AIB Media Industry Briefing
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March 2020
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Welcome to the latest media industry briefing from the Association for International Broadcasting, covering news from our Members and the wider industry.
This briefing reaches more than 27,000 people in media, regulation, government and journalism in over 150 territories.
Talk to us
about using the briefing to tell your stories or to deliver brand exposure to our influential international community.
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AIB keeps members up-to-date on coronavirus
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As the world attempts to cope with the spread of the novel coronavirus, the AIB has been active in helping its members with information.
We have prepared a
briefing on how broadcasters and associated industries can meet the challenges of the virus, from health to production issues.
We have also been
monitoring cancellations and postponements in media industry conferences and exhibitions. Our online
calendar of events is being updated as news comes in from event organisers.
We are also building a database of advisories issued by AIB members to their staff and managers that our members can consult.
AIB member
INSI has also issued guidance that is available
here.
The AIB will continue to monitor the developing situation and report to members and to the wider industry via our
website
.
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The
AIBs 2020 open on 2 April
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The
AIBs
2020 will open for entry at the beginning of April, celebrating the world's best journalism and factual productions on TV, radio and digital.
Full information on this 16th edition of the international competition will be available from 2 April, including our redesigned website at
theaibs.tv.
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As the
Formula 1
motor racing season prepares to get underway with the Australian Grand-Prix over the weekend of 14-15 March, German broadcaster
RTL has announced that it plans to cover at least three Formula 1 races from its studios in Cologne.
RTL’s sports director,
Manfred Loppe
, said: “The spread of the coronavirus, the associated incalculable health risks for all colleagues and, furthermore, broadcast security that can no longer be guaranteed due to the immediate measures when infected, only allow for one decision, that is to produce from the Cologne broadcasting centre.”
Other broadcasters may follow suit.
Despite the complete lock-down of Italy,
Ferrari - one of the top F1 teams - said on 9 March that it would take part in the Australian race. It's likely that the cars and associated kit needed for a major race are already on its way to Australia and some team members will also have left for the country.
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CNN is launching a dedicated service in Brazil on 15 March. The company has recruited 300 journalists, including a number of prominent names from other news organisations in the country.
All
CNN Brasil
content will be multi-platform and distributed through pay TV and digital media to reach an audience of over 60 million people from launch. In addition to its own digital platforms, CNN Brasil also has a presence across social media platforms, where the brand has amassed more than one million followers ahead of launch.
Commenting on the launch,
Rani Raad
, President,
CNN International Commercial
, said, “Congratulations to the entire CNN Brasil team for the impending launch of this highly anticipated news service which will increase media plurality by bringing the CNN brand of journalism to millions of Brazilians in their own language. We look forward to extending the reach and resonance of the CNN brand in one of the world’s largest countries through this exciting project with an impressive and well-resourced partner.”
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ABS-CBN looks safe...for now
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The 25-year franchise of one of the Philippines largest broadcasters,
ABS-CBN, comes to an end on 4 May. The company is engaged in a political tug-of-war with President Duterte who, along with like-minded politicians, wants to strip the broadcaster of its licence.
But on 10 March, the country's National Telecommunications Commission agreed to issue provisional authority allowing ABS-CBN to remain on the air while the franchise renewal is agreed. NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba said that "the NTC will follow the advice of the Department of Justice and let ABS-CBN continue their operations based on equity."
It's a step in the right direction, but the company is not out of the woods yet.
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South Sudan struggles to pay
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The South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation seems to be struggling to pay its satellite distribution costs. In January,
Arabsat threatened to cut off SSBC over its alleged failure to pay for the period from January 2019 until the end of April this year.
According to local press reports, following Arabsat's demand for payment the South Sudan government wrote to the Ugandan government seeking a loan of US$2m to settle the Arabsat carriage fees. It's unclear whether this has been agreed in Kampala.
In 2018, the Chinese government agreed to build and equip a new broadcasting centre for SSBC that was said to cost anywhere from US$15m to US$100m. The agreement with China also included training of journalists.
Without the ability to transmit its programmes, the new broadcasting centre will be somewhat redundant.
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Baku-based pro-government TV channel
Khazar TV has changed hands. The Azeri Press Agency reports that a subsidiary of
SOCAR, the country's state oil company, has taken control of the company after two months' negotiations.
A well-known Azerbaijani TV personality and actor,
Murad Dadashov, is reported to have been appointed as the channel's director-general.
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The AIB continues to place
media freedom front and centre of its international work plan. The AIB is a member of the Media Freedom Coalition Advisory Network - the Coalition now numbers 36 nations that are committed to upholding media freedom globally.
As a member of the Advisory Network, the AIB is able to represent the interests of broadcasters and other media companies in the AIB family in the government-level Coalition.
We're also contributing to discussions on the second Global Media Freedom Conference that will take place in Quebec City on 17 and 18 September 2020.
The AIB has given evidence in February to the Australian Senate Inquiry into media freedom and are continuing to contribute to media freedom work in the country and other nations as appropriate.
We will be holding regional media freedom events during 2020 and further details will be announced over the coming weeks.
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Cyber threats remain a real and present danger for broadcasters, playout companies and transmission providers.
The chair of the AIB's Cyber Security Working Group,
Denis Onuoha (pictured), has been interviewed in the current edition of
FEED magazine. You can read the article
here.
Our
Cyber Security Working Group is developing a major research programme in association with Royal Holloway University of London (pictured), an academic centre of excellence in Internet and smart card security. The purpose is to analyse security standards and help suppliers and broadcasters protect themselves from attack. Contact us the AIB to discuss how your organisation can get involved.
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Abu Dhabi media company
twofour54 has appointed
Michael Garin as its CEO.
Garin has worked in the media sector for more than 50 years, starting at Time Inc and then helping to found what would eventually become Lorimar Telepictures (famous for shows like
The Waltons, among many other international hits). He has worked in a variety of roles in the Middle East.
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Violeta Cojocaru has been appointed head of the board of national broadcaster
Teleradio-Moldova. She succeeds Nicolae Spataru.
Teleradio-Moldova operates two national TV channels and five radio stations.
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The AIB’s mission is to support, sustain, promote and protect
its Members, wherever they are in the world, via a range of specialist services.
The Association was formed to support organisations that face unique challenges by virtue of their remit to broadcast to and publish in multiple global jurisdictions and cultures. Today, thanks to the rapid developments in distribution and accessibility to content, this includes almost every domestic broadcaster since their services have become available to international audiences.
Our Members operate television, radio and online services in multiple languages that, every week, reach well in excess of one billion people in almost every country on the planet.
We help our Members to collaborate, and to innovate.
We help our Members to solve problems.
We help our Members to tell their stories.
We draw on 26 years of knowledge gathering, intelligence sharing and understanding in the international media market to deliver outstanding support to our Members.
To find out more about the
benefits
that
Membership
of the
Association for International Broadcasting
delivers, see our
Guide to Membership
booklet and talk to
Tom Wragg
at AIB headquarters in the UK.
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Association for International Broadcasting
PO Box141 | Cranbrook | TN17 9AJ | United Kingdom
T +44 20 7993 2557
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