İhlas News Agency
Operating with 950 permanent employees and independent contractors at 145 offices in Turkey and abroad, IHA produces an average of 250 images, 2,000 news reports supported with pictures, and 3,500 photographs per day.
IHA, the first private agency to provide video news service in Turkey, was established in 1993.
Operating with 950 permanent employees and independent contractors at 145 offices in Turkey and abroad, IHA produces an average of 250 images, 2,000 news reports supported with pictures, and 3,500 photographs per day. In 2014, IHA increased the number of its subscribers to 1,800. Subscribers include more than 250 television channels as well as numerous newspapers, websites, magazines and other organizations in Turkey and overseas. The Agency provides its services to over 200 television channels and organizations abroad.
News production across five continents
IHA is capable of transmitting images, photographs and news, from all districts and cities in Turkey as well as from 35 countries, to its subscribers via satellite and the Internet. In addition to 145 image transmission points across Turkey and the world, IHA has 32 uplink stations (most of them located outside of Turkey) that provide the Agency with rapid access to the source of events and instantly transmit the images over satellite to the entire world.
IHA began opening its overseas offices in 1996 and today the Agency is among the most reputable news agencies in the world with its news production and satellite operations on five continents. While strengthening its technology infrastructure, IHA has also broadened its range of services, and begun producing news in Arabic and English. As the global conjuncture changed after the 9/11 attacks, the Agency expanded its operations into Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Greece, Kosovo, Israel, Palestine, Ukraine and the Central Asian countries. Subsequently, the Agency opened offices in Washington, London, Athens and Berlin, and equipped these offices with studios and uplink devices.
State-of-the-art technical infrastructure
The software developed by IHA’s own technical staff enables the Agency to store images in a digital archive. Over the last 16 years, more than 850,000 images have been stored in this system, which was put into use long before its counterparts. Additionally, 6 million printed news articles and 15 million photographs have been stored in electronic format since 1997. Currently, the Agency is in the process of developing a software program that will provide users with access to this wealth of information kept in the digital archive.
The news automation application developed by IHA and launched in 2012 enables direct news entry to the system from anywhere with Internet access. Thanks to this innovation, IHA has significantly expanded its correspondent and redactor network and is able to transmit news to its subscribers much more quickly.
New investments boosting speed and efficiency
Since 1997, İhlas News Agency has been transmitting video news to television channels (its subscribers), initially via the VBI satellite and later via the SDC system. In 2014, the Agency implemented professional software that enables transmission via the Internet. IHA also provides HD (High-Definition) images to its local and international subscribers and customers.
In 2014, IHA spent about US$ 600,000 to upgrade its technical infrastructure to HD and purchased 10 HD encoders, 15 mid-size cameras with memory cards, 15 small-size cameras with memory cards, 15 HD 3G cameras, and 40 professional cameras.
The Agency plans to purchase three new generation flyaway uplink systems in 2015.
As of year-end 2014, İhlas Gazetecilik A.Ş. and İhlas Media Holding respectively held 24% and 75% stakes in İhlas News Agency.
In 2013 İHA won the best photograph award in the competition organized by the Journalists Association of Turkey and considered the “Oscar of the News World”. Also our İHA reporters in the central and regional organizations have won a variety of awards.
As of the end of 2013 the share of İhlas Holding A.Ş.in İHA is 24% and İhlas Yayın Holding’s share is 75%.