Mediaboss Marketing

3/31/2017 10:59:00 AM

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- March 29, 2017 -- Cobalt Digital today announced that Community Media Center of Marin (CMCM), operator of Marin TV, is using a Cobalt BBG-1002-UDX stand-alone cross-converter to ensure its various incoming programs play out on a mixture of HD internet-streamed channels and SD cable channels while maintaining the correct picture formats. CMCM is a nonprofit organization providing residents of Marin County, California, with access to communication technologies, media training, and the latest digital tools to create original content for cable TV and online media. Marin TV is Marin County's set of noncommercial community, educational, and governmental cable channels.

"Cost is always a big concern for nonprofit television programmers, which made the BBG-1002-UDX an especially good solution for CMCM," said Thomas Walsh, CEO of Media Control Systems, the company that proposed and implemented the Cobalt Digital solution. "The BBG-1002-UDX gives the broadcaster a professional-grade, multifunctional conversion solution with exceptional performance at an affordable price."

CMCM plays back a mix of legacy standard-definition (SD) programs and new high-definition (HD) video files from 23 different sources to four television channels. CMCM also takes in many external satellite and regional program feeds in both SD and HD. Many of the sources have previously been converted from HD to SD or vice versa, with black conversion bars on the top, bottom, or sides of the pictures. CMCM uses the BBG-1002-UDX on the output of each channel to take the sources of mixed formats and files and play them out correctly on HD and SD channels, without black bars and without stretching, squeezing, or cutting off part of the picture.

Unlike most converters, which require three to four seconds to react, the BBG-1002-UDX can recognize the input format so quickly that it can convert the input to the desired output in just a few frames' worth of time. The BBG-1002-UDX reads the AFD codes on the input source programs, so it knows if the source has been previously converted, which in turn means it can apply the correct output conversion without double-converting.

Instead of having to put a converter on each of the 23 input sources, CMCM only needed one converter for each of the output channels. In other words, CMCM only had to invest in eight converters -- one for each of four HD internet channels and one for each of the four SD cable TV channels. In addition to the BBG-1002-UDX's cross-conversion capabilities, it also provides value-added audio-level management and digital frame synchronization.

"Our staff invests in opportunities initiated by customers in the field to develop effective and efficient solutions for professional broadcast operations, like the ones in public, education, and government facilities," said Bob McAlpine, CEO of Cobalt Digital. "Besides being multifunctional, the Cobalt cross-converter Media Control Systems put in place at CMCM minimized the number of converters required for the job. Cobalt's product design and versatility made the case for optimal performance."

The stand-alone BBG-1002-UDX is also available as a high-density openGear(R) card module. More information about Cobalt Digital and its products is available at http://www.cobaltdigital.com.

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About Cobalt Digital

Cobalt Digital Inc. designs and manufactures award-winning 12G/3G/HD/SD and IP-based conversion, terminal, throwdown, and multiviewer technology for the broadcast television environment. As a founding partner in the openGear(R) initiative, Cobalt offers a full range of openGear video and audio processing card solutions for applications such as closed-caption compliance monitoring, OB production, master control, HD news production, signal transport, audio loudness, and color correction. Cobalt's Blue Box Group(TM) line of interface converter boxes streamlines and simplifies a wide range of 12G/3G/HD/SD and IP-based conversion and signal transport tasks. The company's multi-image display processors enable multiviewer capabilities in the most demanding studio and remote broadcasting environments. Distributed through a worldwide network of dealers, system integrators, and other partners, Cobalt Digital products are backed with a five-year warranty. More information is available at http://www.cobaltdigital.com.

Photo Link: http://www.wallstcom.com/Cobalt/Cobalt-BBG-1002.png

Photo Caption: Cobalt BBG-1002-UDX Stand-Alone Cross-Converter

Visit Cobalt Digital at the 2017 NAB Show, Booth N3308

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Community Media Center of Marin Deploys Cobalt Digital Cross-Converter at Nonprofit Marin TV - TV Technology

Rupert Murdochs bid to snap up Sky would give him control of Sky News and pay-TV operations in the UK, Germany, Austria and Italy. Photograph: Al Bello/Getty Images

Rupert Murdochs bid to take over Sky must be blocked because it would give him too much control of news media in the UK and he is not a fit and proper owner, according to a submission to Ofcom from the former Labour leader Ed Miliband and the ex-business secretary Vince Cable.

Miliband and Cable, outspoken critics of Murdochs 11.7bn bid to take over Sky, have the support of the Labour peer and barrister Charles Falconer and of Tory father of the house Kenneth Clarke, who have put their name to the submissions.

The media regulator is assessing whether the takeover of Sky raises plurality issues and whether under 21st Century Foxs full ownership it currently controls 39% of the pay-TV company broadcasting standards would be maintained.

Ofcom, which has until 16 May to deliver its decision to the culture secretary, Karen Bradley, is also reviewing whether Fox is fit and proper to take control of Skys broadcasting licence.

Miliband, Falconer, Clarke and Cable who was forced to hand over responsibility for assessing Murdochs failed 2010 bid for Sky after telling undercover Daily Telegraph reporters that he was at war with the media mogul have filed two lengthy submissions fleshing out their arguments against the deal.

An accompanying letter said that while the submission on plurality concerns was comprehensive and detailed it runs to 61 pages the argument against allowing Murdoch more control of UK news media was succinctly summed up by Lord Justice Leveson in his 2012 report into the culture, practices and ethics of the press.

All the politicians who gave evidence before the inquiry said that Mr Murdoch exercised immense power and that this was almost palpable in their relations with him, said Leveson.

The letter said this evidence of the immense and outsized power of the Murdochs was central to Ofcoms public interest test, which states that the media regulator must prevent any one media owner, or voice, having too much influence over public opinion and the political agenda.

Foxs bid to snap up the 61% of Sky it does not already own would give Murdoch control of Sky News and pay-TV operations in the UK, Germany, Austria and Italy.

His ownership of UK news media also includes the Times, the Sunday Times and the Sun as well as radio group TalkSport, which he controls through a separate company, News Corp.

The letter asserted that this would give them more control over the viewing and reading habits in our country than any other provider, apart from the BBC.

The 33-page submission raised a catalogue of issues against Murdoch and Fox being fit and proper to take over Skys broadcasting licence.

We believe on the grounds of fitness and propriety, this bid should be blocked, the letter said. The fitness test goes to the question of character and conduct. The record is one of persistent disregard for the law and regulatory control.

During its investigation following Murdochs previous attempt to take over Sky in 2010, Ofcom found that Sky remained a fit and proper owner of a broadcast licence despite the phone-hacking scandal that embroiled the now-defunct News Corporation, then parent of Fox and Murdochs UK newspapers.

However, it published a scathing assessment of James Murdoch, then chief executive of his fathers UK newspaper group and chairman of Sky, finding that his conduct had repeatedly fallen short of the standards expected.

The political fallout ultimately resulted in Rupert Murdoch withdrawing his bid and James Murdoch standing down as chairman of Sky and quitting the UK newspaper business to run Fox, the film and TV operation, from the US.

We do not believe that Ofcom could be satisfied that Sky would remain a fit and proper licensee if this bid was successful, said the letter from Miliband, Cable and Falconer. Indeed, we contend that no reasonable Ofcom properly directing itself on the test it has to apply could come to this conclusion.

Following the failure of the previous bid, Rupert Murdoch spun off the publishing and newspaper assets into a separate company, News Corp, and film and TV into 21st Century Fox, with independent boards, in part a corporate governance measure to facilitate another tilt at Sky.

In a letter to Bradley during the 10-day period she has had to review whether to refer the bid to Ofcom, Fox argued that in the six years since the aborted bid, the media landscape had changed beyond recognition. Fox said media plurality was flourishing with the rise of digital rivals such as Google and Facebook and news distributors and new outlets such as Vice, Buzzfeed and Huffington Post, while newspaper sales declined.

Fox also argues that splitting the publishing and TV and film operations into two companies solves corporate governance, competition and plurality issues.

We are confident that a thorough review of our track record over 30 years will underscore our commitment to upholding high broadcast standards, and will demonstrate that the transaction will not result in there being insufficient plurality in the UK, said a spokeswoman for Fox.

Opponents of the bid have raised concerns that Murdoch, who also owns the rightwing Fox News, will use his influence to drive the news agenda, thereby risking the Foxification of Sky News.

Fox has also pledged to keep Fox News at arms length and continue to broadcast news under the Sky brand maintaining its excellent record of compliance with the Ofcom broadcasting code.

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Ofcom must block Murdoch's Sky takeover, Miliband and Cable say - The Guardian

A whale etched with a razor on a teenager's arm. Source: thesun.co.uk

In March, two Belarusian youngsters attempted to commit suicide while playing a 'game' on the popular Russian social network VK.

Belarusian law enforcement services have initiated two criminal cases, connecting the suicides with a game called blue whale, especially popular in Russia and Ukraine.

The game consists of 50 dangerous quests which youngsters, threatened by the game's administrators, have to perform in reality.

In other countries, such as Russia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, even more children have committed suicide playing the game. The Main Internal Affairs Directorate has revealed that thousands of Belarusian youngsters have already registered in the dangerous groups and informed schools and parents of the danger.

Nevertheless, a direct correlation between teen suicides and the game remains difficult to draw. The overhyping of the game in the media is not evidence of the game's existence in real life. Under such circumstances, it is important that control of social media does not turn into censorship.

'Blue whale has become the code name for a range of dangerous internet pages on the Russian social network VK. These pages and groups appeared on VK in 2015 in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan under the names blue whale, wake me up at 4:30, and silent house.

Allegedly, the groups target youngsters by enticing them to play a game which later involves risky and dangerous tasks which must be performed in reality. The last task is suicide. The game consists of 50 tasks, such as drawing a whale on your arm using a blade or listening to psychedelic music. The game can last from 50 to 57 days and involves personal threats and psychological pressure on youngsters.

The scenario of the game is always similar. Moderators threaten youngsters and demand that they follow their instructions. If the child wants to quit the game, moderators threaten to kidnap their relatives. The media has reported many cases in which parents or friends found children's last note and managed to prevent suicides. Recently, a student from Vitsebsk saved the life of her 17-year old friend, who was playing the game and left her last note on her VK page.

Even though the Russian Investigative Committee uncovered the identity of the man who created the game, the popularity of the blue whale only seems to be growing. In 2016, Filipp Budejkin, a Russian national, was accused of inciting 15 young people to suicide over the internet via death groups. At the same time, media in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Russia are still reporting an increased number of suicides connected with the game.

The number of players in Belarus is on the rise and has already led to several dangerous incidents. TUT.by reports that thousands of Belarusian youths have registered in death group on VK. During the last month, investigative committees initiated two criminal cases after two young people in Vitsebsk and Minsk intended to commit suicide playing the game. Two 14 and 15-year old girls in Hrodna ended up in psychiatric care after their participation in the game came to light.

Although the media in Belarus has reacted to the popularity of the death games, the Belarusian government and security services remain silent. Belarusian rescue services recently encouraged parents to be on the look out due to the increasing number of suicides. However, on the next day, the Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that the suicide rate among young people caused by social media has not risen.

Public awareness about the dangerous game in Belarus is growing. Some schools have sent text messages to parents informing them of the possible danger. Meanwhile, the media aim to conduct their own investigation and gather more information from officials. More and more psychologists are recommending that parents keep track of their children's activities on social media. Several weeks ago, local officials in Hrodna distributed information to all schools and encouraged teachers to conduct parent meetings discussing the possible danger. An investigative committee in Minsk is currently attempting to identify the real identities of the groups administrators.

Although many Belarusians are alarmed about the danger of death groups on VK, some parts of society doubt whether the danger exists at all. An investigation of the influence of social media groups on youth suicides first appeared in the Russian publication Novaya Gazeta. Meanwhile, following a wave of heated discussion, some media outlets believe that the phenomenon is a myth created by the Russian government as an excuse to control social media and the internet. In Kyrgyzstan, authorities have already announced their intention to increase control of the internet.

On 20 March, the vice-speaker of the Russian Duma announced that youth suicide had increased by 57% since last year. However, according to sociologist Evgenii Andreev, the number is most likely fake, as it was announced two months before an annual UNICEF report on suicide statistics. Suicide in Belarus has been falling over the last several years, to 13 suicides among 10-17 year-olds in 2016. The decreasing number of suicides in Belarus provides weak evidence of the existence of death groups.

The number of 'death group' members on VK also calls the real threat of the game into question. The investigation by Novaya Gazeta has provoked a wave of discussion which could unintentionally widen the popularity of groups with names such as blue whale or 4:20. The Belarusian Investigative Committee stated to TUT.by that youngsters themselves are becoming moderators, employing psychological pressure to persuade their peers to commit suicide.

Although the existence of death groups is still under question, law enforcement agencies are attempting to control the situation in Belarus. Recently, the Main Internal Affairs Directorate submitted a list of children registered in dangerous groups to the Ministry of Education. Teachers and school psychologists aim to reach parents to prevent possible suicides. Nevertheless, the investigative committee has yet to clarify any measures taken against moderators and administrators of such groups.

More young people are now becoming active users of social media. There is therefore an urgent need to teach children internet safety. Despite heated debates surrounding the dangerous games, it remains important to maintain a balance between control and censorship. Extended control of social media activity could easily turn into restriction of freedom of speech and intrusion into private life. The precedent was set in 2009 when the government of China restricted access to Facebook and Youtube as a safety measure.

Alesia Rudnik is an analyst at the Ostrogorski Centre and and MA student at Stockholm University.

Visit link:
Killing children on social media - Belarus Digest

Sybrina Fulton, the mother of the Trayvon Martin, refuses to let reality intrude into her fantasy world. Sadly, biased news media like the Miami Herald allow her to spew forth her easily disproven lies.

On Feb. 5, my son Trayvon Martin would have been 22 years old. Just like every year, my family celebrated his birthday surrounded by friends and loved ones. And like every year since his death, I mourned my son, whose life was cut short by someone who decided to shoot first just because of the color of Trayvons skin.

Clearly, Fulton didnt pay any attention at all during the trial of George Zimmerman, even though she did attend it. Zimmerman didnt know Martins race when he called Sanford police, a fact proven by the recorded conversation with the dispatcher. Zimmerman became suspicious of Martin when he saw a shadowy figure lurking under the window of a recently burgled home in the rain. He only saw Martins face and race well after he began talking to the dispatcher.

Further, eyewitness evidence and forensics alike indicate that after Trayvon Martin attacked George Zimmerman from behind as Zimmerman was returning to his truckin what may have been a gay-bashing attempt. Multiple 911 calls and witness statements establish that Martin viciously committed felony assault on George Zimmerman for the better part of a minute before a dazed Zimmerman pulled his pistol as a last resort and fired a single shot to stop Trayvon Martins vicious criminal assault.

Trayvon was only 17 years old when he was followed and killed by a stranger who believed he looked threatening. He was visiting with his father, walking home from the store, unarmed. He had just a packet of candy and a can of iced tea. This person killed my son for simply walking through his own neighborhood. He claimed that he was acting in self-defense, though Trayvon never approached him and he pursued my son before attacking him.

No sane person who watched any part of the trial or who knows anything at all about the case will believe Fultons lie that Martin was shot for simply walking through his own neighborhood. As noted above, Trayvon Martin waited four long minutes to sneak up behind George Zimmerman as Zimmerman was walking back to his truck, allegedly screamed, What you followin me fo?! then launched his attack on Zimmerman. Lets be very clear on the point that Trayvon Martin was the aggressor.

Everything Fulton said about Zimmerman attacking Martin is an abject lie, unsupported by anything other than a mothers refusal to face the facts about the son she raised.

Our states laws allowed him to claim he was standing his ground, and it took the public crying out for police to even make an arrest. This is common in Stand Your Ground cases. The law is applied inconsistently and studies have found that it is difficult for police to enforce it. The American Bar Association found that Stand Your Ground laws can actually increase homicides, and that the policy carries an implicit bias against African Americans.

Stand your ground laws played no role at all in the Zimmerman/Martin confrontation, a lie Fulton continues to spread. Neither the prosecution nor the defense in the Zimmerman case made any mention of Floridas implementation of stand your ground laws for one very simple reason: George Zimmerman never had a chance to stand his ground. Zimmerman was approached from behind, sucker punched, mounted, and viciously attacked by a violent young criminal named Trayvon Martin. Zimmerans defense was a straight self-defense case.

And he was victorious.

Like almost all gun control advocates, Sybrina Fulton must lieto support her new career. If she admitted the truth that her son was a violent criminal justifiably shot during the commission of a felony assault, shed have to get a real job.

Author's Bio: Bob Owens

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Trayvon Martin's Mom Just Can't Stop Lying About Her Son's Death - Bearing Arms

Chicago Tonight | WTTW

Chicagoan's Art a Celebration of Blackness, Tribute to Lives Lost Chicago Tonight | WTTW Hopelessness and guilt compelled Ervin A. Johnson to take a stand on police brutality and racism in America. Following the death of Trayvon Martin and trial of George Zimmerman, the man who fatally shot him, Johnson says he felt hopeless. My mom ...

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Chicagoan's Art a Celebration of Blackness, Tribute to Lives Lost - Chicago Tonight | WTTW