Broadcast
 At Today Translations we strongly believe that the "medium is the message". Each broadcasting platform or format speaks its own 'technical language' and has its own requirements.
Add to this the fact that we deal with multiple 'human languages' and you will have an idea on how complex it is to localise a broadcasting product or service. So whether you want your film dubbed in Spanish or your TV documentary subtitled in Dutch, we will provide you with a solution that will meet both your linguistic and technical requirements.
Our Services
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TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING
Whether you are hosting an event about broadcast technologies and products or require your manuals localised into a particular language, we can provide you with specialised translation and interpreting services (large groups, small groups or remote interpreting) that will meet your needs.
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Subtitling refers to the transcription or translation of a TV programme, video or film displayed in real-time as text on the lower third of the screen. Subtitling is highly popular for Analogue and Digital Video Broadcasting, DVD, CD-ROM and other multimedia platforms.
In UK, monolingual subtitling covers around 80% of BBC, ITV and Channel 4 programmes and 50% on Channel Five. BSkyB is also subtitling 80% of Sky Box Office films and 40% of the other movie channels, 60% of Sky One and 20% of Sky Sports. Other international operators like Bertelsmann also resort to monolingual subtitling to cater for the needs of the hearing-impaired. 
On the other hand, multilingual subtitling has become extremely popular in the last decades due to a couple of reasons. Many film lovers, for example, want to watch films in the original language. This may be because they like to hear the real voices of their favourite actors, which they can do with subtitles. Another important incentive is the desire to learn a foreign language, as it is illustrated by viewing patterns.
But due to important constraints like the screen space, the duration of a subtitle, the speed of the dialogue, and the average viewer's reading speed (150 to 180 words per minute), our localisation technicians take in consideration the following aspects:
- Fonts: Subtitles can be displayed using different fonts. Although they must be highly legible, the subtitles should distract as little as possible from the picture. Accustomed subtitle readers will absorb the information in the subtitles subconsciously.
- Reading Speed: Since the viewer is busy watching and listening to the programme, only part of his time is spent on reading, and his reading speed is therefore low. Our linguistic expertise means we can deliver a top-notch localisation of your products, in such a way it will be easily read by the viewers.
- Character Set: The national character set is of vital importance - an incorrect character in a subtitle is very disturbing to the viewer, since he reads the subtitles subconsciously. We support all types of characters and accents.
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Complementary to our translation services, we can provide dubbing and voice-over services to your existing audio, video or film tracks for overseas markets. After the script is translated into your target language, we select a dubbing or voice-over professional for your approval before recording takes place.
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MAJOR CARDS ACCEPTED
Broadcast Industry: The Digital Gathers Momentum At Last
The turnover generated by the traditional broadcasting industry is still impressive. According to Euromonitor, the revenue of UK television broadcasting companies grew by 0.3% over 2002 to reach a value of $11.7 billion in 2003, while the German market climbed 8.4% during the same period to reach $10.17 billion. On the other side of the Atlantic, the US television broadcasting market grew approximately 0.7% from $42.1 billion in 2002 to reach a value of $42.4 billion in 2003.
On the TV side, major companies like BBC, SKY, MTV, Vivendi Universal and Bertelsmann have been expanding their offer, either by creating new thematic channels or new platforms (e.g. Freeview and Sky Digital) 
Although in a smaller amount, the market for radio broadcasting turned profitable in 2003. In UK, it increased by 1.8%, with an income of nearly $3.1 billion, while in the US, the radio advertising industry grew 1.9% from $21.6 billion in 2002 to $22 billion in 2003.
But while free-to-air TV and radio stations can easily survive for another ten years, their future after that is not bright. It is so far behind in technology that it will hardly catch up with other providers of entertainment and information. Broadband, PCs, computer games, DVDs and even mobile phones will reach TV quality in the next few years.
After a spate of promises and delays, 2012 is likely to herald the analogue broadcasting switch-off. Converting analogue to digital transmission systems has already increased the number of television channels, and produced wide-screen razor sharp images with crystal-clear sound.
The digital broadcasting revolution itself will inevitably transform the global market. The advent of digital television is expected to offer tremendous potential and opportunity for entertainment, marketing and computer businesses alike. Radio stations migration to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) is parallel with their dissemination over the internet.
NEW DIGITAL REALITIES
Digital TV penetration already represents 40% in UK, 26% in the US and 15% in France. Digital TV offers a number of advantages over analog broadcasting: efficient bandwidth use, interoperability with telecommunications, hardware and applications, and increased flexibility for the provision of services other than traditional video broadcasting. For existing operators, it represents an opportunity to expand the range of services, lower transmission costs on a per channel basis, and to tap into new revenue streams.
The advent of interactive television will allow real-time interaction between the viewer and the broadcaster. The commercial perspective and business potential of interactive television is seen not only by major stakeholders and providers within that specific sector but also by other companies seeking to gain a proportion of the market share. The opportunities provided by interactive television are certain to have a major impact on all areas of commerce.
To date, television has been the most popular global communication medium with the ability to reach billions of homes. There are, however, indications that the digital age of television may outperform the functions of the traditional TV commercials:
Shopping
It is believed that in the next few years, it is possible that a high percentage of shopping will be conducted from home using faxes, televisions and the internet.
Banking
Another enriched concept of interactive television will be banking and insurance facilities. These should prove a very attractive feature to the general public, providing an effective 24-hour service. All digital cable and satellite companies are planning to offer a full range of facilities, but this feature is still in its development stage.
Travel Industry
Travel agencies are actively interested in using interactive television to sell holidays. The introduction of digital teletext is likely to see an increase in usage of services such as travel information, videos and on-screen brochures, rapidly becoming more easily available as digital technology evolves.
Entertainment/Games
A feature holding popular appeal with all ages will most definitely be within entertainment. Main players have already recognised the potential of this market, with an approach that will focus on more user control. Users are already able to custom design their view of programmes or games, by selecting camera angles of sporting events as well as accessing information about players.
Online Learning
On-line learning is another interactive service offered by digital TV. Examples of good educational websites such as Encyclopaedia Britannica are already linked to cable companies' websites.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
The Chinese case-study
 The linguistic diversity of the market and cultural preferences for programming content are still a major barrier to consolidation, although international operators such as Sky and MTV demonstrate the potential for transnational TV.
Some industry experts predict China's television broadcasting market will become another major growth engine, following in the footsteps of the telecom sector. China's TV penetration rate is 94 per cent with 100 million cable-TV subscribers. This represents a viewing population of over 300 million, making China the world's biggest cable-TV market.
Today's TV programmes are far from satisfying demand, and the gap means big business opportunities. On average, most families receive over 40 different TV channels at home. But these channels are more or less the same as they all target the mass market.
Most of the channels are similar to each other in programme content and the shortage of distinguishing features drive many people away from their TV sets. Personalised TV programmes, like video-on-demand and interactive TV, have already received a warm market response in trial operations in some cities.
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