AIB Media Industry Briefing | April 2022 |
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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. |
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The 18th annual AIBs - the international competition for journalism and factual productions across TV, radio and digital platforms - have opened for entry.
We are calling for entries in 18 categories and work can be submitted irrespective of its target audience (domestic or international) and in any language.
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- BREAKING NEWS
- CONTINUING NEWS COVERAGE
- POLITICS and BUSINESS
- DOMESTIC AFFAIRS DOCUMENTARY
- INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS DOCUMENTARY
- INVESTIGATIVE DOCUMENTARY
- SPECIALIST FACTUAL
- HUMAN INTEREST
- SPORTS JOURNALISM
- NATURAL WORLD
- SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY
- SHORT FEATURE
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- NEWS COVERAGE – breaking or continuing
- INVESTIGATIVE DOCUMENTARY
- HUMAN INTEREST
- SPECIALIST FACTUAL
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- STREAMING DOCUMENTARY
- FACTUAL PODCAST
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Find out why you should enter or support the AIBs - watch the comments from entrants to the 2021 competition:
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Download the AIBs 2022 entry book here
Get full information at the AIBs website here
Sponsor these global awards - details here
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TRT launches French-language digital platform |
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Turkey continues to expand its international services with the launch of its French-language digital platform, TRT Français.
The Turkish public broadcaster already operates four other international services: TRT World (the English-language international TV and digital service), TRT Arabic, TRT Russian and TRT Deutsch.
TRT continues to operate a number of international radio services under the Voice of Turkey brand, with some transmitted on shortwave (such as the Chinese and Turkmen language services).
Read more on this story here. |
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CBC/Radio-Canada secures broadcast rights for Olympic Games from 2026 to 2032 |
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that CBC/Radio-Canada, Canada’s national public broadcaster, has secured the exclusive broadcast rights in Canada for the following Olympic Games: Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, Los Angeles 2028, Olympic Winter Games 2030 (the host of which is yet to be selected) and Brisbane 2032.
Broadcasting the Olympics is a key strategic objective for CBC/Radio-Canada as it draws the largest audience for the Canadian broadcaster.
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AIB and Channelbox bring Ukraine news TV to UK Freeview |
24 hour rolling news channel direct from Kyiv available via connected Freeview service across the UK
At the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, seven of the country’s largest broadcasters pooled their resources to deliver a 24-hour-a-day news service. The combined channel is available across Ukraine and, thanks to a growing number of agreements with broadcasters and platforms, in a constantly increasing number of countries across Europe.
On 31 March the Ukrainian channel went live on the UK’s digital terrestrial TV service, Freeview, via the multi-channel OTT service Channelbox, and on mobile through Channelbox’s iOS and Android applications.
The news and information channel - United News - is produced jointly by the 1+1 International, Rada, Ukraine 24, Inter +, ICTV, UATV, and Suspilne media companies. Its purpose is to provide accurate and impartial news from across Ukraine, and to debunk disinformation and fake news that is being propagated about events in the country. The news service is also a vital link with home for the estimated four million Ukrainian citizens who have fled the country as the war has spread.
The United News channel is also being rebroadcast in other territories, including the Czech Republic which went live on the national free-to-air digital TV network.
Commenting on the development, CRa’s CEO Vit Vazan said: “We want to contribute as best we can. This is due to the free and highly available distribution of the Ukrainian channel 1 + 1, so that people have the opportunity to get information in their native language about what is happening in their country.
“The flexibility of digital terrestrial television allows us to start broadcasting the complete program of the 1 + 1 station. The broadcast will run from April 11 and will last as needed.”
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The Union said that these deaths have been confirmed by the country's Prosecutor-General's office. There may be others who have perished while bringing news from the war zone to the world and the death toll may continue to rise given the likely long-term continuation of hostilities.
The AIB covered journalist safety in the AIBs 2022 Masterclass - watch the safety session here. This included discussion about safety in war zones, with recommendations from the expert speakers, Roger Macmillan and Simon Marr MBE.
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In addition to the work that the AIB has done in securing carriage for United News on UK TV platforms, we have been supporting an initiative that is designed to assist Ukrainian refugees arriving in the United Kingdom.
The Acceptus Community Interest Company has been founded by Olena Sandul with a simple aim: idea is simple - enable Ukrainian refugees integrate into the UK society. An easy-to-navigate website is up and running at https://how2uk.org/, including details of how to watch United News in the UK.
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The AIBs 2022 | Masterclass |
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To coincide with the launch of the 2022 AIBs, we held a Masterclass that brought together a number of winners and finalists from previous years to share knowledge and provide inspiration and incentive for other programme makers, as well as offering encouragement to those entering, or hoping to enter, the journalism or factual programming industries.
Watch the sessions using the links below each session.
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Session 1
Global investigations – the key to success
Peter Charley, Al Jazeera Investigative Unit
Kiki Mordi, Investigative Journalist
Calliste Weitenberg, SBS
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Session 2
Soundscapes – telling important stories
Robert Mulhern, Sky News Storycast
Tom Koenig, VP, US Podcasts, Somethin’ Else
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Session 3
Safety is key
Roger Macmillan, Volant Media
Simon Marr MBE, First Option Group
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AIB Members - April programme highlights |
Globe-trotting wildlife photographer and filmmaker Iwago Mitsuaki offers viewers to NHK WORLD-JAPAN the best of a vast collection of cat footage that he captured in Japan.
Accompany him on his unique trip around the country, discovering the less known charms and customs of different regions – through the eyes of cats! Sundays, on NHK WORLD-JAPAN
Find out more about this programme and other NHK WORLD - JAPAN highlights here
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ENTR: DW’s Pan-European media project celebrates first anniversary |
Since the launch of its multilingual platforms in May 2021, ENTR has garnered more than 40 million page and video views on social media and partners’ websites across all six languages.
With a target group of Europeans aged 18 to 34 years, it is particularly successful on Instagram. In February 2022 alone, ENTR’s videos on its own accounts and partner pages have reached more than 6.3 million page and video views in the six project languages (English, French, German, Romanian, Polish and Portuguese).
The war in Ukraine is now a dominant topic worldwide. As a platform for young people in Europe, ENTR takes a closer look at the larger context and history of the conflict and lets young people have their say. Videos on the war in Ukraine include a timeline of events, a video diary of a refugee fleeing the country and Ukrainian women and their hopes for the future. In the coming weeks, ENTR will continue to give young people a voice on the topic, with overarching themes like democracy, propaganda and peace in Europe. ENTR reports also cover climate, education, culture, gender equality and more. The content is produced or adapted for each of the project languages.
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VoA launches Afghan TV network |
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One day after the ruling Taliban banned Voice of America broadcasts from terrestrial television in Afghanistan, the U.S. government-funded independent news agency officially launched a 24/7 direct-to-home satellite-delivered television channel for the country.
The channel carries uncensored news and information in both the Pashto and Dari languages of the country. VOA’s programs were ordered off affiliated television stations in Afghanistan effective Sunday, March 27, as part of a broad ban on content regarded as undermining Taliban policies, including prohibiting women from anchoring newscasts with men.
VOA’s new TV stream, identified as “VOA Afghanistan,” is on the Yahsat Y-1A satellite (52.2 degrees East), Transponder 12 (downlink frequency 11.938 GHz), Channel 469. The Yahsat satellite is Afghanistan’s most popular platform, ensuring the Afghan audience will have access to VOA’s programming despite the Taliban censorship.
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DW Akademie: Afghan media sector faces economic collapse |
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DW Akademie and its partners have just finalised a piece of research into the state of the media in Afghanistan. 175 respondents answered an online questionnaire.
The report, Afghan media sector faces an imminent economic collapse, can now be accessed on DW Akademie’s #mediadev web resource.
It focuses on the financial situation of media houses and sheds light on reporting restrictions and the situation of journalists.
Respondents shared their clear recommendations for the support of media and media professionals in Afghanistan by international actors.
The survey results were discussed in February 2022 in the Media Freedom Talk Six Months after the Fall of Kabul, organised in cooperation with Reporters Without Borders. The video of the event is available to view here.
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AIB launches survey on IoT and journalism |
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Anjuli Shere, AIB research analyst and cyber security PhD student at the University of Oxford, and pre-doctoral fellow at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, is undertaking a major piece of research that will help members of the media understand and counter threats to journalism from novel networked devices, known as the Internet of Things.
This research is necessary because journalists face many threats – from physical attacks while covering protests and riots, to laws citing national security justifications that encroach on source protections, and increasingly, technologies such as spyware. All of these threats can be facilitated and exacerbated by the so-called “consumer Internet of Things” (the IoT): a variety of common networked devices that include gaming systems, smart cars and fitness trackers.
If you are interested in joining this important research project, please contact the AIB Secretariat on +44 20 7993 2557 or email
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Mali press body protests RFI and F24 suspension |
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The move appears to be a U-turn as the organisation had seemed to acknowledge the ban earlier in March. At that time, the Maison de la Presse urged local and foreign media to "exercise responsibility" when reporting the security situation in Mali.
The Maison de la Presse now says that the restrictions on the two French international broadcasters undermine press freedom in Mali.
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Ethiopian media under "considerable" pressure |
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The chief executive of the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation has said that "considerable" pressure is being exerted on the national broadcaster by government officials, according to reports from BBC Monitoring.
EBC CEO Fseha Ytagesu was speaking at a meeting with members of a parliamentary standing committee on law, justice and democracy who visited the national broadcaster.
“When you look at the problem of good governance, we have started raising issues. However, the complaints through phone calls and pressure from government officials is considerable. There are many government officials such as ministers, state ministers, directors-general [of state institutions], regional officials who call to complain [about] why they were mentioned in a report, and intimidate journalists. It is a big challenge,” Fseha told committee members.
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Ethiopia has repeatedly jailed journalists over recent years, and complained about reports carried on broadcasters such as Al Jazeera and the BBC about the war in Tigray region.
These moves marked a reversal of media freedom reforms that saw the country host the global World Press Freedom Day conference in Addis Ababa in 2019.
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Meanwhile the administration of the city of Addis Ababa is reported to have leased 5,000 square metres of land to a new TV station, Global Television Network of Africa. The deal is for a reported down payment of 30,000,000 Ethiopian Birr (GBP450,000/US$587,000). The remaining payment - not disclosed - is to be made in 99 years' time.
The station has been founded by Girum Chala (pictured right/Instagram) who has worked as senior correspondent in Ethiopia for China's international TV network, CGTN.
According to press reports, Chala intends GTNA to be a pan-African network that "will soon be the voice of all voiceless Africans." The broadcaster intends to have correspondents across Africa, and offices in Beijing, London, New York and Washington DC.
It is unclear where the funding for this ambitious project will, or has, come from.
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The AIBs - get involved in 2022! |
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The AIBs are the annual competition for journalism and factual productions across TV, radio and digital. Now in their 18th year, the AIBs attract entries from all parts of the world - more than 40 countries were represented in the 2021 contest.
The AIBs 2022 are now open for entry!
Now is the time to:
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become a sponsor of the AIBs in 2022 and align your brand with the world's leading journalism and factual programming. Full details are available here.
- nominate yourself as a member of the international panel of judges that will evaluate the shortlisted work.
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Contact the AIB Secretariat in the UK to explore ideas on how you can become involved in the AIBs 2022.
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Watch this short video compilation of what journalists, producers and executives from around the world say about the AIBs:
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Justin Stevens has been appointed Director, ABC News, Analysis and Investigations.
Justin brings extensive journalism experience and editorial leadership to the position built across two decades and senior editorial positions in current affairs.
In his former role as 7.30 Executive Producer, Justin has for four years been responsible for leading and managing the ABC’s agenda-setting flagship daily current affairs programme.
“I’m incredibly proud to be part of ABC News and it’s an honour to be given the opportunity to lead this great team." said Stevens.
“The ABC celebrates 90 years this year and ABC News is a huge part of its proud heritage.
“Australians trust ABC News to deliver the quality public interest journalism and services they need and which are a key part of a healthy democracy. That job is more vital than ever.”
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News UK has announced that Simon Farnsworth has been appointed as EVP, Chief Technology Officer, joining the executive team and reporting to Rebekah Brooks.
Simon will oversee the technology team that services all of News UK’s brands including publishing titles The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun; audio brands talkSPORT, Virgin Radio, Times Radio and TalkRadio; as well as the soon-to-launch TalkTV.
Leading a multi-disciplinary technology team, Simon will manage the structure and architecture of the businesses technology requirements, as well as attracting the best talent and capability. He moves from Discovery.
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Joe Kawkabani has been appointed CEO of Middle East DTH service OSN. He has been a board member and a close partner to the OSN leadership team working on the vision and strategy across all divisions.
Speaking about the appointment, Sheikha Dana, Chairperson of OSN (Panther Media Group), commented: “We are pleased that Joe is stepping in as CEO as he works towards the board’s vision for the Company to be a leading premium entertainment ecosystem in the region.”
Kawkabani was previously Group Chief Investment Officer at KIPCO, which owns 87.6% of the shares in OSN.
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Guillaume Collard has been named the new CEO of RTL Belgium.
The broadcaster was recently acquired by DPG Group and includes TV channels RTL TVI, Club RTL & Plug RTL, radio channels Bel RTL & Radio Contact, streaming service RTLplay, news platform RTL Infor and advertising agency IP Belgium.
Collard moves from Eleven Sports Belgium where he was Managing Director.
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The AIB's Big Tech Intelligence Group is exploring the challenges that AIB Members have in their relationships with and reliance on big tech platforms. It has developed a position paper to tackle issues around copyright and take-downs and to explore the potential of Big Tech platforms white-listing broadcasters. The Group brings together AIB Members across the world who are keen to collaborate on key issues around Big Tech.
With AIB Members reaching more than one billion people every week, working together to engage with Big Tech platforms is important. The AIB Intelligence Group examines Members' needs and establishes ways for them to collaborate.
For more information about how to participate, contact the AIB Secretariat in the UK. |
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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 28 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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