Tag Archives: Babcock International Group BBC

Encompass Digital Media has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Babcock’s Media Services

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Photo by Pawe? Czerwi?ski on Unsplash

Many thanks to an SWLing Post contributor who shares this item which was originally posted by Kai Ludwig on the Shortwave Sites email group. Kai writes:

There is a new name to get familiar with:

Encompass to Acquire Babcock’s Media Services

ENCOMPASS TO ACQUIRE BABCOCK’S MEDIA SERVICES

Note the statement from Encompass about their reasons for purchasing Babcock’s Media Services. It does not mention the word “radio” at all. Seems to me that radio distribution will in future be just a legacy service, kept in the same way Babcock already keeps the traditional stuff of World Radio Network after they likewise took over this company three years ago. Just consistent with the observation quoted at https://twitter.com/ChrisGreenwayUK/status/1022963699374596099

The sports stuff mentioned in the statement is this:
http://babcock.media/latest/001017/

And a picture is worth thousand worths, so just compare the photos from 2004
http://travelseries.de/trav2004/trav04_4.htm

Click to access 04-23-18-20.pdf

with the current ones of what has in the meantime developed into a TV/video NOC:
http://babcock.media/virtual-tour/

I would be surprised if Encompass keeps the former WRN HQ, because they already have a facility in London:
https://www.encompass.tv/encompass-london/

August 28: BBC Atlantic Relay station special DRM broadcasts

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RNZI-DRM-2(Source: DRM Consortium)

DRM will be part of a big anniversary on a small island in the Atlantic Ocean. On 28th of August at 1155 GMT Babcock International will ensure a special BBC digital transmission on 21715 kHz from the BBC Atlantic Relay station, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the BBC’s first short-wave radio broadcast from Ascension Island.

Since 1966, the Atlantic Relay station has broadcast BBC World Service programmes to Africa and South America, and to this day, continues to broadcast over 250 programme hours every week to East and West Africa in English, French, Hausa and Somali.

BBCRelayStation-Ascension IslandThe two hour-transmission on 21715 kHz will start with the old, special sound of Bow Church Bell in east London, the sound of which, even if in DRM this time,  will remind older listeners of the BBC broadcasts of many decades ago. The 21-hour transmission will be the regular BBC programmes for West and South Africa and will end at 1400.

DRM – Digital Radio Mondiale, is an international digital radio standard designed by broadcasters, for broadcasters, in co-operation with transmitter and receiver manufacturers. DRM is a high quality digital replacement for analogue radio broadcasting in the AM and FM bands.

This special transmission will be sent with greetings from Ascension Island’s BBC and Babcock International staff and visitors, who will be celebrating half a century of sterling broadcasting on August 28th.

Click here to read more about the fascinating history of the BBC’s broadcasts from Ascension Island.

Transmission Details

FREQ   TIME (UTC)       SERVICE          TX        kW       Bearing Day      LANG               TARGET

21715   1155-1201         BBC DRM         ASC     250       114       1          English             S. Africa           (Special Announcement)

21715   1201-1400         BBC DRM         ASC     250       114       1          English             S. Africa            (English – ENAFW)

21715   1400-1430         BBC DRM         ASC     250       250       1          English             Brazil                (English – ENAFW)

Additional analogue transmission will broadcast from 13.30 GMT for ceremonial purposes.

15105   1330-1430         BAB                  ASC     250       27         1          English             W. Africa                   (Special Announcement)

BBC World Service awards £200M contract to Babcock International Group

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(Source: Radio Today)

Babcock International Group has won a 10-year contract to continue providing radio and TV transmission and distribution services to the BBC’s World Service.

The deal sees the firm manage more than 150 FM relays around the world as well as 180,000 hours of shortwave broadcasts each year.

The contract kicks in on 1 April and is worth around £200m over the 10 years. Babcock says it will build on the work they’ve been doing with the BBC over the last 15 years to ensure the corporation ‘provides a reliable and resilient service to its global audience’.

[…]The contract includes:

  • Scheduling and co-ordination of all BBC World Service shortwave broadcasts across the globe. In the first year of the new contract Babcock will co-ordinate a total of 180,335 hours of transmissions for the BBC.
  • Operating and maintaining the BBC’s six high power sites and a power station to ensure global coverage. This includes the BBC key target areas of Africa and the Middle East, the Indian Sub-Continent and South East Asia.
  • Monitoring of high frequency broadcast performance (using independent data). The BBC is committed to offering the best quality of service to its worldwide audience and Babcock’s monitoring ensures the best possible audio quality is achieved in the desired target areas.
  • Managing the satellite network contracts and support of the satellite distribution systems including 1,300 receivers worldwide in over 650 locations in 128 countries.
  • Maintaining the BBC World Service’s FM Relay network. In addition to the satellite receiver maintenance, Babcock will support the equipment of more than 150 FM relay sites around the world. This will underpin the resilience of the service offered by the BBC.

Read the full article on Radio Today’s website.