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Global Brief
The latest news from the international broadcasting industry
Murdoch hits Indian snag, gains control of DirecTV
In a setback to Star TV’s proposed 24-hour news channel, the Indian Government fixed a cap
of 26 per cent on foreign investment in television news channels seeking to uplink from India.
It asked existing news channels having foreign equity like Zee News to disinvest within a year
to fit into the foreign investment limit of 26 per cent. Indian Parliamentary Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj said foreign investment in news channels includes foreign direct investment,
foreign institutional investment, external commercial borrowings and investment by non-resident
Indians. However, for entertainment channels there will be no cap as they could have 100 per
cent foreign investment under the existing policy, Swaraj said.
Star TV, which was the first wholly-owned foreign channel to request for uplinking from India
for a news channel, will now have to apply afresh. After Star TV, which is to launch its news
channel on 1 April, similar requests were made by BBC and CNBC.
Meanwhile, News Corp is to pay US$6.6 billion for a stake in Hughes Electronics Corp.,
giving chairman Rupert Murdoch control of the DirecTV satellite system and extending his
global broadcasting operation. The agreement gives Murdoch entry to the U.S. pay-television
market as cable and satellite companies compete for customers and try to lower the price they
pay for programming. News Corp. gains DirecTV’s 11 million subscribers, ensuring U.S.
distribution for its television and films
ABC restructuring
As part of a restructuring of the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
, the external
service of
RadioAustralia
has been transferred from the radio division into a new international
division which will also run the overseas TV service, ABC Asia Pacific TV. Under the new
structure, RadioAustralia General Manager Jean-Gabriel Manguy now reports directly toABC
Managing Director Russell Balding.
Not everyone is happy with the new
arrangement. Campaigning group
Friends of the ABC are concerned
about the impact of closer links with
TV on Radio Australia’s editorial
independence. Their concern arises
from the fact that the TV service
carries commercial advertising, and
they also fear that Radio Australia
will be treated as the poor cousin of
television. However, Jean-Gabriel
Manguy said “For Radio Australia
it’s a positive move because it
means the ABC is acknowledging the importance of its international activities by creating a
separate division. We are confident of maintaining our independence and our funding base.”
Radio Australia has recently launched a new 24 hour FM service to Fiji. Broadcasting on 92.6
MHz, the service is operated in partnership with the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, and the
international television service
ABC Pacific
has been launched in Honaria, capital of the
Solomon Islands.
However, it is not all good news. Russell Balding, managing director of
ABC
, has told its radio
and TV directors to prepare hit lists for cuts in staff and programmes in the expectation that its
triennial funding request will be rejected by the government. The corporation has asked for
250m dollars extra over the three years, but Balding is pessimistic about his chances of getting
it. He says that if the May budget freezes ABC funding at the current level, the directors are
“going to have to sit down and have a very hard look at the options.”
ABC South Bank Centre, Melbourne -
home to Radio Australia
Duna TV reaches the Pacific
Hungarian Radio reported on 18March that from the middle of the month, Duna TVprogrammes
will be available in Australia and New Zealand. The announcement was made by Istvan Petar,
chairman of the TV channel. By broadcasting in Australasia, Duna TV’s European satellite
channel has, in effect, become the television of the Hungarians of the world. Duna TV is
transmitting programmes to Australia and New Zealand eight hours daily; films and newsreel.
The transmission is repeated twice in America so Duna TV can be viewed all day long.
In a separate development, the radio station announced, Duna TV’s transmission can be received
on mobile phones too. The report did not explain how, or where, this is possible.
Appointments
Ted Turner
will step down as Vice Chairman of
AOL Time Warner in May. Turner said: “I have
not come to this decision lightly. As you know,
this company has been a significant part of
my life for over fifty years.” Turner will devote
his time to philanthropic interests and socially
responsible business efforts.
BBC World Service has reshuffled of its
regional heads. The new positions are: Head
of Americas:
Lucio Mesquita
; Head of Africa
and Middle East:
Jerry Timmins
; Head of Asia
and Pacific:
Barry Lnagridge
; Head of Eurasia:
Behrouz Afagh-Tabrizi
. In
BBC World Hani
Soubra
is to be the new Regional Sales
Manager for the Middle East.
Chris Westcott
has been appointed Director,
BBC
Monitoring
. Westcott is currently head of new
media at BBC World Service and succeeds
Andrew Hills.
AIB member CNBC Europe
, the pan-European
financial and business TV channel, has
appointed
Mick Buckley
to a newly created
position of Executive Vice President and
Commercial Director.
The Board of ESOA, the
European Satellite
Operators Association
, has elected Giuliano
Berretta, Chairman of the Management Board
and CEO of Eutelsat, as Chairman succeeding
Romain Bausch. Dan Goldberg, President and
CEO of New Skies, was elected Vice Chairman
of the Board. Both appointments are for a
one-year term.
Pedro V. Roig
has been named the new
director of the
Office of Cuba Broadcasting
which administers
Radio TV Marti
. Cuban-
born Roig is an attorney and historian who
has hosted public affairs programmes on
Radio Marti. Kenneth Tomlinson, Chairman of
the Broadcasting Board of Governors,
welcomed Roig’s appointment. “Pedro Roig
understands the mission of Radio and TV
Marti, and he will bring a wealth of experience
to OCB at this critical time,” said Tomlinson.
Fox Kids Europe
has appointed
Paul Taylor
as managing director of channels and
executive vice president. Taylor moves from
Sky Movies, where he was general manager.
Will Vicary
is the new commercial director of
Extreme Sports Channel
while
Daniel Andrews
becomes head of scheduling and operations.
Tina McCann
is the new senior vice-president
and general manager of
Turner
Entertainment Network International
. Ms
McCann returns to London from Hong Kong
where she has been managing director of
Mandarin-language channel, CETV.
Robert Stopford
, formerly of Odetics, will be
the
Omnibus Systems
regional sales manager
for northern, southern and eastern Europe.
AIB member Quantel
has appointed
Joe
Torelli
, formerly of Avid Technology, as its
Director of Broadcast Applications for North
America.
