Global Brief
The latest news from the international broadcasting industry
BBC gains in Africa
Listeners to South African Broadcasting Corporation (
SABC
) radio channels will have a selection
of BBC news and current affairs programmes following the signing of a new agreement between
the two broadcasters. The new arrangement, which will lead to increased partnership and exchanges
in radio broadcasting between the two organisations, was signed in late January by SABC’s CEO
Peter Matlare and BBC’s Broadcasting Manager for Africa, Michel Lobelle.
“The BBC is delighted with this renewed and
consolidated partnership with South Africa’s public
broadcaster,” says Lobelle. “We have a long record
of cooperation, including programme exchange,
technical help and special events. This new
arrangement will allow all the SABC radio channels
to access the BBC news offer as well as sports and
other programming. We look forward to further
widening this focused cooperation.”
Peter Matlare added: “The SABC is pleased that it can
continue to bring its listeners news fromaround theworld
that is both credible and independent. The BBC will add
to our already rich source of local news and current affairs
and help us fulfil our commitment and obligation to the
South African public to keep them well informed and up-to-date in a fast-changing world.”
Meanwhile London-based programme syndicator TVAfrica has entered into a distribution agreement
with BBC World that will result in the channel gaining access to an estimated seven million
households across Africa. TVAfrica, the largest free-to-air, pan-African television network will
continue to syndicate the overnight re-broadcasts of BBC World to its terrestrial affiliates –
principally commercial television channels – to fourteen African countries, including Kenya,
Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia,
Malawi, Mozambique and Lesotho.
BBCWorld will appear on TVAfrica affiliates overnight and in the early morning. Commenting on the
new agreement, Erica Rowe, head of broadcast distribution at BBCWorld said: “Our significant growth
in viewership figures across Africa is in line with the global trend for the channel. BBCWorld, through
TVAfrica has access to one of the world’s biggest audiences. For decades BBCWorld Service radio has
been a firm favourite with millions ofAfrican listeners and more viewers than ever are tuning into BBC
World television through the services of their terrestrial broadcasters thanks to TVAfrica.”
Peter Matlare, CEO of SABC, with the
BBC’s Michel Lobelle at the signing of
the agreement
InterMedia Survey offers Market Guide intelligence
AIB member InterMedia Survey Institute has announced a joint partnership with Research Director
Inc. to produce
The Market Guide
. The Guides will initially be produced for 40 international markets.
Market Guides
feature country-specific information about general media usage and demographics.
There are media profiles for domestic television, radio, newspapers and the Internet. The guides
also provide information on demographics, ethnicity, languages, employment, income, education
and religion. The population’s assessment of the importance of each medium are shown, as are
ratings for individual outlets in each of the media.
This type of information has not been readily available for many developing and transitional countries.
InterMedia has been providing this type of data to international broadcasters for over 40 years, although
it has never before issued reports to a wide cross-section of potential users. The partnership with
Research Director Inc. nowmakes this possible. Now advertisers, stations, publications, governments
or non-government organizations will have access to this type of information. AIB members are
entitled to a saving on the regular price; contact
for more information .
GlobeCast plays the game
GlobeCast, an AIB member, has won the contract to provide the satellite transmissions for the
cricket world cup due to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya, in February. The
GlobeCast African office, with its headquarters in Johannesburg, will be uplinking all 54 matches
for the world feed as well as providing unilateral services for broadcasters.
GlobeCast will be using as many as 13 uplink systems to cover the matches to be played at 17
different venues in Kenya, Zimbabwe and SouthAfrica. GlobeCast isAfrica’s leading SNG company
and has covered most major international news and sporting events on the continent since it opened
its doors in 1994. The company has expanded into Africa and in September put in place a satellite
network for an East African broadcaster. The station can now deliver its pictures to the region
rather than just the capital. GlobeCast is looking to establish offices in East and West Africa to
further help meet the need in Africa for satellite solutions not only for broadcast but also Internet
via satellite, VSAT and DTH services.
News Xchange books into Budapest
Following its inaugural event in October
2002, The News Xchange conference, backed
by the European Broadcasting Union, has
announced that its second annual
conference will be held 6-7 November 2003
in Budapest, Hungary.
The News Xchange provides a forum for
broadcast news professionals to exchange
views, ideas and experiences. The 2002
conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia attracted
more than 280 top journalists from 80
organisations in 35 countries around the
world. Continuing coverage of the War on
Terrorism, along with maintaining news
audiences, was the overall theme of the
inaugural event.
“The News Xchange provides an invaluable
forum for broadcast news professionals,” said
Jean Stock, secretary general of the EBU.
“Last year’s event brought in a wide array of
industry professionals and we expect this
year’s event to be even more diverse.”
RTL Klub and MTV Hungary will serve as joint
host broadcasters of the event. John Owen,
the former executive director of Freedom
Forum Europe will again serve as executive
producer, with Jim Akhurst of the EBU and
Edith Champagne, formerly of the CBC,
participating again as co-ordinating
producers.
“Bringing back the same editorial team
combined with Budapest as the backdrop
should bring an even larger and more diverse
group of broadcast journalism professionals
to this year’s News Xchange conference,” said
Jim Gold, managing director of The News
Xchange. “With the continued use of the
Eurovision satellite network along with the
assistance of both RTL Klub and MTV Hungary
as our host broadcasters, the production and
editorial aspects should even exceed last
year’s effort.”
Rival conference News World is scheduled to
take place later in the same month in Dublin.
Singapore news channel in Indonesia
Singapore’s Channel News Asia has signed a
programme and news exchange agreement
with Indonesian Metro TV. The arrangement
extends CNA’s reach in Indonesia where it has
previously only been seen on pay-TV services.
New Governors for US international
broadcasting
The USA Broadcasting Board of Governors has
four new governors - Joaquin Blaya,
Blanquita Walsh Cullum, Jeffrey Hirschberg
and Steven Simmons. The BBG now has a full
complement of eight members plus Secretary
of State Colin Powell, who serves ex-officio.
Seth Cropsey has been confirmed by the
Senate to be the new director of the
International Broadcasting Board – now an
AIB member. Cropsey has been Director of
Policy at the Voice of America; Deputy
Undersecretary of the Navy; and has been
active in academic and law.
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