46
|
ISSUE 2 2015
|
THE CHANNEL
TheAIB
s
2015
2015 is the eleventh year of the
AIBs
, the global festival of factual
content across TV, radio and online
organised by the Association for
International Broadcasting. We
have a record number of entries
that come not just from established
broadcasters but also independent
production companies and,
represented in force for the first
time this year, online platforms.
This is a truly global competition
with work submitted from almost
40 countries, from Bosnia to Nepal,
Australia to the UAE.
SELECTING
Shortlisting of the remarkable work
that’s been entered is underway as
this edition of
The Channel
goes to
press. Then it will be up to our
international panel of judges to
evaluate the programmes and
online content to come up with the
winners in each of our 17
categories. It’s no small task and
we’re delighted that a wide range
of senior producers, editors and
executives has agreed to give up
some of their time to look at and
listen to the short-listed entries.
“Our jury members come from
every continent,” explains Simon
Spanswick, chief executive of the
Association. “This means that the
judging process brings together
local and global opinion, together
with regional expertise. We value
the judges’ opinion hugely and
their views help entrants gain even
greater understanding of what
global and regional audiences want
from factual programming.”
VALUE
Interestingly, many jurors on the
AIBs
panel have bought programmes
and series that they’ve judged over
the past decade. So entering the
AIBs
is a great way to showcase
your work to our judges who get to
see material that otherwise they
might have missed. Since our
judges are all over the world,
entering these awards puts you
firmly into the global content market-
place, in front of commissioners
and channel controllers.
SUPPORT
The hundreds of entries submitted
form the bedrock of support for the
annual
AIBs
but we rely on the
generosity of sponsors to ensure
that the competition and our gala
awards night are successes. This
year we are pleased to welcome
back India’s Pixel Party who are
supplying visual branding for the
awards night. International satellite
operator Eutelsat – whose services
carry so many of the programmes
that are entered – is again
sponsoring the
AIBs
. The
Association for International
Broadcasting thanks these
companies for their continued
support of this international event.
There’s still the opportunity to
join the ranks of our sponsors in
2015. Talk to us about how we can
help link your brand with the
world’s best factual content - AIB is
here to help!
NETWORKWITHTHEBEST
This year’s
AIBs
will be presented
in London on 4 November and
already tables are selling. At the
awards gala we show clips of all the
highlighted work and provide
context around the programmes. It
is very humbling to be told time
and time again that this is one of
the best media awards events in the
international calendar.
Alongside the formal awards
presentations, we have our
traditional “in conversation”. Over
the past few years we’ve had
thought-provoking discussions –
ranging from reaching audiences in
China to wearable technology
(several years before the arrival of
the Apple Watch!). Our guest
interviewee this year will provide
food for thought about the future of
news and current affairs
programming in the virtual world.
We hope it will be one of the
highlights of a memorable evening
among the world’s top factual
content producers. We look
forward to seeing you there.
n
“It is an honour
and a privilege
to be associated
with the
awards. The
quality tonight
has been
outstanding.”
Richard Quest - CNN
Every year for the past ten years, the
AIBs
international media awards have celebrated the world’s best
factual TV, radio and online productions.
Clare Dance
, the
AIB
’s awards co-ordinator on this year’s festival
