearly speaks to the residents of UAE, both nationals and non-nationals alike, and reflects their thoughts and concerns. We wanted to expand the base of the Noor phenomenon by bringing it to television, to give the special Noor 'feel' a face and a visual identity." DBVNA notes that Noor Dubai distribution is on Arabsat Badr 4 satellite, transponder frequency 12169 Mhz. Aside from publishing, the Arab Media Group owns and operates the FM-based, Arabian Radio Network (ARN) across the UAE, including Dubai Eye 103.8, Dubai 92, Pulse 95.3, City 1016, Hit 96.7, Noor Dubai 93.9, Al Khaleejiya 100.9 and Al Arabiya 99. Virgin Dubai, a branch of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin International brand, was added in March 2008. The Arabian Television Network (ATN), AMG's TV subsidiary operates MTV Arabia and Nickelodeon, and now Noor Dubai TV from September 1, 2008.

Digital Vendor Pharos.tv | New Singapore Regional Office

Photo: Patrick Keys
Pharos.tv is to open a Singapore Office. Pharos.tv the Reading, UK-based, automation specialist that provides broadcast management solutions has informed Digital Broadcast Vendor News that it is setting up a Singapore regional office for sales and support activities. The announcement, timed to coincide with the Broadcast Asia 2008 trade show this month in the Lion City says that the new Pharos facility will be situated initially at the New Tech Park in Lorong Chuan. In other words, close to key international broadcasters and playout service providers located in the specialized industrial park. Heading up the operation will be Patrick Keys, who has been with Pharos since its inception. Patrick initially worked as part of the Pharos Playtime automation software development team and is a veteran of many international Pharos projects including CNN Headline News in Atlanta and Network 7 in Australia. He also established the international support operation at Pharos' Reading UK headquarters and has developed customer training programs for Pharos installations including Technicolor, Viasat and Globecast. Of the Singapore move, Russell Grute, director of marketing for Pharos said: "To succeed and grow in South East Asia, many broadcasters and service providers need to work more efficiently. They face unique content management and distribution challenges to localize and promote content for their viewers across a complex region." Pharos sees itself as able to assist broadcasters achieve success in these niche areas with its solid project engineering and technical backup. Backgrounder: Pharos delivers better workflow management to broadcasters and service-providers in television, radio, IPTV and telecommunications. For 10 years Pharos has continually developed the unique Mediator, Playtime and Pilot desktop broadcast management solutions. Pharos workflow offers greater efficiency for library management, ingest, quality control, storage management, archival, transcoding, post-production and playout. Pharos solutions offer a next-generation platform to better manage multiformat content and enable rapid expansion in playout, presentation and publishing. Digital Broadcast Vendor News Asia says the salient point is that Pharos software architecture, integration and support services enable disparate broadcast and IT processes to be unified across the enterprise.

Digital Teleprompters | UK | Autocue Adds Support Staff

Digital Broadcast Vendor News Asia can advise you of two new sales and marketing appointments in system installation, training and customer support at Autocue, the newsroom automation and teleprompting solutions provider. Simeon Pearl as International Sales Associate and Edward Lynch-Bell as Technical Support Representative have joined Autocue in London from another UK digital manufacturer, ON-AIR Systems. Autocue, a name synonymous with teleprompting, have unbridled prompting from a fixed/static studio position with the innovative QNxt prompting system which goes wherever the TV program presenters go. Digital Broadcast Vendor News Asia understands that the next major trade show Autocue will attend is BIRTV, Beijing August 22-25 which is around the time of the Summer Olympic Games.

Digital Broadcasters | All Blacks, Face TV3 Commercials Ban on Home Turf

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News came across this "oh God, let me hold my head in my hands" broadcasting story from TV3 New Zealand. In reading it, bear in mind that New Zealanders just cannot get enough of their favourite boys in black shorts - the All Blacks. They are walking idols on and off the rugby turf. Canwest Mediaworks terrestrial TV network, TV3 paid a small fortune to outbid rival consortium of Sky TV - Television New Zealand for the New Zealand territorial TV rights to the 2007 Rugby World Cup games live, directly by satellite from France. But an archaic section of the New Zealand Broadcasting Act bans Sunday morning commercial advertising on the TV. Something the Government says it will NOT change. On a Sunday morning, if you are a New Zealander, you can wake up to radio commercials, and read your oversized Sunday newspaper full of special sections and related special print advertisements, view the Internet broadcasts - but no, watching the tele with ads, ain't on! And this is the information era where audiences drive the way their information should be distributed not some bureaucrat, pontificating on the consumers' behalf. Even at New Zealand's national TV - TVNZ, shows its programs with advertisement spots on Sunday mornings - not on its terrestrial transmitter network but via the Internet! A cat and mouse game is on between the Minister of Broadcasting, Steve Maharey and CanWest on, how on earth TV3 will carry ads in a banned time segment early on a Sunday morning. Oh yes that is when the best games take place, five out of seven in fact, allowing for the time difference between France and New Zealand! However, the Broadcasting Act states that the ban can be waived if the programme's signal originates outside New Zealand and is produced and transmitted simultaneously to New Zealand and overseas audiences. There is also something about a 5 second acknowledgement in recognition of a supporting commercial organisation. CanWest, PR front man, Roger Beaumont is quoted in New Zealand media as saying that TV3 has found the solution the TV network was keeping it under wraps. The International Rugby Board, licensor of the Rugby World Cup is expected to market and present its own World Cup packages on the Internet, through TV3 which will promote the games and revenue share. So it is wait and see when the tournament starts how CanWest MediaWorks make a commercial success of this huge project in terms of cost. After much searching on the official rugby world cup sites, Digital Broadcasters Vendor News found the dates of this year's Rugby World Cup (the 6th edition) Friday September 7, 2007 to Saturday October 20, 2007. The dates were buried deep in an FAQ section. The French like to keep these things quiet. www.rugbyworldcup.com www.france2007.fr

Digital Broadcasters | Doordarshan Up Up and Away in UK

Digital Broadcasters Vendors News notes that after years of indecision, India's state TV, Doordarshan is up, up and away in UK's satellite land using DVB. From London on April 16 DD launches a general channel, DD India and 24/7, DD News. Both are free - to - air, part of the Sky UK satellite TV mux in Hindi and both are transmitted on the Eurobird satellite positioned at 28.5 degrees East. This gives a satellite footprint of 95 per cent of Europe, let alone the UK. Backers of the channels are the London based, Rayat Television Enterprises Ltd. The Rayat Group has interests in retail, air travel and technology. It has invested £2 million in the 5 year project, (with a first refusal option for a further 5 years). Much of the expenditure includes advance royalty payments (10 million Rupees) to Doordarshan and set up costs. Khalid Mahmood, Rayat Group CEO said the channels will connect British Indians with their roots and set standards in ethnic broadcasting. An anonymous executive within Doordarshan said it had taken 48 years for Doordarshan to make the decision to have a UK operation. India state TV's late arrival in the European satellite TV broadcasting scene sees it coming up against established competition from UK, Indian Pakistani and Bangla channels. These include from Zee, STAR, Sony, NDTV and local Asian channels, MATV and Raj. They all TV target the same audience with some emphasising younger values and others the more older traditions. Line up of UK channels directed at Indian, Pakistani, Nepali (Galaxy TV on Hotbird 6) and Bangladesh viewers on FTA EuroBird 28.5E with main languages used: Urdu (Pakistan) Channels: PrimeTV: 11623 Urdu Punjabi PTV Global: 11224 Urdu GeoTV: 11343 Urdu ARYOneWorld: 11343 Urdu The Musik: 11343 Urdu DM Digital: 11261 urdu Bangla Channels: Bangla TV: 11344 Bengali ATN Bangla: 11488 Bengali NTV Channel S: 11488 Bengali Channel S UK: 11488 Bengali English Language/Mixed Channel S UK: 11488 English RajTV: 11428 English/Hindi MATV: 11389 English/Mixed Hindi Channels DD India: 11426 Hindi (20 per cent English, some Gujarati and Tamil) DD News: 11527 Hindi mainly (20 per cent English, some Gujarati and Tamil) Star One: 11262 Hindi mainly DD India UK and DD News UK carry their own logos on the TV screen along with that of Rayat TV. Researching this article, Digital Broadcasters Vendor News found that Doordarshan, has over 1.4 billion viewers worldwide.

Digital Broadcaster | TVNZ Heads Up with Aussie

Television New Zealand has informed Digital Broadcasters Vendor News that Aussie, Anthony Flannery a veteran newsman from Nine Network (PBL:AX) is to head up News and Current Affairs at the Kiwi network from May. Flannery has been responsible for Nine Television Network's highly rated, "A Current Affair" program. He is regarded as one of the most experienced broadcast journalists in the Southern Hemisphere familiar with a variety of news distribution platforms in digital. TVNZ's own website has an insatiable appetite for strong news content. The TVNZ move is a prize catch for them as Flannery has been a Nine Network staffer since 1995 and before that at Nine's NTD8 Darwin TV station, Mid-State Television in Western New South Wales, WIN TV in Canberra and in the mid-1980s, he was Press Secretary to Aussie member of Parliament, David Simmons MP. Digital Broadcasters Vendors News believes that the hiring of Flannery could be misunderstood at a time when TVNZ has cut back on its Newsroom staff to save NZ$10million in salary costs. Television New Zealand in the past decade has suffered as a national institution at the vagaries of governing parties in Wellington. The once invisible flagship news on TVOne and TV2 has recently shown holes in its ratings, challenged by the news output from Canwest's TV3.

Digital Broadcasters | Google Adsense Radio Simple Operation

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News reports that this IS the big news and it is such a simple operation.

You have been following Google's move into radio advertising? Well here is the definitive result: Broadcast Electronics (BE) of Quincy Illinois, in collaboration with Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) have added an AdSense software plug-in to BE's AudioVAULT digital studio system. This means that AdSense automatically matches a station's available open slots for spots to Google's advertiser inventory. This is new revenue streaming for the stations that have installed AudioVault across the United States.

Russell Ketchum, Business Product Manager for Google AdSense for Audio said that AdSense for Audio is about connecting Google's advertisers, a group largely new to radio, with radio stations in a way that's similar to what they're used to online.

Ray Miklius, BE VP for Studio Systems said that adding AdSense for Audio's real-time inventory matching, automation and control to AudioVAULT will help (our) stations attract new advertisers.

How long will it be before Google Adsense Radio comes to your local radio station? Anyone heard any rumbles in Asia yet? How will Google play this card? Mainstream multinationals for economy of scale? Or local retail advertising? Perhaps Google needs to do a lot of explaining of this business model or is it something that will just evolve?

Broadcast Electronics Inc. is controlled by Audax Group, a private equity firm based in Boston, MA.

Digital Broadcasters | Bangladesh Maverick Ekushey TV Returns

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News notes that Ekushey Television (ETV) in Bangladesh is still on air terrestrially and via satellite two weeks after getting its license back after a four year hiatus. A maverick broadcaster if ever there was one.

Staying on air terrestrially seems no mean feat in a Bangladesh where ETV was forced off air in Aug, 2002 by then-prime minister, Begum Khaleda Zia for apparently favouring her rivals in the Awami League in its programming. The broadcasting authority, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Board (BTRC) seized ETV's transmission equipment.

ETV, the country's first private TV station was awarded its original license by the Awami League government in April 2000.

Although the high court ordered the Khaleda Zia government to return transmission equipment to ETV in 2005 it never did. Yet in the meantime, a further six local, private TV networks were allowed to start broadcasting - but only via satellite distribution.

ETV's break came after Khaleda handed power to an interim government in October 2006, on completion of a five-year term in office. Just a few weeks ago the BDTC under the temporary administration government gave ETV the green light to resume transmissions.

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News is still puzzled why ETV along with the state-owned Bangladesh Television are the only terrestrial (as well as satellite TV network) operators in the country.

Digital Broadcasters | Taiwan Moving Ahead with DTV

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News can report that according to press
coverage in Taiwan, the broadcasting watchdog, the National
Communications Commission is moving ahead with plans to offer new
terrestrial digital TV broadcasting licences. The plan calls for the
introduction of new TV networks on UHF channels 25, 31, 33 and 49
with nationwide coverage with two stages of introduction. The first
will offer the channel with a 6MHz audio bandwidth and the second,
two further channels to a 12MHz audio bandwith on UHF TV channels 27
and 29.

There is the intention, it is believed, for the four channels
with the 6MHz sound carrier also to move over to 12MHz.

The NCC says that to offer 12MHZ licenses can only happen come after
the NCC has reviewed Taiwan' related broadcasting and telecoms laws
to accommodate the new technical specifications for transmission.

The 5 present terrestrial broadcasters in analog: public TV station -
Public Television Service (PTS), TTV, Chinese Television System
(CTS), China Television Company (CTV) and Formosa Television Company
(FTV) will be given a chance to bid for the new licences. There will
be one condition / restriction imposed. Any license can only
broadcast in high definition TV - HDTV, as a mechanism the NCC
believes that would stimulate the growth of the medium. All current
analog terrestrial TV transmissions are using 6MHz.

Digital Broadcasters | India | Doordarshan Works with Envivio and SHAF

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News has learnt that San Francisco based, Envivio a privately held company supplied the digital Mobile TV Head End equipment for the Doordarshan Mobile TV digital terrestrial trials in New Delhi. The MPEG-4 head end (transmitter) package includes 4Caster M2 encoders and the 4Manager network management system. The Envivio system fits cross media deployment by supporting the most broadcast and telco network standards, including 3GPP, 3GPP2, DVB-H, DMB and ISDB-T. Envivio supplied the mobile TV transmission equipment to broadcast integrator, SHAF Broadcast Pvt Ltd. The digital broadcast pilot project is offering eight TV channels initially. Later in 2007 it will be expanded to 16 , the pilot is delivering a high quality mobile TV experience to Indian consumers. Doordarshan is not only testing the technical aspects of the broadcast distribution signals through Mobile TV but it is also exploring the different possibilities for service bouquets, including advertising and interactive services to through testing consumer feedback. The information is sourced via a release from Envivio Inc.

Digital Broadcasters | TV3 Rate Roar Not Appreciated

Malaysia's TV3 may be roaring ahead but its latest announcement is not appreciated. Digital Broadcasters Vendor News has learned from advertising agency contacts in Kuala Lumpur that a just pronounced 5-15 per cent advertising rate hike by premier private TV3 network is not causing ripples but a Tsunami size reaction. TV3 owned by Media Prima Group dominates Malaysia's terrestrial television on-air advertising market with a 60 per cent market dominance along with stable mate, TV8. Mind you, last year TV3 faced vocal criticism too from advertisers when it talked about rate rises at that time.

Digital Broadcasters | Genesis Opens Tokyo POP

Tokyo, Sydney and Auckland have been added as the latest "point-of- presence" POP's in Asia-Pacific on the New York - based, Genesis Networks global video transmission network. Digital Broadcasters Vendor News understands that POPs are already operational in Beijing, Singapore, and other major media centers in Asia. The new POP sites will allow Genesis Networks to interconnect with local broadcasters throughout the Asia Pacific region, notably in China and Japan routing content using fibre optic and satellite from Asia via the Genesis network and broadcasting it anywhere in the world but mainly to the US. The company has a teleport in North Miami and is building a reputation as a carrier of ethnic channel programming from India, Poland and Latin America for distribution to US cable TV systems.

http://www.gen-networks.com

Digital Satellite | Satlynx New Found Freedom Under GE

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News gets the clear impression that Luxembourg-based,Satlynx, a major participant in digital satellite telecommunications in the Middle East, Europe and Africa region, is relishing new found freedom under the new General Electric (NYSE: GE - News) ownership, as a fully operational subsidiary, quote: "...... for the first time... full independence from satellite operating companies and equipment vendors... and is free to pursue its supplier neutral strategy of offering the best solution to fit its customers’ requirements."

Does that imply that under the old SES structure they were hamstrung?

Paul Heinerscheid, President and CEO Satlynx while acknowledging growth in the past years uses the significant "but" when he is quoted in a press release of today's date under GE management: "...but now we look forward to a new chapter within GE where the benefits to our company and our customers will be many-fold.”

Interesting stuff.

Digital Broadcasters | ABC Brisbane To Relocate

News from ABC Brisbane is that it is at long last to get a new unified home for its regional digital radio and television broadcasting complex and headquarters for Queensland. Digital Broadcasters Vendor News received the announcement from ABC in Sydney directly.

ABC Managing Director Mark Scott said that the present 280 employees based in Queensland's capital city and housed in seven different buildings are to be housed at one site. Mr Scott made it clear the matter now being treated urgently.

The ABC Board recognises the fact and has approved a Project Control Group to take immediate control.

All the options and alternatives though have not been investigated yet. These include whether the future site of a broadcast complex would be leasehold or purchased, or a present building to be bought and converted.

Mr Scott also pointed out that specialist consultants will need to be appointed to make such assessments in a two stage process.

From now until the end of April, the first stage gets under way with the ABC Project Group calling for initial proposals.

Presently, the main Brisbane location is at ABC Toowong. ABC informed Digital Broadcasters Vendor News that it is not going to redevelop that site.

Digital Broadcasters | India | HDTV for 2010

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News sees India's regulatory authority for broadcasting and state broadcaster, - Prasar Bharati - as quickening its pace of interest in adopting new digital broadcast technologies with the key objective of covering the whole of the Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi in HDTV. Prasar Bharati is the unbrella organisation for Doordarshan and All India Radio.

India's Business Standard newspaper reported on March 26, 2007 that Prasar Bharati will invest close to Rs 30 crore (300 million Rupees - US$6 million) in running pilot projects on mobile TV (including a related car TV project) and high-definition TV.

B S Lalli CEO at Prasar Bharati is quoted as saying that Mobile TV is to start in Delhi by May as the first Metro market.

B S Lalli is also quoted as saying Rs 10 crore (100 million Rupees - US$2 million)is allocated in the digital video broadcast technology for mobile TV. A further Rs 5-8 crore (500-800 million Rupees - US$10 million) will be required to enhance the Mobile TV transmission infrastructure. Some Rs 15 crore (150 million Rupees - US$3.5 million) is set aside for the pilot scheme for HDTV.

Korean mobile TV hand held device manufacturers, Samsung and LG Electronics are in discussion with Prasar Bharati for supply of handsets to consumers.

At present, however Prasar Bharati has an exclusive arrangement for the Nokia N-series handsets.

B S Lalli said the car TV project was successful but faced channel capacity problems in a fast moving car.

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News notes from the article that Prasar Bharati has the clear political objective to install HDTV by 2010 - that will be 2 years after the Beijing Summer Olympics 2008 are televised by CCTV completely in high definition TV.

Original article at: <http://www.business-standard.com/economy/ storypage.php?leftnm=3&subLeft=1&chklogin=N&autono=278896&tab=r>

Digital Broadcasters | India Terrestrial TV Reach

In India, terrestrial TV coverage by Doordarshan still only covers 79 per cent of the country reaching 91 per cent of the population. For All India Radio the figures are better at 91.78 per cent and 99.14 per cent respectively. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are covered through Doordarshan’s free to air DTH satellite service.

Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri P. R. Dasmunsi in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha (Parliament) March 20 said that as part of India's Eleventh Five Year Plan, subject to funds availability more AIR FM radio stations would be set up to fill gaps in coverage while DTH for DD was the considered route. (Digital Broadcasters Vendor News interpretation.)

Digital Broadcasters | 6m Malaysians Listen to Muzik FM

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News Asia (DBVNA) noticed an interesting announcement from Malaysia's news agency Bernama referring to the increasing number of listeners to Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) radio networks. Bernama quoting Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said that some some six million residents across Peninsula Malaysia tune in every week. Peninsula Malaysia excludes Sabah and Sarawak.

Bernama said that this was the result of a survey carried out by "Utusan Airtime" on RTM's 32 radio stations.

Muzik FM was the most popular network, followed by Minnal FM and Klasik Nasional FM.

DBVNA notices that no other survey results were mentioned.

Digital Broadcasters | ACMA Licenses Station without Station ID

Digital Broadcasters Vendors News thinks this is bizarre. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA ) allocated in mid-February a radio license and no one publicly has a clue to what the station is going to broadcast nor what will be its station ID. Actually it looks like carte blanche for the licensee.....Is this bureaucracy gone mad? The future station has paid 200,000 Australian dollars that is all the public knows. The licensee, ANC International Holdings Pty Ltd is to provide a high powered open 'narrowcasting' radio service in Canberra, ACT. The proposed service will operate on 1323 kHz on the AM band. ANC International Holdings bid the A$200,000 at an auction on 8 December 2006 after four applications were received for the licence. ANC International Holdings Pty Ltd must commence the new service by 21 June 2007, or such longer period of time as approved in writing by ACMA. The definition of Open narrowcasting services are broadcasting services that are limited in some way - targeted at special interest groups, or are available in limited locations (for example sporting arenas or shopping centres), or are provided during a limited period or to cover a special event or because they provide programs of limited appeal. Over ninety per cent of currently operating narrowcasting services provide either tourist radio or racing radio services in Australia.