WRN Incorporates Pharos Mediator 4.2
WRN has closed a deal with the integrated media management, workflow and playout company, Pharos, to incorporate the latest Pharos Mediator 4.2 system as part of its company-wide commitment to providing high quality TV ingest and playout solutions. 

On the back of the recent TSI acquisition, WRN is using its larger scale integrated services environment as a key value add to both new customer and its existing client base.

Mediator is content agnostic and allows WRN to create workflows and content services that match the unique needs of individual clients.

If you are interested in discussing WRN's media management capabilities, contact [email protected].

Access DTH in Italy via Sky Italia
WRN is pleased to announce that this month it has successfully launched the Word Television Network onto Italy's premiere DTH platform, Sky Italia, on EPG 823. As The Word Network's chosen provider to backhaul its content on transatlantic fibre and uplink onto Eurobird 1 for the Sky platform in the UK, WRN was the natural choice for helping The Word to expand its global reach. Capitalising on its good relationship with Sky Italia, WRN provided The Word with a full consultancy service to ensure a successful launch.

SKY Italia is an Italian digital satellite television platform owned by News Corporation, which launched on 31 July 2003. It is similar in many ways to BSkyB's Sky Digital in the United Kingdom and Ireland and like that network, it is a major sports broadcaster.

WRN can provide consultancy on worldwide DTH platform launches and provide a full, technical turnkey solution for broadcasters wishing to reach other markets.

If you would like to discuss you global broadcasting aspirations, including accessing DTH, please contact [email protected]

Freesat Exceeds 600,000 Receivers
Freesat is a BBC and ITV-backed satellite programming system that provides viewers with the first HD digital TV and Radio with complete interactivity from one box. It was launched 18 months ago in May 2008. The system has now sold over 600,000 set-top boxes in total, and 200,000 were sold during the summer period as more and cheaper receivers came onto the market.

The number of integrated TV sets that are now available with Freesat pre-installed has helped to push the number of sales up. These numbers go some way to showing that, despite the climate of economic uncertainty, the outlook for Freesat remains strong with continuing sales from customers new to satellite TV and radio and from those wishing to make use of their existing satellite dish. Freesat is free of charge as part of the UK's commitment to make a core number of channels available to the whole population ahead of the nation's analogue switch off, which is already well-advanced but which will see the final regions of the UK go dark during 2012. BSkyB also has a ‘Freesat-by-Sky' product and service but does not reveal those numbers. Sky has some 9.45m paying subscribers.

WRN can guide broadcasters wishing to go onto Freesat through the launch process, having already successful placed eight channels on the EPG. WRN provides its clients with uplink and capacity services on the Eurobird satellite (used to feed Freesat) and EPG services. For more information please contact the Sales team on [email protected]

Sirius 4 Satellite for Africa
Sirius 4 is a platform covering the majority of Africa. Launched in 2007 and with a planned 15 year lifetime, Sirius 4 satellite has six transponders, some of which are already contracted to provide DTH bouquets - mainly in South Africa and Nigeria. There are also a growing number of religious neighborhoods, making the satellite an attractive proposition for Christian clients. Sirius 4 also presents broadcasters with a low cost opportunity to reach Africa - hitherto very difficult to access via ku band capacity.

It is located at 4.8° East and uses Ku which can be received with 90cm dishes.

For more information on Sirius 4, please contact the WRN Sales team at [email protected]

Sportel 2009
Representatives from the WRN Sales and Business Development Team attended this year's SportelMonaco, the 20th anniversary of the ever growing Convention, the world's largest and most important market for international sports content executives

This years Sportel was launched against the backdrop of the first ever live streaming of an England International Football Match. The rights holders hailed the success of the match with 200,000 people paying to view the match online; in total an estimated 500,000 people watched the game. The rights owners (Kentaro) have so far been reticent about revealing the specific amount of revenue generated through steaming the game online, but with the BBC only offering £900,000 for the rights, it is assumed that it was a financial success, and proved that viewers are willing to consume their media in this way.

However UEFA urged caution, stating that the revenue generated for the rights of the matches should be optimised, rather than maximised, to ensure that as many fans as possible have access to the matches.

Attendance appeared to be down on last year, but with many exhibitors maintaining their presence including the NBA, Eurosport, the BBC and MP Silva, there was lots to interest the attendees.

Even after the tough year Setanta have had, it still managed to host its legendary party at the Monaco Irish Bar.

Key topics of discussion included maximising content available to fans through the digitalising of archive content and the expansion of broadcast coverage into new territories.

For more information about Sportel visit www.sportelmonaco.com

AIB Awards 2009
WRN will be joining over 200 opinion-formers, including parliamentarians, regulators, CEOs, journalists and editors at the 2009 AIB Awards at LSO St Luke's in Shoreditch, London on 4th November 2009.

The awards celebrate the success and reward excellence in international TV, radio and online production.

With over 90% of the global TV audience not having English as a first language, this event is truly global, and actively encourages entries in other languages.

If you would like to join WRN at this event, please contact [email protected]

For more information regarding the AIB Awards, refer to www.aibawards.com