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0 Comments Share Your browser does not support the audio element. Derrick Hall satisfied with D-backs’ buying and selling Grace expects Greinke trade to have emotional impact It’s an endeavor, though, the Cardinals team president isn’t so sure Glendale is entirely up for.“We’re going to continue going after big games,” said Bidwill. “We’re a finalist for the Final Four. We’ve got the [College Football Playoff] Championship Game for 2016. We as a community and as a state will continue to do that, but if there is a city like Glendale that doesn’t want to participate, they are going to lose out. “All the activities are going to go to the other cities that are participating. And in this instance, it’s going to be Phoenix and Scottsdale for the most part. And, they are great partners. The problem with Glendale all comes down to leadership and shortsightedness.” Update:In response to Bidwill’s comments, the City of Glendale released the following statement:Glendale’s past performance with hosting the 2008 Super Bowl as well as, national championship college football games, the 2010 WrestleMania and other mega events, has effectively prepared the city for the opportunity to host the 2015 Super Bowl. The city is excited and eager to welcome fans to Arizona for the 2015 game. Glendale continues to coordinate within its control and to use its experience and expertise to work with the NFL and cities throughout the Valley to make next year’s game another successful event in Glendale. “I think generally, the community is doing a good job,” Bidwill said. “But when you’re talking specifically about Glendale, they are acting very selfishly.”A major issue currently causing some disconnect between the league and Glendale has been the city’s inability to shore up guaranteed prices for its hotel block.And with just a year remaining until the Valley plays host to its third Super Bowl, Bidwill said it’s certainly ruffling some feathers at the most inopportune of times.“You look specifically at the hotels out there, they’re are just worried about their bottom line,” said Bidwill, who serves on the Super Bowl 2015 planning committee. “That’s not how great cities act. That’s not the way great leaders act. If people and cities want to be big time, they have to come together.“We are, the Cardinals included, giving so that we get this. It’s a collective effort from the corporate world from the government side to the public sector side, so that we can continue to work hard to compete to be in these rotations.”From an economic standpoint, Bidwill said hosting the Super Bowl could be worth up to $500 million and is a major boon when it comes to attracting both future tourism and major sporting events. Top Stories With Super Bowl XLVIII week winding its way down in the New York/New Jersey area, the clock has begun to tick for the city of Glendale, who will host next year’s big game.Back in November, Arizona Cardinals team president Michael Bidwill expressed ‘concern’ about the city’s ability to host the NFL’s biggest event — a stance he didn’t veer from as a guest on the Dan Bickley Show with Vince Marotta on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Thursday from Radio Row in New York. Former Cardinals kicker Phil Dawson retires The 5: Takeaways from the Coyotes’ introduction of Alex Meruelo LISTEN: Michael Bidwill- President of the Arizona Cardinals 
House panel takes testimony on Rep. Rendon measureLegislation requiring Michigan community colleges to inform applicants who have served in the military that they may be eligible for class credit based on training gained while in the service was reviewed today by the House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.State Rep. Bruce Rendon, sponsor of House Bill 5036, welcomed Staff Sgt. Trahern Jasper of Rochester Hills and Jason Allen, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency senior policy advisor, to testify before the committee.“This recognizes the quality training veterans receive while serving our country that should be considered as they transition to the civilian workforce,” said Rendon, R-Lake City. “I’m happy to be offering another step to help our nation’s heroes increase their employment opportunities in Michigan as quickly as possible.”Under Rendon’s bill, community colleges must inform qualified veterans, members of an armed forces reserve branch or members of the Michigan National Guard that they may qualify to receive academic credit for college-level training and education he or she received while serving in the military.To pursue this opportunity, the applicant must submit a joint services transcript for potential transfer credits evaluation.HB 5036 remains under consideration by the House committee. Categories: News,Rendon News 12Feb College credit for military training considered
05Feb Lucido, House Republicans announce ‘Action Plan’, renewed focus on Michigan’s families Categories: Lucido News State Rep. Peter J. Lucido participated in the unveiling of the 2015-16 House Republican Action Plan on Thursday, which spells out key priorities for the upcoming legislative session.Lucido said the policy goals announced will make Michigan a better place for families.“My focus continues to be on the families and communities of Shelby, Washington, Bruce and Romeo,” said Lucido, a Republican from Shelby Township. “Michigan’s economy has greatly improved the last four years, but now isn’t the time to coast. The Action Plan will keep us focused on the right priorities for the next two years.”Lucido, vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee and member of the House Criminal Justice Committee, also appreciated the attention paid to potential reforms in these areas of the Action Plan.“My experience as a small business owner and in the courtroom will be an asset as these committees take a look at tough issues,” Lucido said.The Action Plan can be viewed online at http://gophouse.org/focusonmich/.###
No appointment is necessary to attend coffee hours. Anyone unable to attend who would like to voice a question or concern to Rep. VanderWall may contact his office at (517) 373-0825 or CurtVanderWall@house.mi.gov. 18Aug Rep. VanderWall invites residents to August coffee hours State Rep. Curt VanderWall encourages residents to attend his local coffee hours during the month of August.“Citizens deserve an open and accountable state government,” VanderWall said. “I want to hear about the issues that are important to people and how they would like me to address them.”Rep. VanderWall will be available at the following times and locations:Monday, Aug. 289 to 10 a.m. at the Board of Commissioners Room in the Leelanau County Government Center, 8525 E. Government Center Drive in Suttons Bay; andNoon to 1 p.m. at the Board of Commissioners Room in the Benzie County Government Center, 448 Court Place in Beulah. Thursday, Aug. 319 to 10 a.m. at the Airport Conference Room, 5300 W. US 10 in LudingtonNoon to 1 p.m. at the Board of Commissioners Room in the Manistee County Government Center, 415 Third St. in Manistee. Categories: VanderWall News
Share24Tweet10ShareEmail34 Shares“Obama press box” by Payton ChungMay 16, 2017; Fortune “Alone in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump began the discussion by condemning leaks to the news media, saying that Mr. Comey should consider putting reporters in prison for publishing classified information, according to one of Mr. Comey’s associates.”NPQ published a newswire yesterday that suggested that it was up to nonprofits to defend our basic democratic freedoms, including freedom of the press. Yesterday, we were reminded of the importance of that as the substance of a meeting between Trump and former FBI Director James Comey was covered in the New York Times. That report revealed that Trump urged Comey to consider imprisoning journalists who report stories on the basis of leaks of classified material. This apparently occurred at the same time he suggested that Comey help get the Flynn investigation shut down.Today, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press responded.“The comments attributed to President Trump cross a dangerous line. But no president gets to jail journalists. Reporters are protected by judges and juries, by a Congress that relies on them to stay informed, and by a Justice Department that for decades has honored the role of a free press by spurning prosecutions of journalists for publishing leaks of classified information,” said Reporters Committee Executive Director Bruce Brown. “Comments such as these, emerging in the way they did, only remind us that every day public servants are reaching out to reporters to ensure the public is aware of the risks today to rule of law in this country. The president’s remarks should not intimidate the press but inspire it.”NPQ has pointed out many times that our democratic freedoms, under constant attack during this administration, depend in part on a free press. Imagine if the comments so blithely thrown out about the press were comments about nonprofits. Would we feel threatened as a sector? Should nonprofits be more vocal in protecting our partners in democracy?—Ruth McCambridgeShare24Tweet10ShareEmail34 Shares
Eutelsat has announced plans to unify the names of its satellites as part of a rebranding exercise.From March 1, the company’s satellites will take the Eutelsat name associated with the relevant figure for their orbital position and a letter indicating their order of arrival at that position. W6 at 21.5° East will, for example, become Eutelsat 21A.Satellites located at Eutelsat’s four West positions will include West in their name, for example Atlantic Bird 2 will become Eutelsat 8 West A.Eutelsat’s Hot Bird brand will be retained. It will adopt the numbering system to be implemented for all other satellites, so Hot Bird 6 will become Eutelsat Hot Bird 13A.Andrew Wallace, Eutelsat chief commercial officer said: “We strive to associate the Eutelsat brand with customer service, engineering excellence and market-leading innovation. Associating the names of our satellites with our Group name and its heritage reflect this vision and mission. As we continue our push for further in-orbit expansion, with six satellites to be launched from 2012 to 2014, this new naming programme will enhance the awareness and understanding of our commercial offer.”[ad_banner]
Swisscom has launched a pilot LTE project offering high-speed mobile broadband services in seven areas popular with tourists.The pilot is targeted at holiday makers who can receive seven days of mobile broadband speeds of up to 100Mbps for CHF19 (€15). A monthly offer is also available for CHF60. Users will require an LTE-enabled USB modem.The trial is scheduled to operate until mid-2012 in Davos, Grindelwald, Gstaad, Leukerbad, Montana, Saas Fee and St. Moritz/Celerina.
Sales of 3D TVs are expected to increase 100% in the 10 European countries covered in a new report by market researcher GfK and the German consumer electronics association the GFU.The new research predicts sales of 3D TVs in those markets will reach 10 million this year, rising to 12.45 million in 2013.Sales of Smart TVs are expected to reach 13 million this year, an increase of 30%. The report predicts that sales will increase to 16 million in 2013.Revenue from the sale of TVs in the 10 markets will reach €21 billion this year, according to the research.
US-based rating agency Nielsen is to begin measuring online viewing in what is seen as a response to concerns by broadcasters that falling ratings could be attributed to viewers migrating to online without their views of content being measured.The company revealed in a memo to clients that it would begin measuring online viewing through broadband-enabled devices in the autumn, enabling it to track viewing of services such as Hulu. It will also be able to identify when viewers are watching subscription video-on-demand services including Netflix but will not be able to measure viewership of specific shows in most cases.It is unclear how much take-up Nielsen will see for its measurement of online viewing as advertising line-ups online typically differ from those of the broadcast networks. Neilsen is also currently unable to track viewing on devices including tablets.
Appear TV is exhibiting at ANGA COM on Stand O9, Hall 10.1 Cable operator optical access solution provider, Aurora Networks has launched a standards-compliant optical beat interference-free (OBI-free) Radio Frequency over Glass (RFoG) solution.Announcing the release at ANGA, Aurora said the RFoG solution makes rolling out higher data in the upstream much more feasible and practical for operators, allowing them to maximise the benefits of DOCSIS 3.0 technology.Aurora also claimed that its OBI-free RFoG solution is the first and only standards-compliant solution that meets the complete RFoG Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) specification.RFoG is a deep-fibre network design, first introduced in 2006.
Liberty Global-owned cable operator Unitymedia has struck a new agreement with Dortmund housing association Spar- und Bauverein eG Dortmund to provide triple-play services to about 11,600 housing units in Dortmund, Unna and Holzwickede.The deal means that Spar- und Bauverein eG Dortmund tenants will be able to receive digital TV services, telephony and internet speeds of up to 150Mbps.
Russian film and TV companies are creating a new group that will fight online piracy.The group, which does not yet have a name, will represent rights holders and is being led by Amedia, the producer and pay TV operator that recently launched a new premium ‘Russian HBO’ service having snagged rights to HBO content.At the time of the launch Amedia president Alexander Akopov told DTVE sister title TBI that the main competition for the new service his company launched comes not from rival pay TV services but from pirates.“There is a huge demand for that HBO quality product and until now it had been provided in Russia by pirates and millions are watching it that way,” he said. “We need to be quicker than the pirates.”The formation of the group comes as local reports suggest Russian president Vladimir Putin has approved new rules cracking down on websites enabling illegal downloading of TV and film content.
Russian service provider ER-Telecom, which operates under the Dom.ru brand, has launched a new HD set-top box that will enable a range of new features including viewing on multiple devices, catch-up TV, video-on-demand and enhanced search.Dom.ru subscribers will also beble to use their mobile devices as a remote control, a feature ER-Telecom said was so far unique in the Russian pay TV market.Other features enabled by the second-generation box include the ability to search content by multiple fields including actors and a karaoke service enabled by a microphone.The box is supplied by Humax to a design by UK-based V2 Studios and will be on general sale from April.
Russian retail and banking group Trellas has launched a new hybrid OTT TV service, TVzor, with an ambition to sign up 100,000 users in the first year.Trellas, which operates the Svyaznoy retail and banking chain, has teamed up with Israeli technology group Vidmind to launch the service. Vidmind, which is providing a cloud-based hybrid OTT and digital-terrestrial platform for the service, has also made a US$30 million (€22 million) investment in Vidmind.TVzor aims to provide a primary TV service for Russian households combining free-to-air digital channels with OTT catch-up TV and premium VoD via a hybrid set-top box. The service is also available on multiple screens, including PCs, Android and Apple devices, and smart TV portals.Boxes can be purchased from Svyaznoy retails stores or online, with plans to expand to other retail outlets soon.“The time has come for a new player on the Russian TV scene – one who can capture the big screen by offering a primary TV service and an affordable STB,” said Mikhail Nepomnyaschy, CEO of TVzor. “Vidmind provided us with a turnkey solution that allowed us to leapfrog two generations within the Russian TV broadcasting landscape and let us focus on what we do best – content and marketing.”“We are excited about working with TVzor because it is a textbook example of how a retailer can become a virtual TV operator fairly quickly and at minimal cost and risk,” said Danny Peled, CEO of Vidmind. “The emergence of virtual operators means a better, more affordable and personalized TV experience for users worldwide. We’re pleased to be able to empower these innovative companies with the means to create a strong and competitive TV service.”
DramaFever, a streaming site that specialises in Asian and Latino drama, is reportedly partnering with AMC to launch a dedicated horror site called Shudder. According to a GigaOm report, the site, which already has a landing page, is due to go live in the coming months, with DramaFever co-founder Seung Bak mentioning at a conference in San Francisco in June that it planned to launch a horror movie channel in 2015.Though the launch of Shudder is yet to be formally announced, DramaFever already works with AMC to power the latter’s Doc Club site. This is a Sundance-affiliated, pay-monthly streaming site that specialises in documentaries.US-based DramaFever was initially founded in 2009 and was bought out by Japanese telco Softbank in October of this year.
The BBC reported 255 million iPlayer programme requests in March, an average of 9 million requests per-day for catch-up content. The overall figures were down year-on-year and month-on-month, but the BBC cautioned that some TV request data “was not captured” in March.“We estimate around 6 million requests are missing from TV platforms in March.Some changes were made to radio streaming services in February – which has affected radio figures for February and March,” the BBC said in its monthly iPlayer performance pack.Of the data that was collected, the BBC said that car show Top Gear – which recently made headlines after presenter Jeremy Clarkson was dropped for attacking a producer on the show – was the most watched programme on iPlayer in March.Period drama Poldark and singing competition The Voice also featured in the top-five most-accessed shows.
Julien BergeaudDiscovery-owned Eurosport has made a series of exec changes including a new global content chief and new country manager for France.Julien Bergeaud becomes senior VP and country manager for France, taking overall charge of both the Eurosport and Discovery businesses in the territory.He will oversee channel management, sports rights (for France and southern Europe) and commercial functions, reporting to Marinella Soldi, president and managing director, Discovery Networks Southern Europe.Bergeaud has been with Eurosport since 1999 and been director of rights acquisitions and was most recently development director, launching local Eurosport feeds in France, Benelux and Turkey.Former Eurosport France boss Arnaud Simon will move from managing director, to senior VP, content and production, across the Eurosport Group.In his new role, the twenty-year company veteran will, Eurosport said, “develop new standards in global production values, partnering closely with the local markets to ensure Eurosport’s content and the expression of its brand values are executed consistently across all markets”.On the distribution side of the business, Laurent Prud’Homme has been promoted to senior VP, rights acquisitions and syndication. He will identify the rights Eurosport need and work across local and pan-regional rights deals for the sport channel.Joining from Turner’s news channel CNN, Jonathan Davies, has been hired as managing director, advertiser partnerships for Eurosport and Discovery in Europe. At CNN, he was executive VP, CNN International, running global ad sales and ad-funded programming.Peter Hutton, CEO of Eurosport, said: “Today’s announcement is a strengthening of Eurosport’s leadership team that will transform our business and drive world-class standards in sports programming, production, promotion and platforms.”
Danish telco TDC has signed a deal to bring HBO Nordic, the premium content provider’s Scandinavian OTT service, to its TV subscribers.TDC will make HBO Nordic available to TDC TV and YouSee TV Plus cable customers, bringing content including Game of Thrones and True Detective to its customers. HBO Nordic will be made available across the web, tablets and smartphones by TDC as well as on TV.“We are very excited about our new partnership with HBO Nordic as it is another step to fortify TDC’s position as the preferred provider of home entertainment to Danish consumers. We provide customers with all the content they desire all in one place and HBO Nordic delivers just that; premium TV-series and film,” said TDC chief content officer Christian Philip Morgan.
Focusing exclusively on fibre-to-the-premises is likely to be counter-productive in enabling Europe to reach the Gigabit Society goals set by the European Commission, according to a report commissioned by cable group Liberty Global.The report argues that a range of technologies currently considered “very high-capacity” by the Commission, including G.Fast close to the end user, fibre-to-the-building or premise, DOCSIS and fibre-to-the-home, are all capable of meeting the 2025 targets.However, deploying very high-capacity networks based on DOCSIS, Gigabit speeds could be achieved as early as the end of 2017, eight years ahead of schedule and at a lower cost than FTTP, it says.The report warns against any move by policy makers to favour FTTP at the expense of other technologies.“The wrong intervention could be wasteful, or even damaging. For example, support for an expensive and slow-to-deploy technology could drive up prices and paralyse investment in other technologies which might have delivered improved performance more quickly,” it says, citing what it identifies as examples of counter-productive policies in Australia, Korea and Japan.The Commission’s vision of a Gigabit Society by 2025 will require investors in broadband networks to deploy a range of technologies when connecting homes and businesses to ultra-fast broadband, including G.Fast, fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP), DOCSIS and 5G, according to the report.Liberty Global claims that its networks reach about 50 million Gigabit-ready homes and businesses in Europe and Latin America. The group has launched a new campaign called GIGAWorld highlighting its plans to bring Gigabit internet speeds to the 12 European countries in which it operates.Robert Kenny, founder of Communications Chambers and co-author of the report, said: “Thanks to investment already under way by cable operators, Gigabit broadband will be available to roughly half the premises in Europe by 2018 – far ahead of the Commission’s target of 2025. This will allow the Commission – and member states – to focus elsewhere, where interventions are necessary.”
UK-based digital content company, Brave Bison, reported lower revenues but also reduced losses in H1 2017, after axing more than 50% of its staff in the past year.Announcing interim results for the first half of 2017, the company, which was formerly known as Rightster, said that its headcount now stands at 57, down from 124 in June 2016, after it centralised its operations in two locations – London and Singapore.Brave Bison said it continued to invest in talent and content production to support its SlashFootball brand this year, and opened Yellowstone Studios in early 2017 to help cut production costs.The company reported that advertising remains “by far” its most significant revenue stream, accounting for 86% of net revenues. For the six months ending June 30, Brave Bison recorded revenues of £6.0 million (€6.7 million), down from £9.7 million a year earlier.The company’s operating losses came to £2.1 million in the first half, compared to a loss of £3.5 million during the first half of 2016.“During the first half of the year the Group has continued to pursue the established strategic imperatives of simplifying the business, moving up the value chain and achieving stand-alone financial sustainability,” according to the company’s financial and business review.“The first quarter of 2017 saw generally difficult trading, but in the latter months the company has delivered more encouraging results, helped by improved cash collection, demonstrating what can be achieved.”The company said it had a “substantially increased” profit margin of 48% in H1 2017, compared to 39% in H1 2016, and had a cash balance of £5.3 million at the end of the period.“When I agreed to take on the responsibilities of the chief executive officer in January this year, it was with the aim of bringing some stability to this promising, innovative and creative business while a permanent CEO was sought,” said Brave Bison’s chief operating and finance offer, and acting CEO, Kevin Deeley.“The financial results for the first half of the year demonstrate that Brave Bison has the potential to deliver strong performance by focussing on high-value activity as a producer and broadcaster of social video. I wish our new CEO Claire Hungate the very best as she takes on the leadership of this exciting business.”Former Warner Bros. Television Production UK co-managing director, Hungate, was named CEO of Brave Bison earlier this month, and is due to take up the post on August 1.Deeley, who has been handling chief executive duties following Ashley MacKenzie’s exit earlier this year, announced his resignation following Hungate’s appointment.Rightster rebranded as Brave Bison last year as it sought to reposition itself as a content-creating, social video broadcaster.The company had previously provided various digital services to entertainment and advertising firms and had MCN assets due to its £50 million (€63 million) acquisition of Base79 in 2014. It is now focused on producing content for social platforms, primarily YouTube and Facebook.