AIB continues membership growth
A range of companies are recognising the benefit of membership of the AIB - the only global industry organisation for TV, radio and online broadcasting. In the first two weeks of this month, India's Colors network - part of Viacom 18 - has joined as a Gold AIB Member. Colors is a Hindi-language general entertainment channel with headquarters in Mumbai.
Also joining this month as a Gold Member is Sunset+Vine, a major independent supplier of sports programming. Part of the UK-based Tinopolis Group, Sunset+Vine produced Channel 4's Paralympic coverage last year in association with production partner IMG.
"I am delighted that more companies in more markets are joining AIB," says Simon Spanswick, AIB's CEO. "As our membership increases, so too does the range of work AIB can undertake, as does the organisation's influence."
To discuss how AIB membership can benefit your organisation, call Edward Wilkinson at the AIB's head office on +44 20 7993 2557.

The AIBs 2013 - one week left to enter
The closing date for this year's AIBs, the annual search for the best in factual broadcasting across TV, radio and transmedia, is fast approaching.
You have until 19 July to get your entries to us.
Already entered are Turner Broadcasting, CNN-IBN, BBC, Channel 4, Strix TV, GMA Network, ABC, Channel NewsAsia, RT, SABC, Bandsports and many other broadcasters and production companies around the world. They all have the goal of showcasing their best work to the AIB's international panel of judges, and winning an AIB - one of the top accolades for broadcasters and production companies.
Details of all the categories - which also include best on-air talent and most innovative production technology - are in the entry booklet.

The AIBs 2013 sponsoring partners

PROGRAMMING, PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
Unmarried in the Philippines...? Riches await
ABS-CBN, a major network in the Philippines, has unveiled a new reality show based on love stories. The network is searching for unmarried couples who are planning to tie the knot soon, with big prizes on offer including a dream wedding, honeymoon, car, house and 1m Pesos. Couples are being invited to audition...

New Pakistan channel rattles competitors - before launch
A new Pakistan TV channel is due to launch shortly and is undertaking a major recruitment drive in the country. Bol TV has been advertising for staff ranging from news anchors to producers, cameramen to graphic artists.
The planned channel is reported in media circles in the country to be offering immense salaries to potential staff - far above the rates currently paid by commercial TV in Pakistan. It is said that more than 32,000 people applied for the posts advertised in a national newspaper in June (pictured right).
Details of the programming line-up are not known but competitors are worried. So much so that there's a storm of criticism and mud-slinging by existing players against Bol TV and its parent, IT company Axact. Questions have been asked about who is behind the new channel, with claims - denied by Axact - that either a shady Indian underworld figure or a major property tycoon from Pakistan were funding the channel. AIB will monitor developments...

Latest travel advisories; Egypt's challenges
INSI, the International News Safety Institute, issues regular advice to journalists and news crews. They have published updated information for working and travelling during Ramadan that began on 9 July and ends on 7 August. You can read INSI's Ramadan briefing here.
There's also a safety advisory for news crews working in and around Tahrir Square that you can read here. And in Egypt, covering the events of the past few days has been challenging in the extreme for may broadcasters and agencies. In an op-ed piece in the UK's Guardian newspaper, Al Jazeera's Cairo bureau chief Abdelfattah Fayed talks of the difficulties his channel has faced in particular.

Olympics rights hit new record
As the bidding process for the 2016 Olympics TV rights comes to a close, it has become clear that prices have been pushed up hugely compared to the prices paid for London 2012. In Central Asia, for example, it is believed that the TV rights for Sochi and Rio have risen from around US$50k across five markets to well over US$1m. Japanese advertising and sports rights conglomerate Dentsu has secured the rights and is now seeking discussions with broadcasters to arrange carriage deals for the Sochi and Rio Games.
IOC Finance Commission Chairman Richard Carrión, who led the negotiations, said: “Dentsu has acquired the rights across all platforms...[T]he broadcast market in the region is rapidly developing, and this agreement will mean that high quality broadcast of the Games is made available on a variety of platforms, but also guarantees that both Sochi and Rio will be available on free television.”

RTL gains German football
Germany's commercial broadcaster RTL has secured the rights for 20 football (soccer) matches featuring the German national team. Starting in September 2014 until 2017, RTL will broadcast all qualification matches for the 2016 European Cup and 2018 World Cup. Pubcasters ARD and ZDF have been the traditional home for Germany's national football team matches.

Radio content lags in India?
With the commercial radio sector in India now more than a decade ago, what state is programming across the country? Do stations differentiate themselves? Is there more opportunity to be different as Phase III FM licensing brings the promise of more stations in more markets?
The AIB's South Asia Regional Head, Amitabh Srivastava, has contributed to this perspective on the state of FM radio in India.

AIBs 2013 open for entry - join our annual international search for the best in factual TV, radio and online.

Full information on all the categories plus details of past winners at theaibs.tv

AIB recommends...

DISTRIBUTION, TECHNOLOGY, BUSINESS
The notion of increasing the foreign investment limit for media companies in India has been discussed by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Manish Tewari. One proposal said to have been discussed is an increase from 26 per cent to 49 per cent for foreign holdings in FM radio, news and current affairs channels and print media. Companies involved in channel distribution could be allowed to be entirely foreign-owned. Conversations with stakeholders are continuing.

RTG TV goes FTA for 2013
Russian Travel Guide TV is available free-to-air in Europe via Hotbird 6 until the end of 2013. RTG TV, part of Russia's Bridge Media, is marketing itself to cable operators and IPTV platforms and using the six-month free-to-air window to encourage greater take-up of the channel.
RTG TV is on Hotbird 6 transponder 156 at 11623 MHz, symbol rate 27500, FEC 3/4. The channel is RTG TV's English-language service.

Need a new desk?
Following the closure of BBC Television Centre the clearance of the building is now underway. A UK auction firm, Peaker Pattinson, is now holding an online auction for office furniture and memorabilia from the iconic "fun factory" as it was dubbed by stars and staff alike. Last year Peaker Pattinson auctioned the contents of Bush House, home to BBC World Service before its move to New Broadcasting House in central London.

PEOPLE
Russia's TNT channel has changed its DG. Former Director-General Roman Petrenko has been appointed to the post of head of the board of directos of TNT-Teleset. Gazprom Media Holding deputy Director-General Igor Goykhberg has become Director-General of TNT TV channel.

Charlie Foley has been appointed Executive Vice President at the new Original Content Group at Discovery Communications. Foley will be based in New York and will create, write and exec produce scripted content and non-fiction series and formats.