Thread: Satellite News June 2010

Al Jazeera Sports increase prices for World Cup


Mr. Nasser Bin Ghanim Al Khulaifi general director of Al Jazeera Sports Said that the subscription price to watch the World Cup soccer match hosted by South Africa this summer, in the period between June 11 and July 11 is $ 130 for non-subscribers to Al Jazeera Sports Package basic, although they will receive a separate bouquet to watch games and events of the next World Cup only, while the current Al Jazeera Sports subscribers will be the planned increase on the prices of their cards to obtain the additional package to watch the World Cup is $ 100.

There will be 5 channels Al Jazeera Sports channel, including full under the title "World Cup channel" in addition to channels +9 and +10 and Al Jazeera "HD", and channel three-dimensional "3D" specifically to cover all events and activities of the World Cup, through Al Jazeera Sports Cards and receiver Al Jazeera Sports (HD receiver) only, and not through any other package.

Comes of these decisions in the administration's preparations Jazeera Sports Channel to provide excellent coverage and unprecedented for the World Cup of the next studio analysis and commentary in Arabic and English, where preparations are underway in full swing to provide exclusive and comprehensive coverage of all World Cup events and Kowalish manner media is keen on innovation and excellence.

The management of sports viewers, dear island offers a range of pleasant surprises during the broadcast and the transfer of the events of the next World Cup to increase enjoyment of the matches in the tournament.

The Khulaifi had announced earlier that the channel will broadcast the World Cup, technology three-dimensional (3D).

The three-dimensional broadcast of a technological revolution, so this will allow the system to see the scenes of the island sports a three-dimensional stereoscopic images of superior quality and placed in direct contact with the event transferred to feel as though located inside the stadium.

It should be noted that the use of the island sports such modern technology is a major precedent where it will be the first channel in the broadcast technology, "3D" between the Arabs and the first three in the world all

The Viaccess PC 4.0 encryption in the spotlight of piracy



The latest version of conditional access system of the subsidiary of France T?l?com has to face delicitiva practice of hackers looking for vulnerable points.

From various social networks announced that the "hackers" have managed to give a further step in its intentions very safe encryption alleged Viaccess PC 4.0.



Once again be questioned again the vulnerability of this coding after the problems with the old PC versions 2.6 and PC 3.0. Now the latest reports say that Viaccess PC 4.0 has been "open" the anti-cardsharing, to share the sign of the pay-TV illegally.

One of the platforms it illegal practice punishable could be Al Jazeera Sports Qatar television in recent months had turned off the smart cards of its subscribers with the PC versions 2.6 and PC 3.0 with the goal of eradicating piracy.

In the case confirmed the vulnerability of Viaccess PC 4.0, a subsidiary of France T?l?com should rethink completely change the conditional access system and thus do not facilitate the task of hackers to the security of other encodings, such as or Videoguard Nagravision do not hesitate to focus its criminal practices in the French system.

“Dinosaur” broadcasters are about to transform themselves into 800lb gorillas

By Len Fertig and Mick Pilsworth
June 3, 2010 09.29 UK

Old-fashioned TV broadcasters have been having a pretty tough time over the past three years, squeezed by falling television advertising revenues during the recession, by the growth of internet advertising and by the rise of new content distribution platforms such as over-the-top TV (YouTube, Joost etc), Apple TV and, this month, Google TV.
But all this is about to change as the sleeping giants of the media wake up to the potential created by the switchover from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT).

For years commercial television broadcasters enjoyed almost monopolistic revenue positions, with analogue frequency availability limiting channel numbers and with regulatory controls limiting competition. With deregulation and the rise of competing platforms on satellite and cable, revenue sources came under pressure. Slow to get into pay platforms, broadcasters were hit harder than they expected by the rise of new distribution channels and the shift of commerce to the internet. And the growth of personal video recorders (PVRs), now at 32% penetration in the United States, means more ad-skipping.

Now, however, global switchover to DTT, rather than being another threat, is about to create the biggest re-birth of an industry since commercial radio revived itself in the ’90s.

Four factors are driving this.

The first is analogue switch-off. Under International Telecommunications Union regulations, 1.2 billion TV homes worldwide have to upgrade their TV receiving equipment by 2015. In the EU, the deadline for analogue switch-off is 2012. Whilst many countries, such as the United States and Spain, have already switched off analogue, 780 million TV sets are still analogue and will have to use a DTT set-top box or be replaced by DTT receivers. With the advent of DTT, broadcasters are forcibly dragged into the digital age and are beginning to see that DTT offers not just a threat but also an opportunity to offer premium services.

Secondly, the advent of the hard drive equipped set-top boxes means that DTT broadcasters can, in effect, become platforms, offering premium content via local storage of DTT-delivered content on the hard drive in the home. Time-shifting has proven to be far more popular than expected. The BBC iPlayer and Sky+ have shown that, given the opportunity, audiences love to watch TV in a non-linear way. And the need to store greater quantities of digital information in the home, such as digital photos, movies and data, is driving the adoption of high-capacity PVRs. Now it is possible to buy 1 terabyte hard drives, capable of storing 100,000 hours of content, for around ?100. Broadcasters can now, using newly available software, download high-quality premium content to hard drives on a 24/7 basis without the need for a return path. They can also control STBs remotely, automatically recording the best programmes for later playback, thus offering catch-up TV. And it is also possible to download premium and specialist advertiser-funded content overnight and even via the metadata stream of the DTT signal, thus downloading alongside the main broadcast stream, albeit it at reduced bit-rates. Additionally, the latest STB’s are hybrid versions, having both a DTT tuner and an Ethernet port, allowing access to both DTT reception for mass appeal content, and to the internet for “long-tail” programming.

Thirdly, broadcasters still own compelling content, such as soaps, local news and information, and sport, which are proven to drive viewer loyalty. During the recession, viewing of linear broadcast channels has actually increased. And broadcasters brands are preeminent everywhere, enabling them to achieve much faster consumer traction with new STB offerings that newer platforms. National and local broadcasters have an extraordinary level of trust among consumers, built over years of public service. When Freeview launched in the UK, it became the fastest-selling consumer electronics produce ever launched, and it is now in 19 million of the UK’s 25 million homes, largely on the back of extensive on-air promotion.

Finally, the launches of internet protocol based television delivery services have begun to face economic and technical problems. There is as yet no business model that seems to be viable, as viewers are difficult to convince to pay for content. Additionally, the cost of creating edge server networks for simultaneous delivery of high-definition and 3D content, is prohibitive. It has only recently become apparent that the “backbones” of internet delivery networks are engineered for downloading, not for simultaneous mass live IP streaming. BT had to re-configure its entire network to cater for a maximum of 1 million live feeds of the recent IP-only England football qualifier. The live feed on the internet of the World Cup Final in 3D will be, technically, impossible for decades. Economically, it may never be viable.

By contrast, the variable cost to the DTT broadcaster of distributing content to the home is almost zero; once the network has been built, the cost of adding an extra home is the cost to the consumer of buying a DTT TV or an STB, with little additional distribution cost to the broadcaster.

In Italy, the biggest commercial broadcaster, Mediaset, is using a new technology, BesTV, to offer catch-up TV, live pause and premium movies to the home using only the DTT network for delivery. With BesTV-enabled STB’s selling retailing in Italy at €129.99, sales are expected to reach 500k units by the end of this year.

While no one can argue that broadband is the best way for households to access “long tail” content, it has become painfully evident that the most cost-effective way to distribute mainstream, mass-interest programming, weather news, entertainment, or sports, is digital terrestrial distribution. Ultimately, this argues in the longer term for a hybrid combination of DTT for mass interest viewing, and broadband delivery for long tail content.

But for the 70%+ of the world population that receives their TV over the air, and doesn’t have broadband, the future is clearly DTT. Even in the UK, one of the most advanced television markets, 19 million out of 25 million households receive Freeview today, including most satellite households.

Mediaset is not the only broadcaster in the world to offer premium content to the home via DTT, but the success of its low-cost Pay TV model is attracting worldwide attention and many more DTT broadcasters will soon be in a position to offer premium TV at less than half of the monthly cost of DTH, cable or IP platforms.

As Easyjet and Ryanair have proved in the airline business, consumers are hungry for low-cost offerings, and this seems to also apply in the cut-throat world of Pay TV. And with TV ad revenues on the rise again, broadcasters everywhere are considering turning themselves into DTT Pay TV platforms and once again taking their rightful position in the media landscape: the best monetizers of content the world has ever seen.

Ryan: Ireland will meet DTT deadlines

By Julian Clover
June 3, 2010 11.27 UK

Ireland’s minister for communications Eamon Ryan has told parliament digital free-to-air services from RTE will be on air this October and that Ireland will fulfil its obligations to complete analogue switch-off in the final quarter of 2012.
While the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and its predecessor the Broadcasting Commission have struggled to get a commercial DTT service on air, Ryan told The D?il that public broadcaster RTE had assured him it would be in a position to launch services to 90% of the population by October 31, 2010.

“I have informed RTE that the date for the provision of a full national digital terrestrial television service is 31 December 2011. In conjunction with this, the memorandum of understanding I signed earlier this year with the United Kingdom will facilitate co-ordination around the roll-out of digital terrestrial television and analogue switch-off with Northern Ireland.” He added that the digital switchover would also give Ireland the ability to launch broadband services into rural communities. “I regret that the BAI process did not result in a commercial DTT operator as it would have delivered additional consumer choice. As a result of the outcome of the BAI’s commercial DTT process, I am in detailed discussions with the BAI, ComReg and RTE to consider the broadcasting, telecommunications and spectrum policy issues that arise. Meanwhile, it is important to note that commercial DTT is not essential to provide for analogue switch-off. It is the transition from free-to-air analogue to free-to-air digital that will yield the digital dividend. RTE’s plans for the national DTT service are advancing.”

In the absence of a commercial player a working group has been established to set the necessary technical standards. Ryan said receivers, which will run MPEG-4, DVB-T2, are ready to go. They will be tested by Sweden’s Teracom and comply with specifications set out by the Scandinavia standards body NorDig.

Hazlitt to head ITV online

By Julian Clover
June 3, 2010 10.32 UK

The former chief executive of radio group GCap Media Fru Hazlitt is to join ITV plc as managing director of commercial and online. It means the departure of Ben McOwen Wilson, ITV’s director of online and interactive, who becomes the latest high profile name to leave the commercial broadcaster. A series of structural changes in commercial and online have already seen the departure of Dominic Cameron, ITV’s director of online for the past two years.

Hazlitt, whose previous positions include chief executive of Virgin Radio, managing director, Yahoo UK and European commercial director, Yahoo Europe will unite ITV’s airtime and online businesses. The company’s strategic review has highlighted the need to exploit properties and brands more effectively.

The new role of managing director, commercial and online combines the roles previously occupied by Rupert Howell (Managing Director, Brand and Commercial) and McOwen-Wilson Both Howell and McOwen Wilson leave ITV in the summer. Peter Fincham will continue to have editorial control of ITV output across all platforms, including online.

McOwen Wilson joined ITV in 2006 as its first director of strategy before moving to the then ITV consumer division as COO. He was appointed director of online and interactive in 2008, building ITV.com, the interactive and telephony business and video on demand activities via the ITV Player. His work with former BBC Future Media chief Ashley Highfield lead to the development of Project Kangaroo, where he became chairman, before the project was thwarted by the Competition Commission.

Channel 4 'embroiled in Pope doc row'



Channel 4 'embroiled in Pope doc row'
Friday, June 4 2010, 11:16 BST
By Andrew Laughlin,

Channel 4 has reportedly angered leading Catholics by commissioning equality campaigner and outspoken critic of the Vatican Peter Tatchell to front a new documentary about the Pope.

The broadcaster has selected Tatchell, who is one of the founding members of the Protest The Pope campaign group, to present a 60-minute programme on the Holy Father.

The programme is scheduled to air on Channel 4 in September to coincide with Pope Benedict XVI's planned visit to the UK.

Tatchell has previously been a vocal critic of the Pope's stance on homosexuality and contraception. He has also claimed that the religious leader is "an unsuitable guest of the UK government".

Channel 4 said that the programme will consider the Pope's impact on the developing and Western worlds, with a wide range of views being covered, reports The Daily Telegraph.

However, Toy politician Ann Widdecombe, who famously converted to Catholicism, said that the programme will demonstrate the anti-Catholic bias in Britain.

"I think this will confirm the view that there probably already is in the Vatican that this is a profoundly anti-Catholic country," she said.

"I wouldn't call this the right thing for any serious broadcaster to do, but they're doing it for the publicity, they're doing it to stir up controversy. Mr Tatchell certainly won't be sympathetic to his subject, so what’s the point of doing it? It won't be sceptical, it will be hostile."

Catholic writer Christina Odone added: "Peter himself would be the first to admit that he is no authority on the subject.

"And perhaps it would be good, rather than have some polemical, knee-jerk reaction to the Pope if Channel 4 would be interested in actually shedding light on a figure who is so important, and so often misinterpreted and misunderstood - and of whom more needs to be known.

"I don't think the founding father of [gay rights pressure group] Outrage! is the right person for this."

In response, Tatchell defended his right to present the "robustly factual" programme, which will explore the Pope's "personal, religious and political journey since the 1930s, as well as the motives and effects of his controversial policies".

Channel 4 head of specialist factual Ralph Lee added: "The Papal visit in September provides an ideal opportunity to examine the impact of Benedict XVI after five years in office.

"In keeping with Channel 4's remit to provide a platform for diverse and alternative perspectives, equality campaigner Peter Tatchell will assess the effect of the current Pope's teachings throughout the world and the conflict between some of his values and those held by modern Britain."
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TalkSport grabs Rugby World Cup rights





TalkSport grabs Rugby World Cup rights

By Andrew Laughlin,

TalkSport has secured exclusive UK radio commentary rights to the rugby union World Cup next year.

The UTV Media-owned station will air live commentary from 48 matches from the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which is being held in New Zealand.

Scott Taunton, TalkSport chief executive, said that the deal reinforces the station's reputation as the "UK's most exciting live sports broadcaster".

He added: "Our aim, as exclusive radio broadcasters for Rugby World Cup 2011, is simple - to bring the same distinctive, passionate and energetic approach that we deliver week in and week out in our Premier League commentaries to the Rugby World Cup 2011."

TalkSport programme director Moz Dee said that the station will be announcing some "exciting" new talent signings before the tournament begins on September 9, 2011.

The exclusive deal was agreed with sports marketing group IMG, which handles the rights on behalf of Rugby World Cup organiser the International Rugby Board (IRB).

"We are extremely pleased that we've been able to secure TalkSport as our exclusive UK radio broadcast partner for the Rugby World Cup 2011," said IRB chief executive officer Mike Miller.

"They will bring their unique sound, style and passion for live sport to a tournament that is firmly established as one of the world’s premier sports events.”

However, the deal will be a blow to Five Live, which has built a strong reputation for covering the tournament in recent years.

In February, Five Live also lost a third of its live Premier League matches after TalkSport secured exclusive rights to late afternoon Saturday and early Sunday kick-offs.
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Arqiva delivers Hallmark UK







Arqiva delivers Hallmark UK
04 Jun 10 -

Broadcast services provider Arqiva has begun providing uplink and satellite capacity to Universal Networks International channel Hallmark UK.

Arqiva is providing backhaul from London’s Chiswick Park facility using diverse fibre to two of Arqiva’s POPs and then on to its Bedford Teleport. Here the channel is statistically multiplexed and uplinked onto Eutelsat’s Eurobird at 28.5? East for delivery to BSkyB’s pay-TV platform