AIB Executive Committee for 2024-26 elected

AIB Executive Committee for 2024-26 elected

AIB Executive Committee for 2024-26 elected

In a significant reshaping of the global media landscape, the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) has announced the election of its Executive Committee for the 2024-2026 term, comprising a diverse and experienced group of leaders from some of the world’s most significant broadcasting organisations. The newly elected members are set to steer the AIB through a period of rapid change and challenges in international broadcasting.

Nesryn Bouziane, currently serving as Manager of ABC International Services at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, brings a wealth of experience in managing international broadcasting services and will play an important role in sharing knowledge of media markets both in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.

Craig Dale, the Deputy Chief Editor overseeing international news and business at CNA (Mediacorp), will bring his editorial expertise and contribute significantly to the committee’s strategic planning and content development initiatives.

The BBC World Service’s Director of Distribution, Nigel Fry, has extensive background in global broadcasting distribution and continues as a long-standing member of the AIB Executive Committee.

Carlson Huang, Manager of the International Language Division at Radio Taiwan International, and another long-standing AIB Executive Committee member, brings invaluable insights into broadcasting in multiple languages, essential for the AIB’s efforts in promoting global communication and understanding.

John Lippman, the Acting Director of Voice of America, who joined the Executive Committee in 2023, has extensive experience in U.S. and international media that will enhance the collective impact of the AIB’s work worldwide.

Serge Schick, Director of International Development and Commercial Resources at France Médias Monde, continues as a member of the Executive Committee, bringing his expertise in international development and commercial strategies that will be instrumental in driving the AIB’s strategic growth.

Ömer Faruk Tanrıverdi, the Deputy Director General of TRT, brings a unique perspective from Turkey’s broadcasting scene, further diversifying the committee’s expertise and helping to foster cultural and informational collaboration between the East and West.

This diverse mix of media leaders from across the globe will help the AIB as it navigates the complex challenges of modern broadcasting, including areas such as artificial intelligence, sustainability, digital transition, regulatory environments, media freedom and the ongoing need for credible, impartial news for audiences worldwide.

With this new Executive Committee, the AIB aims to strengthen its role as a pivotal platform for international broadcasters, fostering collaboration and innovation to better serve audiences worldwide.

Global Media Sustainability Initiative webinar – creating and demonstrating the impact

Global Media Sustainability Initiative webinar – creating and demonstrating the impact

Global Media Sustainability Initiative webinar – creating and demonstrating the impact

SAVE THE DATE!

As the Global Media Sustainability Initiative (GMSI) develops, bringing together media companies from across the world to collaborate on ensuring sustainability issues are woven into all output genres, the AIB is hosting an important webinar that will demonstrate the real impact that programming can make on key issues.

This webinar will explore the impact that similar international media initiatives have achieved, through a presentation of research work undertaken by the World Bank and with examples of how media companies have delivered key messages to remove stigma about, and increase awareness of, key issues affecting people worldwide, such as HIV/AIDS.

The speakers include Georgia Arnold, co-founder and former Executive Director of the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, Victor Orozco-Olvera, Senior Economist with the Development Impact (DIME) department in the World Bank and Chris Jackson, Senior Vice President and lead for the Ipsos People & Society practice in the United States. 

The webinar will set the scene for the collaboration that the GMSI is facilitating across continents, including content sharing, knowledge exchange and training of commissioners, editors, writers, producers, and journalists working in drama, entertainment, sport, music and news in TV, radio and digital platforms.

See the webinar brochure here.

The webinar is free to join and takes place on Thursday 11 April 2024 at 1200 GMT/UTC [0600 Mexico City/0800 EST/1300 London/1400 CET/1400 Johannesburg/1600 Dubai/2000 Singapore/2300 Sydney/0000 Auckland].

Register for the event here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/7603552e-6ce3-497f-ac67-5967ee0e7ece@8f364d80-17ad-4baa-906d-84be71988aec

For more information about the Global Media Sustainability Initiative, visit: https://aib.org.uk/aib-global-media-sustainability-initiative/

We look forward to you joining us in April and helping to make the GMSI effective and influential.

AIB and many major news organisations express solidarity with Gaza journalists

AIB and many major news organisations express solidarity with Gaza journalists

AIB and many major news organisations express solidarity with Gaza journalists

Dozens of news organisation leaders from across the world, including the Association for International Broadcasting, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters, have joined an open letter (full text below) affirming their solidarity with journalists reporting in Gaza.

The letter, coordinated by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) with the support of the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), demonstrates strong and unified support for colleagues reporting from Gaza in the deadliest conflict for journalists ever documented by CPJ.

“For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions,” the letter reads. “…These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk.”

The letter goes on to remind the international community that journalists are civilians and authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law.

A total of at least 94 journalists have been killed in the Israel-Gaza war; the majority of them (89) were Palestinians killed by the Israeli military.

The signatories include outlets from Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, India, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Additional signatories are welcome. Please contact letter@cpj.org to add your news organisation, including name of signatory, title, and name of organisation.

Open letter on journalists in Gaza

We, the undersigned, stand united with Palestinian journalists in their call for safety, protection, and the freedom to report.

For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions: at least 89 have been killed in the war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more journalists than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year.

These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely  for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk. They continue despite the loss of family, friends, and colleagues, the destruction of homes and offices, constant displacement, communications blackouts, and shortages of food and fuel.

Journalists are civilians and Israeli authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law. Those responsible for any violations of that longstanding protection should be held accountable. Attacks on journalists are also attacks on truth. We commit to championing the safety of journalists in Gaza, which is fundamental for the protection of press freedom everywhere.

Signatories 

  1. Kim Godwin, President, ABC NEWS
  2. Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director, Agence France-Presse
  3. Hossam Kanafani, Editor in Chief, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed
  4. Nora Younis, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Al-Manassa, Egypt
  5. Alaa al Ghatrevy, Editor in Chief, Al Masry Al Youm, Egypt
  6. Ghassan Hajjar, Managing Editor, An-Nahar, Lebanon
  7. Rawan Damen, Director General, ARIJ (Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism)
  8. Shiro Nakamura, President, The Asahi Shimbun, Japan
  9. Nicole Dungca, President, Asian American Journalists Association, United States
  10. Julie Pace, Executive Editor, Associated Press
  11. Simon Spanswick, Chief Executive, Association for International Broadcasters
  12. Deborah Turness, CEO, BBC News
  13. Hikmet Adal, Editor, Bianet, Turkey
  14.  Ingrid Ciprián-Matthews, President, CBS News
  15. Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide
  16. Daoud Kuttab, Director General, Community Media Network, Jordan
  17. Branko Brkic, Editor in Chief, Daily Maverick, South Africa
  18. Alia Ibrahim, Co-founder and CEO, Daraj, Lebanon
  19. Dirk Kurbjuweit, Editor in Chief, Der Spiegel, Germany
  20. Barbara Junge, Editor in Chief, Die Tageszeitung, Germany
  21. Ulrike Winkelmann, Editor in Chief, Die Tageszeitung, Germany
  22. Khaled Elbalshy, President, Egyptian Journalists Syndicate
  23. Mohamed Saad Abdel Hafiz, Egyptian Journalists Syndicate / Managing Editor, Al-Shorouk, Egypt
  24. Patrick Mayoyo, Director Editorial Innovations, Eyewitness Africa, Kenya
  25. Roula Khalaf, Editor, Financial Times, UK
  26. Giuseppe Di Maula, Editor in Chief, FotosIntensi, Italy
  27. Laurie Hays, Editor in Chief/CEO, The Fuller Project
  28. Katharine Viner, Editor in Chief, The Guardian
  29. Aluf Benn, Editor in Chief, Haaretz
  30. Geordie Grieg, Editor in Chief, The Independent
  31. Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, Chairperson, Inquirer Group of Companies, Philippines
  32. Deirdre Veldon, Managing Director, former Deputy Editor, The Irish Times, Ireland
  33. Rachel Corp, Chief Executive, ITN, UK
  34. Andrew Dagnell, Editor, ITV News, UK
  35. Amir Rotem, Editor in Chief, Local Call
  36. Terry Tang, Interim Executive Editor, Los Angeles Times
  37. Mohammed Al-Fazari, CEO and Editor in Chief, Muwatin Media Network
  38. Rameeza Nizami, Managing Director, Nawaiwaqt Group, Pakistan
  39. Pamella Sittoni, Group Managing Editor, Nation Media Group, Kenya
  40. Yvette Cabrera, President, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, United States
  41. Rebecca Blumenstein, President, Editorial, NBC News
  42. David Remnick, Editor, The New Yorker
  43. AG Sulzberger, Publisher, The New York Times
  44. Edith Chapin, SVP & Editor in Chief, NPR, United States
  45. Martha Ramos, President, World Editors Forum / Chief Editorial Officer, Organización Editorial Mexicana, Mexico
  46. Amalie Kestler, Managing Editor in Chief, Politiken, Denmark
  47. Hans Väre, Editor in Chief, Postimees Grupp, Estonia
  48. Alan Rusbridger, Editor, Prospect magazine, UK
  49. Lara Bitar, Editor in Chief, The Public Source, Lebanon
  50. Ritu Kapur, CEO, The Quint, India
  51. Maria Ressa, CEO and Co-Founder, Rappler, Philippines
  52. Alessandra Galloni, Editor in Chief, Reuters, UK
  53. Ayman Mhanna, Executive Director, Samir Kassir Foundation, Lebanon
  54. Kamal Siriwardana, Editor in Chief, SMN24Media, Sri Lanka
  55. Nwabisa Makunga, Editor in Chief, The Sowetan, South Africa
  56. Esther Ng, Chief Content Officer, Star Media Group Berhad, Malaysia
  57. Wolfgang Krach, Editor in Chief, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany
  58. Wafaa Haidar, Director, Tele Liban, Lebanon
  59. Anne Marie Owens, Editor in Chief, Toronto Star, Canada
  60. Lyas Hallas, Co-founder/CEO, Twala, Algeria
  61. Fernando Belzunce, Editorial Director, Vocento, Spain
  62. Assaad Maroun, Chairman / General Manager, Voice of Lebanon
  63. Sally Buzbee, Executive Editor, The Washington Post
  64. Vincent Peyrègne, CEO, World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)
  65. Ghousoon Bisharat, Editor in Chief, +972 Magazine
  66. Nancy Prager-Kamel, Chairperson, Association of Foreign Press Correspondents, United States
  67. Julia Montfort, Editor in Chief, Guiti News, France
  68. Elena Cosentino, Director, International News Safety Institute, UK
  69. Ebele Okobi, CEO, The New Humanitarian
  70. Laurent Richard, Founder and Executive Founder, Forbidden Stories, France
  71. Marc Saikali, Chairman, Ici Beyrouth and This is Beirut, Lebanon
  72. Maha Al Bahnasawi, Managing Director, ONA Media Services, Egypt
AIB Welcomes Global Distribution Services as Newest Member

AIB Welcomes Global Distribution Services as Newest Member

AIB Welcomes Global Distribution Services as Newest Member

Innovative OTT provider’s membership benefits the AIB community

The Association for International Broadcasting (AIB), the industry consortium for global broadcasting, is delighted to announce the addition of Global Distribution Services (GDS) to its membership. GDS specialises in content aggregation, distribution and digital monetisation. It is renowned for its innovative approach to broadcasting and is the force behind FAST Freeview services including the multi-channel platform Channelbox on Freeview channel 271, a trailblazing brand in OTT distribution of international TV channels.

This new alliance represents a significant stride in the AIB’s ongoing efforts to embrace the evolving landscape of broadcast media. GDS’s expertise in OTT (over-the-top) technology and its successful implementation through FAST services on Freeview UK brings a fresh perspective to the AIB’s diverse and dynamic network.

Simon Spanswick, Chief Executive of the AIB, said about this partnership: “We are thrilled to welcome Global Distribution Services to the AIB family. Their remarkable work in OTT distribution is reshaping how international audiences access television content. This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to foster innovation and excellence in global broadcasting. GDS’s entry into our network signifies a fusion of traditional broadcasting values with cutting-edge technology, setting new benchmarks for our industry.”

Tanya Kronfli (pictured), founder and Managing Director of GDS, said: “As a company at the forefront of innovative distribution services for national and international TV channels, belonging to and supporting key industry bodies is important for us. We are looking forward to working closely with the AIB and its members, helping to deliver innovative and cost-effective channel distribution, develop new audiences and new revenue streams for content owners.”

The pioneering approach in OTT distribution allows for a seamless and enriched viewing experience, offering a wide range of international TV channels across various genres on Freeview UK via Channelbox or directly via Freeview EPG. This integration with AIB underscores its commitment to embracing new technologies that enhance content accessibility and viewer engagement worldwide.

The partnership between AIB and GDS is a clear demonstration of the ever-growing need for collaboration and innovation in the rapidly evolving world of international broadcasting. It paves the way for further advancements and mutual growth, benefiting members and audiences alike.

Media Freedom Coalition issues statement on situation in Hong Kong

Media Freedom Coalition issues statement on situation in Hong Kong

Media Freedom Coalition issues statement on situation in Hong Kong

On the second anniversary of the closure of Stand News and arrest of its staff, whose prosecution remains ongoing, the members of the Media Freedom Coalition issued the following statement on media freedom in Hong Kong.

The undersigned members of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) remain deeply concerned at the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities’ continued attacks on freedom of the press and their suppression of independent local media in Hong Kong.

Local media have intensified self-censorship since the imposition of the National Security Law in June 2020. Prosecutions of media workers in connection with sedition legislation have increased. Use of these laws to suppress journalism undermines Hong Kong’s autonomy and the rights and freedoms of the people in Hong Kong as promised in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and guaranteed in the Basic Law.

The Hong Kong authorities’ prolonged prosecutions of journalists like the Stand News team and publishers such as Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai creates a chilling effect on others in the press and media. They come against the backdrop of loss of editorial independence, the barring of journalists seeking to cover government press briefings and the removal of material from public broadcasting archives.

Freedom of the press has been central to Hong Kong’s success for many years. Curtailing the space for free expression of alternative views weakens vital checks and balances on executive power. The free flow and exchange of opinions and information is vital to Hong Kong’s people, business and international reputation.

We urge the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities to abide by their international human rights commitments and legal obligations and to preserve Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and respect for universal rights and freedoms.

The member countries of the MFC will always defend media freedom and freedom of expression. The member countries of the MFC will continue to stand up for those who are targeted simply for exercising their human rights.

Signed: 

Australia
Austria
Canada
Czechia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
New Zealand
Norway
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
the Netherlands
the United Kingdom
the United States

Image: created by DALL-E

Ukraine War Zone – first AIB event of 2024

Ukraine War Zone – first AIB event of 2024

Ukraine War Zone – first AIB event of 2024

The AIB is pleased to be staging an important event in January that will look at the human cost of the war in Ukraine, focusing on internally displaced persons, refugees and the tens of thousands of people who have suffered catastrophic injuries resulting in the amputation of limbs.
 
Renowned filmmaker, photographer and poet Chip Duncan of Duncan Entertainment will be in conversation with Salim Amin on Thursday 11 January, at the Rose Shure Experience Centre in London thanks to the generous support of AIB member Shure UK.
 
Places are limited – if you are interested in attending what promises to be a fascinating and emotional event, register for a place at https://forms.gle/a25zva7rtaAxA2jo8