Abu Dhabi, 31 Dec. 05 (WAM)--In what is regarded as a major move in digital media service, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) has started a new transmission service that will allow millions of viewers in the four corners of the world to follow closely various events and activities taking part in the UAE.
The new service has been recently launched following an agreement concluded between WAM and Ihals(IHA) a news agency based in Turkey.
Omar Farouq Cheghlar, IHA's deputy director general, said under the agreement his agency would transmit TV news and reports it receives from WAM via the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to its subscribers in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. FTP uses internet without any cost to send and receive digital files from one source to another. Because of this method WAM can now provide its video digital services to large number of subscribers around the globe.
"IHA operates with its professional teams and modern technological equipment in 145 news offices in Turkey and abroad, 412 video cameras, 78 data lines for video transfer and 9 fixed and flyaway uplink stations in the Middle East and Europe," he noted.
"Also, our 14 digital satellite news gathering vehicles around the globe, digital and Betacam editing studios, hundreds of photo cameras are all in a computerized network.
WAM was the first Arab news agency to transmit video images to TV stations inside the UAE and abroad via optical fibre technology and satellite. And now by using the FTP system, WAM has retained its position as the No.1 news agency in the region to transmit its text and image services directly to its users within seconds.
In view of Jamal Nasser, WAM's Editorial Director, his agency is now applying the state-of-the-art technology and has made great strides in video imaging and transmission service.
According to Ahmed Najeeb, head of the IT Department, WAM, Arab and foreign satellite stations may now get pictorial news reports from the UAE on daily basis by using the FTP.
"This has become possible only after signing the agreement with Ihlas," he added.
