the
channel |
9
Global Brief
The latest news from the international broadcasting industry
New MD at EuroNews
EuroNews
, the international multilingual TV news channel partly
owned by Britain’s ITN, has appointed David Lowen as Managing
Director. Lowen succeeds Martyn Wheatley who has relocated to
Dubai to head up MBC’s news operation.
Paying tribute to Wheatley, Stewart Purvis, president of EuroNews’s
parent company SOCEMIE, said “Martyn Wheatley has helped
transform the image and reputation of EuroNews around the world.
He has created a legacy which I am sure others build on.”
Lowen moves to EuroNews from the UK where he has worked for
ITV, the national commercial television channel, and as a consultant
for broadcasters across Europe.
The senior management teamat EuroNews sees changes -AlanMercer
becomes Director of Resources, Michael Peters is named Financial
Director and Luis Rivas will act as Editorial Director.
RFE/RL ends Czech, develops more TV
AIB Member
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
has given up its transmissions in Czech after 52
years. The USA, says the broadcaster’s official statement, needs the US$650,000 to extend
broadcasting to other countries in connection with its fight against terrorism. Meanwhile, there
have been discussions going on for several months over whether REF/RL can safely continue to
keep its broadcasting centre in the Czech capital, Prague. There have been rumours that the building
might be attacked, and there have been suggestions that operations should be removed to another
country. This would be a big shame, said Czech President Havel, who encouraged the US broadcaster
to come to Prague in 1995.
Meanwhile, RFE/RL’s Bulgarian language service and Bulgaria’s
biggest private television broadcaster, bTV, have launched a weekday
television news programme. The programme, called
Blitz
, is
simulcast on bTV and on RFE/RL’s FM frequencies in Bulgaria
from 0810 to 0830 weekdays. Hosted by RFE/RL Sofia Bureau
correspondent Georgi Koritarov,
Blitz
focuses on news important
to its Bulgarian viewers and listeners, and features a press review, newsmaker interviews and
commentary on daily events. The first guest to appear on the inaugural show was Bulgarian
parliament chairman Ognyan Gerdzikov.
Gulf newsgathering facilities improved
APTN
reports that it is gearing up for the
potential conflict in Iraq with a significant
investment in people and new technology -
utilizing the latest in store and forward
technology, portable uplinks and digital
camera equipment.
The specific focus on new equipment is part
of a major initiative this year for APTN. APTN’s
Broadcast Services Department is expanding
its services with greater numbers of dedicated
Broadcast Services staff in more locations and
an increased number of bureaux with ‘live’
capability.
The main emphasis has been on the Middle
East and APTN Broadcast Services is offering
live and tape facilities in Baghdad where there
is a three path satellite truck with attached
communications link; Qatar with a three path
flyaway; Kuwait with a two path flyaway and
further links planned for Iraq and Kuwait.
Further investment brings more facilities to
the continuing Middle East hotspot, where
APTN has a range of facilities including·
Jerusalem offering work space, live and tape
playout; Gaza where there is a new tape and
live facility linked back to Jerusalem; and
Ramallah with a new tape and live facility
also linked back to Jerusalem.
World increases sponsorship
BBC World
, the BBC’s 24-hour international
news and information channel, has gained
more sponsorship in the travel and tourism
sectors.
Emirates - the airline of the United Arab
Emirates - are running a global campaign on
BBC World during Q1 2003. BBC World has
produced a special series of short form
features enabling viewers to ‘Keep Discovering
with Emirates’. In addition to sponsoring
these 50-second films, Emirates also sponsors
the Voyager Season every weekend on BBC
World.
Also in the year’s first quarter, Swiss bank
UBS is running sports to support its
sponsorship of Team Alinghi, the Swiss
syndicate challenging for the 2003 Americas
Cup.
In the tourism market, Kerala Tourism is the
2003 sponsor of BBC World’s Holiday
Programme in India with high frequency spot
campaigns running in Europe and Asia Pacific
concurrently. The channel has also signed a
deal with the Indian Tourist Board. Incredible
India is the Tourist Board’s first globally-
launched advertising campaign running in
Europe, Asia & Australia throughout the first
quarter of 2003, including web banners on
the BBC World site.
BBC World’s weather report in Europe is
sponsored throughout January and February
by KLM.
Carolyn Gibson, Regional Sales Director, EMEA,
BBC World comments: “Such a run of high-
profile sponsorships on the channel is
evidence of the excellent creative
opportunities BBC World now offers
advertisers. In addition to sponsorship
opportunities of quality BBC World
programmes, we have a cache of bespoke
creative media solutions we can offer our
clients.”
CNBC Europe protests UK regulator decision
CNBC Europe
, a member of the AIB, has protested to the UK’s Independent Television Commission
about a ruling on a series of programmes it transmitted early in 2002 on the
implementation of the Euro currency. The ITChas said that the programmes
contravened theCommission’s Code of Programme Sponsorship since they
were part-funded by the European Commission. The Code states that no
news and current affairs programmes may be sponsored.
CNBC Europe disputes that the programmes were sponsored, and the
AIB has expressed its surprise at the decision. The funding was awarded
to CNBC Europe and other cross-border broadcasters under the European
Commission’s PRINCE programme to explain the introduction of the
single currency to EU citizens. Other recipients of the award included EuroNews, MTV, NCRV,
Radio France Internationale, Radio Monte Carlo, Radio Netherlands, RAI and The Travel Channel.
“Grants to broadcasters have been made by various Directorate-Generals of the
EuropeanCommission for a number of years,” says Simon Spanswick, Chief Executive
of the AIB. “National and international, public service and commercial broadcasters
have benefited, enabling a greater range of programme genres to reach the public
across the Member States of the European Union. The EU works in partnership with
the broadcasters and therefore cannot be seen as a sponsor organisation.
“The ITC ruling appears to place CNBC Europe at a competitive disadvantage, as
well as working against viewers in the UK and across the Continent,” continues
Spanswick. “As a broadcaster of 24 hour-a-day news and current affairs programming,
the interpretation by the Regulator that the EU grant is sponsorship effectively
precludes the channel from applying for any further funding that benefits viewers
throughout the European Union and beyond. One wonders whether regulators in
other countries share the ITC’s opinion.”
In the past few years, public and commercial broadcasters have received European Commission
funding for television and radio covering programming including a pan-European collaborative news
and current affairs radio programme produced by a number of international public service broadcasters.
The AIB has written to the ITC, supporting the CNBC Europe position.
Spanswick:
ruling places
CNBC at disadvantage
