Digital Broadcaster | Ten Sports Takes WASP3D Solution

Ten Sports, Dubai - the satellite TV sports network targeting the Indian Diaspora and the sub-continent's television broadcast markets has chosen Beehive Systems and its WASP3D Graphics software for live playout, according to a Beehive release to Digital Broadcasters Vendor News Asia (DBVNA). Beehive's United Arab Emirates agent/distributor - Wecom Global, installed the WASP3D software solution in Ten Sports transmission suites. Ten Sports is the third satellite TV broadcaster in the Middle East to install the WASP3D graphics system after Al Rai TV and Future TV. The Beehive relase quoted Steve Halis, VP – Operations, Engineering & MIS at Taj Television as saying that WASP3D was chosen after a thorough evaluation and detailed comparison of competing solutions. Taj TV owns and operates Ten Sports. WASP3D is an advanced graphics software with design tools like real-time emitter based, Particle system that comes with wind, gravity, speed options that help achieve realistic effects. Beehive says that WASP3D for sports broadcasting offers real-time sports data presentation, spectacular interactive graphics display, 3D camera views of the game from various angles and the virtual sets. TEN Sports, launched in April 2002, is a dominant sports network, focussing on cricket as a programming anchor. The channel reaches nearly 50 million cable/ satellite households worldwide and claims the title as the world’s biggest producer of cricket for television broadcast. Ten Sports also owns the exclusive rights in its designated broadcast markets for the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the UEFA Champions League, the U.S. Open Tennis and hockey’s World Cup Tournament. DBVNA believes the WASP3D - Ten Sports/Taj TV deal is a major purchasing coup for broadcast software manufacturer, Beehive based in India and its UAE distributor Wecom Global. (wecom web site, www.wecom-me.com is under construction). www.wasp3d.com www.tensports.com www.wecom-me.com (under construction not up yet) www.beesys.com Does the WASP3D match competitive systems such as from Avid, also handled by Wecom Global in the UAE? Leave your comments - can be anonymous, but it is more authoratative, when sourced.

Digital Broadcasters |Aussie ABC Massively Expands NewsRadio network

ABC Australia, already one of the world's biggest radio networks in terms of terrestrial transmission coverage, informed Digital Broadcasters Vendor News that it is going one step further. Within three years it will make ABC NewsRadio its third main network after ABC Local Radio and ABC Radio National, terrestrially reaching all Aussie communities with a population of 10,000. That massively expands NewsRadio reach to 95 per cent of Australia's population. On April 18, 2007 in Wagga Wagga Senator the Hon Helen Coonan, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts gave the project its formal start helped by ABC Director Radio & Regional Content, Sue Howard. Of the digitally supported project, Ms Howard said that this was a massive technological undertaking and important initiative for the ABC. The first stage of the roll out should be on May 1 when current trials will be completed for Wagga Wagga (105.1FM) and the surrounding South Western Slopes countryside(91.5FM) adding 1.2 million listeners to the ABC NewsRadio network. Stages two and three have the potential to extend the service to a further 3 million people by 2009. Three new frequencies will come on line each month until the project is completed. These are mostly FM but some are AM. ABC NewsRadio management says it is Australia's only continuous news format station with 24/7 broadcasts that include breaking news, sport, finance, weather, and when its sits, live coverage of Federal Parliamentary proceedings in Canberra. http://www.abc.com.au/newsradio/
http://www.abc.com.au/radio/localradio/
http://www.abc.com.au/rn/

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 Censors Irked by FTVs Catwalk Capers

In India the satellite TV channels have been pushing the boundaries of decency in programming in the past six months - that is by Indian standards. The latest is from FTV and its catwalk capers of believing less is better. In a country that bans kissing on TV, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting was forced to act on March 29 when Fashion TV under the FTV.com India label showed models strutting the catwork clad skimpily and without brassieres and swearing seethough tops at the midnight hour. The channel is carried by the country's cable TV operators. The Ministry slapped a ban on the channel for two months under Sub-Section (2) of Section 20 of the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, 1995. The transmission or re-transmission of this Channel on all platforms has been prohibited effect April 1 through to May 30 across the country. The ministry guardians depict the programming as "against good taste and decency, denigrating women and likely to adversely affect public morality." Is there no subtlety? The programming was called ‘Midnight Hot’. I suspect that most adult men would at least be tempted to take a peek at a program with such a title. Still, being "off-air" is an indirect way of even greater promotion for the channel that has not been short of a following as it is. Will FTV in turn be irked by the prudishness of the Censors at India's Broadcasting Ministry?

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