12 June 2017
The Association for International Broadcasting has been visiting parts of Asia, meeting Member organisations and exploring potential new relationships with organisations across the region.
The AIB’s chief executive Simon Spanswick took part in the Asia Media Summit organised by the Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) in Qingdao, China. Attended by more than 400 delegates from over 40 countries, the Summit addressed the issues surrounding the role of media in global development and sustainability. The AIB CEO met Mme Liu Yandong, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China, alongside Ministers from Russia, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Samoa, Myanmar and Malaysia and the heads of the AIBD and ABU as well as senior officials of the United Nations and a number of its agencies.
Following the Asia Media Summit, Spanswick travelled to Seoul where he met executives of the Korean Broadcasting System, an AIB Member. Discussions centred on the work of the AIB and how KBS – as a Member of the Association – benefits from the activities the organisation carries out on behalf of its Members. There were also conversations about the future of the media and how public broadcasters like KBS can maintain their relevance to audiences – particularly the youth – as consumption patterns change.
15 May 2017
The ransomware attack that was unleashed on to computers in over 100 countries on Friday 12 May demonstrated just how important it is for media companies to take the issue of cyber security seriously.
Companies and organisations as diverse as Britain’s National Health Service, Germany’s Deutsche Bahn rail network (pictured left), Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica and car manufacturers including Nissan and Renault, each suffered from the consequences of this immense cyber attack. The Association for International Broadcasting’s own Cyber Security Working Group is actively collating data on any impact there has been on media companies from this attack.
On Friday evening, the AIB’s Twitter feed (right) linked to a map of incidents traced around the world produced by a UK-based IT expert going under the name of Malwaretechblog. This 22-year-old was subsequently reported to have discovered the “kill switch” for the ransomware, bringing much of the attack to a halt (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-39907049).
“The Association for International Broadcasting has been actively working on the issue of cyber security with its Members,” said Simon Spanswick, chief executive of the AIB. “Since the attacks on Sony and TV5 Monde, the AIB has been bringing its Members together to share information and intelligence and to explore how to encourage the entire media industry to work together, and with suppliers, to combat the threat of attack. We have been telling media companies that the issue of cyber security is one of their major governance challenges. It requires board level discussion and for a board member to take responsibility for the issue as this is not simply an IT issue. It goes to the heart of a company’s responsibility to protect itself and its employees, and to ensure that it can continue to operate in a worst case scenario. The AIB is there to support its Members on this crucial, mission-critical issue.”
As part of the AIB’s work on cyber security, the Association is pressing home the need to take the entire security issue seriously at the highest levels in all organisations. In April 2015, the AIB published advice to its Members in a briefing document that remains relevant today. AIB Members can request a copy from the Secretariat.
In October 2015, the AIB worked with Deloitte to deliver a high-level confidential briefing event on the issues of cyber security. The one-day conference brought together representatives of many AIB Members, as well as key players in cyber security including Britain’s GCHQ that has responsibility for the nation’s cyber security (now separated into the National Cyber Security Centre). At that event, high-level GCHQ speakers noted the need for governments to include media companies in national work on cyber security and their classification as critical national infrastructure.
Since then, the AIB’s cyber security working group has developed a work programme that aims to share information and intelligence among AIB Members while at the same time pressing suppliers to the industry to respond to broadcasters’ security needs and requirements. The chair of the working group, Denis Onuoha (CISO at UK transmission company Arqiva), has spoken at major broadcasting events including NAB to highlight the ever more urgent need for the entire media industry – broadcasters and suppliers – to respond to the constantly increasing number of threats that exist from both nation states and cyber criminals.
At the European Broadcasting Union’s International Broadcasting Assembly in Sofia on 18-19 May, the AIB will be presenting to a range of international broadcasters about the threat posed to their businesses from cyber attack. In June, the AIB will be meeting with national security agencies to develop collaborative links that benefit AIB Members in protecting their businesses against cyber attack.
“This is a piece of work that will continue to develop and grow over the coming months and years,” says Simon Spanswick. “The AIB is working hard on behalf of its Members to ensure that they can protect themselves, their brands and their reputations in a world where the threats from cyber criminals has never been more challenging. The media industry needs to stay one step ahead of those who work to wreck businesses and those who – knowingly or unknowingly – derail broadcasters from their missions to inform, educate and entertain.”
Advice from the UK National Cyber Security Centre on tackling this attack is here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/ransomware-guidance-enterprise-administrators
1 February 2017
The latest articles in the AIB’s international media magazine, The Channel, are now available to read online or to download.
This month we focus on the ever more critical issue of cyber security and take a look at international broadcasting from the United States of America.
The chair of the AIB‘s Cyber Security Working Group, Denis Onuoha (CISO at Arqiva), talks about the need for all companies to focus efforts on protecting themselves from cyber attack. He also explains what is being done to ensure collaboration across the media industry.
We talk with John Lansing, CEO of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, about the way US international broadcasting is set up and how it is having an impact around the world.
Go to The Channel page of the AIB website to read these and other editions of the magazine
31 January 2017
The Association for International Broadcasting has confirmed its commitment to supporting the .radio top level domain at the Salon de la Radio in Paris. The new .radio top level domain is a community-based domain that the AIB has supported throughout the application process, along with other broadcasting unions. ICANN granted the .radio domain last year, with the EBU as the principal organiser.
The first World .Radio Advisory Board meeting took place in Paris on 30 January where a range of issues concerning the launch of the top level domain were discussed. At the meeting, the President and Vice-Presidents of the Advisory Board were elected.
The AIB’s chief executive, Simon Spanswick, was elected President (centre in picture above); Nawaaz Doohkee, Head of Legal Affairs at the ABU (third from right) and Vincent Sneed, Director of Regulatory Affairs at the AER (third from left) were elected Vice Presidents.
“It is a great honour to be elected to lead the work of the World .Radio Advisory Board,” commented Simon Spanswick. “Along with my colleagues from other broadcasting unions and associations, we will be working to make the .radio top level domain a tremendous success across the radio industry. There has already been interest from broadcasters and from other organisations involved in the ever growing radio industry in making effective and creative use of this new top level domain. In the coming months as we move closer to the opening of registrations, we will be working to ensure that everyone involved in radio around the world has the opportunity to harness the power of .radio addresses on the Internet.”
For more information on the .radio top level domain, visit register.radio.
30 June 2016
The closing date for the AIBs 2016 has been extended at the request of broadcasters and production companies around the world. They have asked for additional time to enter their factual content in the 17 categories of this year’s competition.
All entries must be received no later than 1700 GMT on Friday 15 July 2016.
Full details of how to enter the AIBs 2016 are available online at http://theaibs.tv.
29 June 2016
The Association for International Broadcasting has announced that it is starting a series of work on the issue of sustainability in the broadcasting sector.
Speaking at the Business & Climate Summit in London, AIB chief executive Simon Spanswick said that there is a need for media companies around the world to develop strategies that will increase the sustainability of their businesses. Some countries have already developed systems and plans that, for example, allow broadcasters and production companies to calculate the carbon emissions produced during programme making.
The AIB has released a briefing note that provides simple steps that broadcasters can take to help them become more sustainable.
In addition, the AIB is launching a new Sustainability Working Group to provide a platform to share information, experience and expertise among the AIB’s worldwide Membership.
The AIB is also working to ensure that its broadcaster Members collaborate on ways to promote the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals to audiences around the world. More details of initiatives in this area will be announced in coming weeks.
