Notice to the Press

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Office of the Spokesman

For Immediate Release
May 18, 2011

2011/782
 
NOTICE TO THE PRESS

Live Audio and Video with Interpretation Available for President Obama’s May 19, 2011 Speech on U.S. Policy in Middle East and North Africa

*** Note This Advisory Is Updated With *New*
Video & Audio Circuit Numbers ***

The White House has officially closed the registration process for President Obama’s May 19 Speech on U.S. Policy in Middle East and North Africa. Space is limited in the speech site. The White House has sent notifications to all media who had applied informing them whether they are on the Speech Site Media Access List.

For media who could not be accommodated inside the speech site, live audio and video with simultaneous interpretation will be provided in the Department of State’s Dean Acheson Room.

The program for President Obama’s speech will begin at 11:40 a.m. on Thursday, May 19.

LIVE AUDIO WITH LIVE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATIONS

Audio of the President’s remarks will be distributed in multiple ways and offered in original language (English) and with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic, Farsi and Hebrew. The audio of original language and interpreter will not be mixed during the event but offered separately.

Audio of the President’s remarks will be distributed at the State Department in two locations: In the speech site in the Benjamin Franklin Room for the media in the room and in the Dean Acheson Room.  At each location, audio will be in four mults:
(1)   Original language/English
(2)   Arabic only
(3)   Farsi only
(4)   Hebrew only

Audio will also be distributed at the White House Press Briefing Room in original language/English only.

LIVE VIDEO WITH AUDIO CHANNELS

The Department of State will provide four separate live feeds to the Verizon AVOC Switch in Washington, DC (Router # 36TVGA54219) on the Department of State’s designated circuits.  These feeds will go live at 11:30 a.m. ET.

DOSTV TX-1 (circuit # 55280) LIVE VIDEO PLUS audio in all four languages on four audio channels (original in English, plus Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew).

DOSTV TX-2 (circuit # 55281) LIVE VIDEO PLUS audio in original English and Arabic iso on two separate audio channels.

DOSTV TX-3 (circuit #55282) LIVE VIDEO PLUS audio in original English and Farsi iso on two separate audio channels.

DOSTV TX-4 (circuit # 55283) LIVE VIDEO PLUS audio in original English and Hebrew iso on two separate audio channels

For technical questions, please contact the U.S. Department of State Broadcast Master Control +1 202 647-6806/7 and/or Verizon AVOC Ops Ctr. +1 202-508-7530

Broadcasters can also pick up broadcast quality clips of the speech after it airs at https://www.thenewsmarket.com/
Registrations/PreRegistrationPage.aspx?regtype=R

DEPARTMENT OF STATE BUILDING ACCESS

Only media who have been notified by the White House that they are credentialed to attend the President’s speech will be admitted to the Benjamin Franklin Room/Speech site.  Other media (see credential information below) can access the overflow speech viewing in the Dean Acheson Auditorium. Media on the Access List for the speech should use the 23rd Street entrance (between C and D Streets, NW) of the Department of State and must allow adequate time to pass through security, including equipment checks.

All media on the speech Access List going into the speech site must be in the 23rd Street lobby no later than 10:00 AM ET.

All Media planning to enter the State Department must present one of the following: (1) a U.S. Government-issued identification media card (Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense or Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo identification card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by an official photo identification card (driver's license, passport).

For further questions, please contact the Press Office of the Department of State at +1 202 647 2492