NEW CHAIRMAN FOR EBU

Jan Hoek, Director General of Radio Netherlands Worldwide, has been appointed chair of the EBU's (European Broadcasting Union) International Broadcasting Group. Alongside RNW, the group comprises all the European international broadcasters, including Deutsche Welle, Radio France Internationale/France24 and the BBC World Service. The appointment is for a period of two years. Hoek is also a member of the Executive Committee of the AIB.
SKYNEWS HEADS TO HIGH DEFINITION
The UK's Sky News will go HD in the first half of 2010 and Vizrt has announced that it has been awarded part of the contract to upgrade Sky News to a real-time HD 3D graphics system.Sky News will take advantage of the changes during the introduction of HD capable technology to migrate to Vizrt's newest version of its real-time graphics engine. Version 3 of Viz Engine will provide Sky News with a highly efficient workflow as well as delivering extra live graphics functionality, including multi-touch screen interactivity and a centralised database with shared access for all Vizrt graphics users at the BSkyB site. Sky News has used Vizrt graphics since 2003, when its real-time 3D design application helped to enable Sky News to include news graphics and maps in its coverage of the Iraq War. Later the same year, Vizrt's virtual studio module helped Sky News to win a prestigious RTS award for its portrayal of the Soham Murder trial at the Old Bailey.