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.

DBVNA :: TVNZ Charter Renewal - Good News For DTV Vendors

This Digital Broadcasters Vendor News Asia (DBVNA) message is directed at those involved in New Zealand's broadcast TV technology sector both at the individual company level as well as at the TV industry grouping level - to the opportunity for you to influence the digital direction of Television New Zealand (TVNZ). The reason is that it is now review time of the Television New Zealand charter as the country's national broadcaster. This takes place every 5 years. TVNZ faces the expansion of digital, responding to the changing needs of broadcaster - consumer/viewer interaction. Here is your opportunity to influence the choices and technology standards adopted by TVNZ as it moves into digital diversification both in digital delivery and content origination systems. The TVNZ says in its remit for Charter renewal: "of the 'high standards' it wishes to maintain in all areas. At the same time it intends to play a leading role in New Zealand television by setting standards of program quality and encouraging "creative risk-taking and experiment". I interpret that to mean that risks in content will require the need to have the technology available to support content experimentation. This is where manufacturers across all production and distribution areas can put to TVNZ's Engineering management proposals to make proprietary systems the preferred choice of TVNZ. There is no better time than at Charter renewal time when the corporation has to be legally open to new ideas and thinking in pursuit it license renewal - that is what the Charter review is all about. A TVNZ press announcement of earlier in July stated that the process for reviewing the TVNZ Charter is governed by the Television New Zealand Act 2003 which says the Charter must be reviewed every five years by Parliament. In preparation for the statutory review, TVNZ wishes to present the Minister of Broadcasting with a suggested redraft with the public's views on it. The way TVNZ wants to move forward and its proposals are presented online at http://www.tvnz.co.nz , use keyword: Charter Redraft. While the heightened publicity with advertisements on TV One and TV2 flagship channels of TVNZ are directed at a month long public debate, the actual TVNZ submission will not be made until later in the year to the Minister of Broadcasting. I suggest to you as a digital TV manufacturer or distributor, to consider making your move now to connect with TVNZ Engineering and push your case for them to adopt your new digital technology. Remember, that TVNZ will launch new digital channels later this year and early next with TVNZ 6 and TVNZ 7 and increasingly in future years through TVNZ ondemand, the TVNZ website and other media devices. If you are involved in the audio - radio side of the industry, you will be aware of the process that Radio New Zealand went through in its recent Broadcast Charter renewal. TVNZ informed DVBNA that it was following the process Radio New Zealand adopted for its Charter review. To recap, there are two areas that caught the attention of DBVNA in the TVNZ management proposals that give a guide as to new technology requirements as TVNZ moves ahead in the digital TV arena: Innovation and Development of New Zealand talent, as set out as follows: - TVNZ to promote innovation, risk taking and creativity to extend the range of ideas and experiences available to New Zealanders by creative risk-taking and experimentation. Areas of the current Charter covered by this redrafted point: - TVNZ to support and promote the talents and creative resources of New Zealanders and of the independent New Zealand film and television industry. The emphasis on the contribution on a greater contribution from the commissioning of outside production work.

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 | 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 | 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 | Kabul 98.1 Arman FM Online

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News has heard from Arman FM in Kabul. This is one of the digital radio and TV success stories of a war ravaged country. 98.1FM is online, with live streaming. Essentially, the station is trying to reach pockets in the country where their terrestrial transmission cannot reach. They are on satellite.

What is so good is that true inter-raction is possible with the Afghani Diaspora worldwide when someone has access to the Internet. Program requests and message are so easy. From within Afghanistan using the Roshan phone network it is a case of just dialling 456. Regular phone +93 799 780 456 and phone the answer phone menu instructions (option 1).

Listen Here

We at Digital Broadcasters Vendor News accessed Arman 98.1.FM using iTunes (being on Mac's) and the sound quality is terrific.

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 | Malaysia to Adopt DVB-T

So now we know, it is confirmed the Malaysian Government is going ahead with the adoption of DVB-T for digital terrestrial transmissions. Digital Broadcasters Vendor News notes that this is clearly ahead of the intended date of such an announcement - a month before the present Klang Valley trial was due for completion.

Deputy Information Minister Chia Kwang Chye who made the announcement, March 26 at the ABU Digital TV Symposium in Kuala Lumpur indicated that the results of the DTV trial were very positive, the meaning was "why wait?"

According to Mr Chia more than 60 percent of trial participants said signal quality was 'good' to 'very good'; 70 percent sound quality was better -- responses being all better than his department had imagined.

That means that DTTV will roll out in the Klang Valley in 2009, and in Mr Chye's quoted words "Malaysia was keen to trial the DVB-H standard for mobile phones".

Mr Chia said the Malaysian government's Digital Task Force was also considering the implementing the HD format in programming.

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 Broadcast | Ang Moves to Network Electronics

Digital Broadcasters Vendor News has been informed that Patrick Ang becomes the Regional Sales Director for Network Electronics in Singapore. Ang was hired from Harris Inc. Network Electronics a market leader in digital routing, signal processing and optical transport solutions says that Ang's appointment is related to its Asian expansion and making Singapore its Asian headquarters. The Norwegian company has had a presence in Singapore already for several years. Network Electronics said the move to giving the Singapore office "regional status was to speed up response times to customers. Patrick Ang has also worked for Leitch Inc, Videotek Inc, Thomson Grass Valley and Philips Electronics. Ang reports to Joel Lam, Managing Director of Network Electronics Asia.