EuroparlTV
Encyclopedia
EuroparlTV is the official online platform for webcasting from the European Parliament
. The service includes live streaming of parliamentary sessions and committee meetings, archived content, debate programmes and educational videos. Subtitles and voice-overs in the 22 official languages
of the European Union
(EU) are available for most of the content. It was launched 17 September 2008. The parliament has awarded the development of the channel to two separate private contractors. The content is produced by Mostra, a Brussels based communication agency. The technical platform (website, hosting and streaming) is managed by a broadcasting and communications company headquartered in Plymouth
, Twofour
. The channel is funded via the Parliament's budget.
The videos are in both Adobe Flash
- and Windows Media Player
proprietary format.
The parliament signed contracts in December 2006 and July 2007 with, respectively, Twofour
, a UK-based company for the platform, and Mostra, a Brussels-based company for the content.
A prototype of europarltv was unveiled in November 2007.
In June 2009 the Daily Telegraph reported that the channel had a budget of £32 million over four years and costs £53,000 for every hour broadcast and was only attracting between 900 and 1200 viewers every day.
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. The service includes live streaming of parliamentary sessions and committee meetings, archived content, debate programmes and educational videos. Subtitles and voice-overs in the 22 official languages
Languages of the European Union
The languages of the European Union are languages used by people within the member states of the European Union. They include the twenty-three official languages of the European Union along with a range of others...
of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU) are available for most of the content. It was launched 17 September 2008. The parliament has awarded the development of the channel to two separate private contractors. The content is produced by Mostra, a Brussels based communication agency. The technical platform (website, hosting and streaming) is managed by a broadcasting and communications company headquartered in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, Twofour
Twofour
Twofour is a UK independent media group that was founded in 1988 by Charles Wace, a former TV news producer and brother of financier Ian Wace. It has grown to become one of the largest independent media groups in the UK, employing over 350 people internationally....
. The channel is funded via the Parliament's budget.
Format
The content of europarltv is divided into four 'channels';- Your Parliament
- Your Voice
- Young Europe
- Parliament Live
The videos are in both Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
- and Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
proprietary format.
History
The European Parliament decided to use external resources to create the service. It organised an external tender to identify two companies, one to set up the web platform and organise the hosting of the service, the other to create material.The parliament signed contracts in December 2006 and July 2007 with, respectively, Twofour
Twofour
Twofour is a UK independent media group that was founded in 1988 by Charles Wace, a former TV news producer and brother of financier Ian Wace. It has grown to become one of the largest independent media groups in the UK, employing over 350 people internationally....
, a UK-based company for the platform, and Mostra, a Brussels-based company for the content.
A prototype of europarltv was unveiled in November 2007.
In June 2009 the Daily Telegraph reported that the channel had a budget of £32 million over four years and costs £53,000 for every hour broadcast and was only attracting between 900 and 1200 viewers every day.
External links
- Homepage of europarltv (multilangual, requires Javascript) or english version
- Official launch document
- Feedback from EU citizens regarding the prototype of europarltv
- EU parliament TV channel set to go online - TheParliament.com