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joncl

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    Heads up for Australia Network viewers

    in IT and Computers

    Posted

    ABC budget response

    The ABC’s budget will be cut by $120m over the next four years as a result of decisions made by the Federal Government in tonight’s budget.

    Operational funding cuts of close to $40m over four years will come on top of the termination of the $220 million contract to deliver the international broadcasting service, Australia Network.

    The 2014-15 budget also foreshadows further significant funding cuts in the wake of the Lewis review into the operations of the ABC and SBS.

    “The funding cuts will be disappointing for audiences. The government gave repeated commitments before and after the election that funding for the Corporation would be maintained,” the ABC’s Managing Director, Mark Scott said.

    Mr Scott said while the ABC would look to make its operations more efficient, the funding cuts would regrettably and inevitably result in redundancies and a reduction in services. The ABC Board and Executive would need time to work out the full impact and to review strategies and internal budgets.

    Mr Scott said the decision to cut the funding for Australia Network was very disappointing, given the ABC was only one year into a 10-year contract with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

    “Countries around the world are expanding their international broadcasting services as key instruments of public diplomacy. The ABC had negotiated a detailed strategy with DFAT to develop relationships with major broadcasters in the region and to target locals likely to trade, study in or travel to Australia. This partnership had resulted in expanded audiences in key markets and was on track to deliver all agreed targets.

    “This decision runs counter to the approach adopted by the vast majority of G-20 countries who are putting media at the centre of public diplomacy strategies to engage citizens in other countries.

    “It sends a strange message to the region that the government does not want to use the most powerful communication tools available to it to talk to our regional neighbours about Australia.

    “The agreed strategy with DFAT based on broadcasting, online partnerships and social media was proving successful. This decision cannot be justified in terms of performance against agreed priorities.”

    Mr Scott said the ABC Board would now have to examine how the ABC delivers its international Charter obligation, which requires it to broadcast programs that, among other things, “encourage awareness of Australia and an international understanding of Australian attitudes on world affairs”.

    In addition to the funding cuts, the ABC will also have to manage the cessation of funding for the online disability website, ABC Ramp Up at the end of this financial year.

    Mr Scott said the ABC was aware of the tight fiscal environment and constantly reviewed its strategy and performance to find better work practices and greater efficiencies.

    “The ABC is very tightly geared. We have been diligent in reducing backroom costs over recent years to ensure the ABC can deliver better and more varied content to our audiences. That strategy has enabled the ABC to self-fund important new initiatives like iview, ABC News24, triple j Unearthed online and a range of other new digital services.”

    Mr Scott said the budget made it clear the Lewis efficiency exercise would impose additional demands on ABC budgets over the next few years. The Department of Communications has been conducting a study into ABC and SBS efficiency with the assistance of ex-Channel 7 CFO and recently appointed CFO of Southern Cross Austereo, Peter Lewis.

    “The task ahead will be extremely challenging for ABC management and staff,” Mr Scott said.

    “We will need to make funding cuts, while trying to also save money to invest in new priorities to ensure the ABC remains a compelling feature of the Australian media landscape – a public broadcaster in the digital era.”

    Heads up for Australia Network viewers

    in IT and Computers

    Posted

    Heads up ..

    Cabinet has approved axing of ABC's Australia Network: report


    From http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/cabinet-has-approved-axing-of-abcs-australia-network-report-20140508-zr6yz.html
    The ABC's Australia Network is facing the axe. The Abbott government is set to scrap the ABC’s Australia Network international broadcasting service in next Tuesday’s budget.

    Cabinet approved the decision in a meeting on Wednesday, according to a report in The West Australian. The ABC has a 10-year, $223 million contract to run the network, which broadcasts to 44 countries in the Asia Pacific.

    The ABC, which is finalising new partnership deals with Chinese and Indonesian broadcasters, has been lobbying publicly and privately for the government to continue to fund the service.

    The ABC is required under its charter to transmit news and other programs to overseas countries to encourage awareness of Australia and enable Australians living overseas to stay abreast of national affairs.

    Although some ministers are understood to believe the Australia Network could be replaced by online streaming of ABC News 24, this would be difficult in practice.

    Under content distribution deals, ABC news bulletins include international stories from broadcasters such as the BBC and al-Jazeera. In many cases, the ABC is only allowed to use this footage in Australia. This is why a “geo-block” currently applies to ABC News 24’s online stream.

    “The cost of the ABC obtaining full international distribution rights for any non-ABC content would be prohibitive and not a good investment in the funds we're granted to provide a news service to Australia,” ABC head of continuous news Gaven Morris said in 2010. “In some cases, international rights are not available at any cost.”

    The Commission of Audit recommended the network be scrapped in its report earlier this month because it is too expensive “given its limited outreach to a small audience”.

    Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who has oversight of the network, has said there are more cost-effective ways, including social media, to promote Australia abroad.

    But business leaders including Hugh Morgan, Maurice Newman and Harold Mitchell have called on the government to retain the service because it advances Australia’s interests in the region.

    In an email to staff earlier this week, ABC board member and veteran journalist Matt Peacock said it would be a “tragedy” if the network was axed and that job losses at the public broadcaster would inevitably result

    --

    So guess we will know in a few hours time what the outcome is ..

    Changing Over to TOT Fiber from ADSL Service !

    in IT and Computers

    Posted · Edited by joncl

    A few answers;

    1. Of course your landline number stays the same.

    2. They do provide all the logins for all their fiber boxes, both the admin and super admin logins

    3. my ToT 35/5 fiber is faster than my 50/5 true docsys on the international links by miles .. (details in another thread)

    4. They installed two boxes here (fiber distribution box - rack mounted or shelf and a fiber huawei 4 port modem router with wifi [multi ssid if you want too])

    All in all I am most impressed with ToT Fiber

    Real International Speed Of Thai Providers?

    in IT and Computers

    Posted

    testmy.net reports on ToT 25/5mbis fiber

    Download :: 22 Mbps 2.7 MB/s arrow-up-doubleM.png Upload :: 4.6 Mbps 581 kB/s

    testmy.net reports on True docsys 50/5mbis

    Download :: 21.2 Mbps 2.7 MB/s arrow-up-doubleM.png Upload :: 4.5 Mbps 558 kB/s

    Which server did you use? Singapore?

    Yes and I reposted/changed the speeds as my notebook swapped back to the default tot line instead of the true docsys line - a big difference in speed.

    testmy.net reports on ToT 25/5mbis fiber

    Download :: 22 Mbps 2.7 MB/s 15x15xarrow-up-doubleM.png.pagespeed.ic. Upload :: 4.6 Mbps 581 kB/s

    testmy.net reports on True docsys 50/5mbis

    Download :: 2.5 Mbps 311 kB/s 15x15xarrow-up-doubleM.png.pagespeed.ic. Upload :: 1.5 Mbps 188 kB/s

    Dreambox / PSI / GMM etc

    in Audio Visual AV

    Posted · Edited by joncl

    Yes you are right they will work but you need to install CCcam and get the free irdeto keys (on most Thai satellite web sites) and it will work 100% as you want.

    Or if you want to sell your dm500hd PM me..

    raspberry pi - where to source in Thailand

    in IT and Computers

    Posted

    I ordered a Raspberry pi from Raspberry PI Thai and paid online. Now I can not contact them by email, fb message or phone. Does anybody have a similar experience?

    Oh that is strange, as they resell the rpi's from Element 14 .. never had a problem with them but I have not used them for ages as we buy direct..

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