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THE CHANNEL
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ISSUE 2 2009
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09
Still
counting
MEDIA MARKETS
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THE CHANNEL
Combating Iranian interference
Shortly after the disputed June
12 election in Iran, authorities
increased their efforts to
interfere with the broadcasts of
RFE/RL's Persian Service, Radio
Farda. In light of the Iranian
government's recent crackdown
on media, Radio Farda’s 24-hour
radio broadcasts and its popular
website are among the last
remaining sources of
uncensored information for
ordinary Iranians.
Jamming by Iranian
government censors is nothing
new. Farda’s radio signal is
routinely jammed and its
website blocked. But the degree
of recent interference is
unprecedented, especially with
regard to Farda’s satellite
broadcasts.
In response, Radio Farda is
now broadcasting on four
additional satellites : Telstar 12,
Nilesat 101, Arabsat BADR4,
and Asiasat 3-D. Shortwave
broadcasting has also been
stepped up. And Iranians
continue to defy the Internet
censors - Radio Farda’s website
saw a 400% increase in web
traffic in June.
IN BRIEF
TV AD PLUNGE
Australian FTA TV advertising
has plunged over the last
year according to figures
released in July. The fall was
particularly steep in metro
markets, where revenues
dropped 8.7% over the full
year. Advertising in regional
markets fared better, with a
4.9% drop. Media buyers
said the overall decline was
not as severe as expected
but it would take a massive
recovery to see TV networks
return to previous levels of
profitability given the expected
launch of new FTA digital
and pay-TV channels this year.
WORLD'SLARGEST
Satellite communications
firmTerreStar has successfully
launched what is believed to
be the world's largest
communications satellite.
Launched by Arianespace
from Kourou, French Guiana,
'TerreStar-1' will provide
mobile broadband coverage
across North America and is
the foundation for TerreStar's
satellite communications
network targeted at govern-
ment users, emergency
responders, enterprises and
those in rural communities
without conventional mobile
network coverage. The all-
IP-based mobile broadband
network supports voice, data
and video services.
BETTER
RECEPTION
Reception for Radio Romania
International's short-wave
broadcasts is much improved
after the National Radio-
Communications Company
(RADIOCOM) replaced obsolete
transmitters: 300 kW
transmitters in Tiganesti
(near Bucharest) and in
Galbeni (NE Romania) and a
100 kW transmitter in
Saftica, near Bucharest. A
60 minute RRI English
programme and a 60 minute
German show to Western
Europe are simultaneously
transmitted by RADIOCOM
in analogue and via DRM
from Tiganesti.
First in
Turkey
6 News was launched in August
2008 as Turkey’s first multi-
lingual, multi-national station,
broadcasting daily with live and
pre-recorded news in four
languages – Turkish, English,
Russian and Arabic. Based in
Istanbul, the stations has on the
hour 50 minute news bulletins,
with programmes on energy, the
media, culture and sports. The
editorial team is a young,
experienced, multi-national
group including Americans,
Russians, Iraqis, Armenians,
Azeris, and Israelis. Channel 6
News Executive Editor Serkan
Oral is responsible for the giant
leap the channel has taken in the
past months, bringing in
partnerships from the USA,
Russia, UK, Israel, and UAE.
Radio Australia: 70 not out
Originally known as ‘Australia
Calling’, ABC Radio Australia
was launched on 20 December
1939 by then Prime Minister Sir
Robert Menzies as a response to
the outbreak of World War II.
Transferred to the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation in
1950, Radio Australia broadcast
in English, Indonesian, French
and Thai, Mandarin (from 1956),
Japanese (1960-90), Vietnamese
(from 1962), Cantonese (1964-
97), Simple English for Papua
New Guinea (1973-93), Tok Pisin
(from 1974). In 1996, RA created
the first online content in Chinese,
then Vietnamese and Khmer.
Today, Radio Australia
communicates in seven languages
targeted at Asia and the Pacific
across a network of sixteen 24
hour FM transmitters, 150
partner rebroadcasters, short
wave and increasingly through a
diverse range of online services.
INSI reports that at least 46
journalists and support staff in
21 countries had died trying to
cover the news by the end of July.
19 additional deaths are under
investigation.
Somalia has now overtaken
Pakistan as the most dangerous
country in the world for the news
media, with six deaths, plus two
colleagues held hostage in Somalia
for 11 months. But the situation
in Mexico is causing grave concern
with at least three deaths
confirmed and three more under
investigation. Pakistan, Iraq and
Guatemala are also high in the
casualty rankings. However, it is
tremendously encouraging to
see Iraq, for years by far the
worst killing ground in the world
for the news media, sliding down
the scale.
Journalists working in the field
also have to be prepared for govern-
ment security men posing as
journalists, as happened with
French agents in Somalia. INSI
says this is completely unaccept-
able, especially in democratic
countries – the dangers posed
to the news media in conflict are
bad enough without spies and
other official agents using
journalism as a cover for their
shadowy activities.
Mutual trust between journalists
and their sources is often the
only guarantee for survival in
high risk situations.