German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF have reached early agreement with FIFA on broadcasting matches at the 2014 World Cup. According to a Playfuls.com report, the two broadcasters have acquired the rights to cover all 64 matches, with at least 44 being shown live, including all matches featuring Germany should the country’s national team qualify. The agreement was reached between FIFA and the broadcasters’ Munich-based sports right agency SportA, which also negotiated the German broadcasters’ TV deal for the 2010 World Cup in SA.
Cape Town’s bid to host the International Broadcast Centre for the 2010 Fifa World Cup has received a boost from the provincial government’s Ministry of Sports and Culture. MEC for Sport and Culture Whitey Jacob, said the department was giving R500 000 to the project. The international football governing body is expected to announce the winning city at the end of the month.
MultiChoice selects Intelsat to support mobile TV trial - 22/03/2007
MultiChoice, a local direct-to-home (DTH) television provider, has selected Intelsat to support its mobile broadcast TV trial in the metropolitan areas of Johannesburg, Soweto, Pretoria and Cape Town. According to a MyADSL.co.za report, the trial seeks to refine the transmission of Digital Video Broadcasting to Handheld (DVB-H) technology, as well as to understand more about the viewing patterns and content preferences of subscribers for mobile TV. ’MultiChoice has always been at the forefront of technological developments, and though mobile broadcast TV is in its infancy, we believe that there will be a growing demand for it in SA in the near future; especially in light of the 2010 World Cup,’ says Gerdus van Eeden, MultiChoice chief technology officer.
SA is gripped by the euphoria that she will make history as the first country on the continent to host the 2010 World Cup. However, somebody at SABC responsible for sports is seemingly living in another continent where soccer is played by the minority. The Sowetan reports that the case in point is the continuous relegation of national team soccer to ungodly hours when people should be watching movies. On February 7 the SA under-23 national side played against Uganda in the Beijing Olympics qualifier. The match started at 8.30pm but was only shown at 10pm by the public broadcaster, which has been campaigning for people to pay television licences. Based on the fact that it was Bafana Bafana’s first game under Carlos Alberto Parreira and with the focus on the 2010 World Cup, the majority of South Africans wanted to see the performance of the local-based players.
SABC sues PSL over broadcasting rights - 19/03/2007
The SABC is taking the PSL to court over broadcasting rights in a move bound to send shockwaves through local football circles. Hell-bent on protecting its broadcasting rights, the public broadcaster has already served the PSL with papers and the league is expected to fight back. The Sunday World reports that the old contract gives the SABC an option to renew it at the end of the current season. But the PSL seems to have other ideas. The league doesn’t want to give the whole cake to the SABC – only a slice. But the bosses at SABC headquarters in Auckland Park are reluctant to settle for anything less than the whole cake, especially in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup.
The 2010 World Cup LOC have started proceedings to evaluate bids to host the international broadcasting centre (IBC). The IBC will serve as the broadcasting hub for the world’s largest sporting event. ITWeb reports that Tumi Makgabo, LOC communications manager, says the three competing cities – Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban – submitted their written proposals late last week and the process has begun to evaluate them. Makgabo would not detail the requirements the LOC would need the cities to cater for, but says the proposals would have to meet broadcasting and technical requirements. Hosting the IBC would provide a fillip for the chosen city. The centre is expected to run 24 hours a day for the entire six-week period, and thousands of journalists and technical people will reside there during the event.
Thai football fans were pleasantly surprised in 2002 when they learned they would be able to watch all 64 World Cup matches uninterrupted for the first time. They can thank Vorawoot Rojanaparnich, then the plucky managing director of DhosPaak, the Thai Beverage Plc subsidiary that held the broadcast rights. The Bangkok Post reports that to secure the television rights for the World Cup in 2010 and 2014, Vorawoot relied on long-time connections he has made with prominent figures in sports built since he was a sports reporter more than three decades ago. With RS International Broadcasting and Sports Management Co, Vorawoot used the same ad-free proposal to win the rights for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
Draft agreement by month end - 15/03/2007
Government hopes to have a draft agreement on the allocations for information communication technology (ICT) for the 2010 World Cup by the end of the month, National Treasury head of 2010 World Cup Malcolm Simpson said on Thursday. He said that there were still some uncertainties around the responsibilities for the provision of ICT for the tournament. The World Cup’s ICT requirements were based on four main components, which included providing the infrastructure in the stadium and the exchange, a signal through a network to the International Broadcasting Centre, the International Broadcasting Centre that includes the centre’s internal requirements as well, and then sending the signal around the world, he explained.
Awards Highlight Excellence in Expanding Applications with Satellite Technology - 15/03/2007
Intelsat announced its awards to leading South African companies for their excellence in providing satellite-enabled services throughout the continent. This year’s recipients demonstrated unparalleled growth of their service offerings, technological innovation and application diversification. ’Intelsat’s more than 40-year history of providing satellite communication services to African-based broadcast, telephony and broadband service providers continues to grow. Whether it’s the global broadcast of the 2010 World Cup or the expansion of local cellular networks, Intelsat will continue to build services hand-in-hand with its partners,’ said Flavien Bachabi, Intelsat’s Regional Vice President, Africa. "’We are very proud to recognize our award recipients for their excellence in serving Africa with a diverse array of applications.’
Mediatech exhibition to showcase cutting edge technologies - 12/03/2007
Organised by Thebe Exhibitions, mediatech africa 2007 showcases cutting edge technologies and services from industry leaders in television and broadcast, sound and audio, lighting and staging, animation, communication, and every related field. Bizcommunity.com reports that the combination of technology, demonstrations, networking opportunities and special events attracts top quality visitors from all parts of the media, entertainment, broadcast and communication industries. Jess Goedhals, GM of the Broadcast and Professional division at Sony SA, says Sony SA has already won a contract to supply the SABC with the country’s first high-definition outside broadcast vehicle for the 2010 games. Goedhals, like many other exhibitors expect to drive a lot more business in the lead up to the 2010 World Cup with the products on show at mediatech africa 2007.
DA MP Dene Smuts likes to refer to public enterprises minister Alec Erwin as ’telephone minister number two’. Erwin is taking an increasingly hands-on role in trying to resolve SA’s stubbornly high telecommunications prices. The Financial Mail reports that Erwin is hoping to drive down telecom costs in a bid to attract call-centre operators and other investors to SA shores. He has also mooted the idea of building an undersea telecom cable to provide international bandwidth for, among other things, the 2010 World Cup and the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope project for which SA is competing with Australia.
Sentech seeks extra government funding - 12/03/2007
Cash-strapped state-owned broadcasting signal distributor and multimedia service provider Sentech is busy making preparations for the 2010 World Cup and hoping it will receive more funds from the state to install the necessary infrastructure. Business Day reports that Sentech will play a crucial role in providing satellite communications and broadband wireless coverage for the transmission of soccer matches and to ensure that SA meets its commitment to Fifa to provide high-speed links with a high availability between soccer stadiums, the international broadcasting centre and international gateways. Another major task is to achieve the migration from analogue to digital broadcasting, a process that is due to commence from November next year and be finished three years later.
The EASSy cable project has taken a step forward with the official signing of a turnkey Supply Contract. This follows the finalisation of the Supply Contract in Pretoria, SA, by the EASSy consortium last week. MyADSL.co.za reports that the supply contract has been signed by the 23-member EASSy consortium with Alcatel-Lucent who will lay the first ever optical submarine cable network landing in East Africa. The 9 900km high performance fibre optic cable will link eight countries from Sudan to SA, via Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar and Mozambique.Telkom SA COO, Reuben September said that the EASSy cable added to the diversity of solutions that form part of the total ICT solution from Telkom. ’In delivering a regional capacity of up to 320 Gbit/s, EASSy complements and increases Telkom’s capacity, especially with regard to taking the 2010 World Cup to the rest of the world.’ The EASSy project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2008.
The era of convergence is about to hit SA, as consumer electronics and IT devices come together to make sophisticated new entertainment systems easy to manage and deploy. High-definition television (HDTV), place-shifting, on-demand content, converged mobile communications and personal networking protocols are all on the brink of widespread adoption, said Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx. According to an ICT World report, he said that these and other consumer breakthroughs are imminent in SA, and he expects to see them demonstrated at the Johannesburg Futurex & Equip exhibition in May. HDTV is already a reality, and local viewers will soon be able to watch specially-filmed high-definition content as well. Certainly, by the time the World Cup rolls around in 2010, South Africans will be receiving high-definition content on their HDTVs.
Era of convergence hits SA - 01/03/2007
The era of convergence is about to hit SA, as consumer electronics and IT devices come together to make sophisticated entertainment systems easy to manage and deploy, says Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx. ICT World reports that these and other consumer breakthroughs are imminent in SA. High-definition television (HDTV) is already a reality and local viewers will soon be able to watch specially-filmed high-definition content as well. Certainly, by the time the World Cup rolls around in 2010, South Africans will be receiving high-definition content on their HDTVs.
Joburg works towards cutting telecoms costs - 25/02/2007
Johannesburg has launched a Request for Information (RFI) process to identify a partner for the development of the Joburg Broadband Network Project (JBNP). The Pretoria News reports that the city say the aim of the JBNP is to bring down telecommunications costs for the city while enabling improved service delivery in diverse areas ranging from traffic control to library services. ’Cities around the world are increasing the availability and accessibility of telecommunications to improve service delivery, education and economic development,’ said Douglas Cohen of the City’s Department of Economic Development. ’The network is also vital to cater for the City’s needs leading up to the 2010 World Cup and the anticipated demand for telecommunications at that time,’ he added.
SA to switch on digital broadcasting signal in 2008 - 22/02/2007
SA will start the migration from analogue to digital broadcasting by next year, as it prepares to fully migrate by late 2011, government spokesperson Themba Maseko said. Mining Weekly reports that he reported that SA’s digital signal would be switched on on November 1, 2008 and that the analogue signal would be turned off on November 1, 2011 - allowing for a three-year period of dual illumination. The network overhaul is driven by global trends of phasing out analogue technology. The International Telecommunications Union has set an international deadline of June 2015 for all regions in the world to migrate to digital broadcasting, but SA is facing a far more urgent deadline as it aims to broadcast the 2010 World Cup in digital technology.
An international broadcasting centre will be established for the World Cup finals which will serve as a legacy project for local content generation and development beyond the World Cup finals, the SA Cabinet has reported. Cabinet spokesperson Themba Maseko said that Cabinet had noted progress on the fulfillment of information and communications technology guarantees to Fifa in preparation for the 2010 World Cup. According to a report on the iafrica.com site, the final site of the broadcast centre — likely to be Cape Town or Johannesburg — would be determined by Cabinet ’in the near future’.
Partnership a unique opportunity for 2010 - 22/02/2007
Tensing of the Netherlands and USA, and IST Data, of Pretoria, SA, announced that they have formed a partnership to bring Tensing’s mobile and geo solutions to Africa. ITWeb reports that under the new partnership, IST will market, sell and deploy the Tensing solutions across Africa. The new arrangement enhances Tensing’s growing presence in Africa, while giving IST Data the ability to offer its customers a full suite of intelligent and flexible ICT solutions. ’We believe that under this partnership is a unique opportunity for the market to take advantage of mobile and geo technologies in preparation for worldwide events such as the World Cup in 2010,’ said Dirk Verbeek, Director of Marketing and Sales at Tensing.
SA’s Department of Communications (DOC) has received additional funding from National Treasury, thanks to a budget surplus. ITWeb reports that the funds, outlined in Finance Minister Trevor Manuel’s budget speech, have been earmarked for key projects such as Sentech’s digitalisation programme and the East African Submarine Cable System. Sentech’s budget for the next three years has been boosted by R200m, while the under sea cable benefits from an additional R21m. Additional allocations, totaling R377m over the next three years to end March 2010, have been added to the department’s budget for priorities including digital signal distribution, enhancing the regulatory framework, and ICT research and innovation.
Altech is making another bid to become a telecommunications operator after winning a test licence for mobile WiMax technology. MyADSL.co.za. the company is working with Samsung Electronics to set up a network to provide voice, data and high-speed Internet access to hand-held devices and computers in Gauteng. CE Craig Venter has wanted Altech to become a telecoms service provider in its own right for many months, rather than just manufacture equipment such as Sim cards and sell cellphone handsets and airtime. But Altech was expected to make its move either by acquiring or partnering with an existing telecoms player. ’Government should be preparing for the 2010 World Cup by issuing more licences for broadband services,’ he said. But there are still debates about its merits as the technology standards are not yet properly defined.
The imminent licensing of new players in the SA subscription TV market is an exciting development in a market dominated by the incumbents, M-Net and DStv. According to Business Report, in terms of a position paper developed recently by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa), the competition commission must unlock the potential of this lucrative market. Icasa sports-rights policy dictates that there should be no exclusivity in the broadcasting of national sports events. With the SABC as a potential competitor in the pay-TV market and the 2010 World Cup fast approaching, it will be interesting to see how the SABC uses its 2010 broadcasting rights to give itself a competitive advantage.
Government firm promises cheap broadband for all - 12/02/2007
The government is to launch an information development company, InfraCo, that will provide greater and more affordable access to broadband technology. According to Business Report, Public Enterprises Minister, Alec Erwin, said that InfraCo would provide long distance connectivity to the market on a reasonable cost basis. ’It will also meet our broadcast obligations for the 2010 World Cup.’ He said the government viewed broadband as a key driver of economic growth and wealth generation and it was essential that government gained access to reliable and affordable broadband.
Mother City eyes 2010 broadcast centre - 12/02/2007
The City of Cape Town is preparing itself to host the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) for the 2010 World Cup – a contract that should be awarded towards the end of March. ITWeb reports that Pieter Cronje, a spokeperson for Cape Town’s 2010 committee, says the city, along with competing cities Johannesburg and Durban, is eagerly awaiting a request for information from Host Broadcast Service. The Fifa-appointed company has the sole mandate to produce TV and radio signals for the events. According to the City of Cape Town’s 2010 plan, the IBC could be accommodated at a yet to be built extension of the Cape Town International Convention Centre, of which the municipality owns 51%. The IBC would operate 24 hours, seven days a week during the World Cup, scheduled to take place from 11 June to 11 July 2010.
There was never much danger that Sentech, the state-owned signal carrier, was going to set the world on fire anytime soon. Formerly a technical unit of the SABC, Sentech has long struggled to transform itself into a standalone entity able to exploit the many opportunities government has sent its way. According to a MyADSL.co.za report, more than 100 people resigned last year and six key executives are on their way out. Financial losses are mounting and it has no updated business plan. All this from an organisation which is supposed to create the core of a national wireless broadband network providing voice and data services. It will also play a key role in the 2010 World Cup, as the games will be broadcast over its network.
Deep and divisive job cuts at Sentech are about to enter phase two, building on the dismissal of six key executives and more than 100 resignations. The six executives are allegedly being dismissed in a move insiders say has more to do with personality clashes than sensible streamlining. According to an allAfrica.com report, Sentech’s top priority is a R1bn project to digitise the national broadcasting network so the 2010 World Cup can be transmitted using digital technology.
A German television boss has moved his family to Cape Town ahead of the 2010 World Cup. The Cape Argus reports that WIGE Media SA managing director Stefan Mohr is here to identify and train TV crews. ’We realised that if we are going to be involved with 2010, we would have to be here as soon as possible,’ said Mohr. Mohr’s adventure is an indicator of how SA has suddenly become a global focal point ahead of the world’s biggest single sporting event.
As SA prepares the more visible evidence of its readiness to host the 2010 World Cup, the information and communications technology (ICT) industry is trying to make sure it can also do its bit - a part that’s arguably as important as having the stadiums to host the games. According to a MyADSL.co.za report, like other role players, the Department of Communications has signed a set of guarantees with Fifa and former public corporation executive Victor Moche was appointed last year to head the committee that will help make those happen.
SA’s bandwidth plans for the 2010 World Cup and Infraco’s role are expected to be revealed when President Thabo Mbeki makes his annual address to the nation. Meanwhile, none of the key players seem to have a clear 2010 bandwidth plan they can outline. According to an ITWeb report, World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck estimates SA needs at least two terabits a second by the time 2010 rolls around.
The coming weeks will be among the most important in the PSL’s history as it re-negotiates the sale of television rights that could raise hundreds of millions of rands. It’s not the moolah that is exercising the best PSL minds. Rather it is the fact that, in re- selling its rights, the PSL is attempting to buy its freedom. The Sunday Times reports that the last time the league entered into a deal with the SABC it did so from a position of considerable financial desperation. This, hopes PSL chief executive Trevor Phillips, will change. The media industry is on the cusp of change. Telkom, Sentec and MTN are all said to be keen on becoming big industry players as they apply for television licences or consider doing so. After the new contract is up after three or five years — Phillips isn’t sure whether to end it just before or some time after the 2010 World Cup — the PSL will simply sell its television rights to the highest bidder.
