The new TV-like broadcasting channel appeared in Russian Internet industry. IT InfoArt Stars company (http://wwwinfoart.ru, http://wwwstars.ru), a leader in Russian content providing, released its first TV newsreel on Internet on March 19, 1999. The broadcasting is based on IP/TV technology and is carried out from TV studio in Moscow. The project is the first of its sort in Russia and results from close cooperation between InfoArt and tcnet:Telecom-Center company. The latter company succeeded in preparing the entire technical and technological infrastructure for it in the shortest possible time.

The pilot broadcast was attended by partners of IT InfoArt Stars, including representatives from information agencies, radio broadcasting stations and TV companies. In near term, many of them will take part in Internet TV broadcasts from InfoArt studio. At the moment, three newsreels are to be prepared daily, with each of them being 15 minutes long; however, plans call for significant increase of the amount of broadcasts in the future. Internet TV by InfoArt may be seen at two websites, http://wwwmbone.ru/iptv/ and http://wwwtcnet.ru/ .

IT InfoArt Stars company is a specialist in development, deployment and improvement of Internet technologies, including Internet broadcasting, modern marketing technologies, as well as information gathering, production and distribution. The company staff is constituted by professionals in journalistics, photography, video, art, design, technology, engineering and programming. IT InfoArt Stars owns a number of Internet resources, including InfoArt news and information portal and "Constellation of Internet" search and references portal. These two sites are among the oldest and the most popular servers in Russia.

The company offers its customers and business partners a whole set of free Internet services. Among them are iSearch engine for search and indexation, iMail service for free electronic mail, iCenter personalization service, iPush service for push-channels, iHITs counter for Web pages, i1000stars rating service, and others.

Also offered by IT InfoArt Stars is a large set of various services, including Internet marketing, Internet broadcasting, complete suite of services to arrange and support advertising, information and interactive projects. On top of building the one-of-a-type system of Internet broadcasting, the company also acts as an advertising and information agency. To this end, it utilizes not only its own resources but also the resources of its partners in banner.RU advertising alliance and other business partners worldwide. In particular, IT InfoArt Stars offers advertising services at the key websites, like AltaVista, Yahoo!, etc.

The Telecom-Center company (http://wwwtcnet.ru, http://wwwrusmedia.net) was established in 1994 and based on a division of the national Head Center for Control of Long-Distance Calls. Rostelecom, the national largest operator of long-distance and international communications, is the key founder and business partner of the company. Telecom-Center holds the state license for communication services, including leased digital lines (both local, long-distance and international) for data exchange, high-quality voice communications, and other modern applications; communication channels for professional TV and radio transmission; high-speed Internet access; design and construction of communication systems and networks.

Source: InfoArt News Agency

---