The Channel | 2002 | June

11 / 22

12 | the channel
Global Brief
The latest news from the international broadcasting industry
US aid for Afghan radio
USAID, the US Government’s aid agency, has installed a VSAT satellite system
at Radio-Television Afghanistan in Kabul. This will be used to send the Radio
Kabul [RadioAfghanistan] signal via satellite to shortwave transmitters in Norway
and somewhere in the Gulf. The programmes will then be rebroadcast back into
Afghanistan using Radio FreeAfghanistan (RFA) andVOA facilities. This whole
arrangement is being put in place especially to provide information to people in
Afghanistan about the Loya Jerga process.
In addition, it is expected the IBB (International Broadcasting Board) also from
the USA is to provide two 400 kW mediumwave transmitters to be based in
Kabul. One will transmit Radio Kabul programmes and the other VOA and RFA.
In addition, two FM transmitters for Kabul are being supplied.
(Information from BBC Monitoring/DX Listening Digest)
New Zealand: Committee calls for more external
radio funding
Once more cuts are threatening AIB broadcaster member Radio New Zealand
International. A New Zealand government committee says that 6m dollars
earmarked by the government for the setting up of a national youth network
would be better spent on improving the financing of existing services, including
Radio New Zealand International [RNZI].
The Commerce Committee, comprising both government and opposition MP’s,
notes that special RNZI programmes for the South Pacific Islands have already
been cut from 11 to 4 hours week, and says the service might not survive if
further cuts have to be made. The committee feels that a youth network is not a
priority as this market is already well served by the commercial sector.
(From BBC Monitoring/Radio Netherlands “Media Network)
MBC to compete with Al-Jazeera
The Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC) is studying two projects to set up
a television station and a radio station. The budget allocated for setting up the
new television station will reach 300m dollars. The new station will be a news
channel, which can compete with the Al-Jazeera channel.
Discussions so far concern searching for partners who can provide the financing
needed to operate the station for at least five years. The negotiations have included
Future [satellite] Channel and also Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper, which is
published in London. There is strong cooperation between MBC and Future,
which received a boost six months ago in the wake of the establishment of a joint
company specializing in media activities.
Informed sources say that the project is facing difficulties at present due to the
fact that financiers willing to invest in a news channel have not yet been found.
Promoters of the project believe that the channel, which is expected to be a big
competitor of the Al-Jazeera channel, will be able to make huge financial profits
from the Saudi market, which is considered the largest advertising market in the
Arab world. (BBC Monitoring)
Former BBC executive killed
On 10 May, a train from London to Kings Lynn was derailed at Potters
Bar just north of London. Seven people were killed. Faulty track
maintenance was blamed. Among those travelling were former BBC
World Service head Austen Kark, and his novelist wife Nina Bawden.
Austen Kark, aged 75, died at the crash scene. His wife was injured.
Austen Kark was described by the organisation’s current director Mark Byford
as “a highly cultured, intelligent and well-read individual”.
For the fourth year in a row, Digital Radio
Mondiale (DRM) has chosen Peter Senger,
Chief Engineer and Deputy Technical
Director of Deutsche Welle (DW), as its
Chairman. Senger has led DRM since its
inception in 1998. DRM also re-elected Jan
Hoek , CFO/CTO and Deputy Director
General of Radio Netherlands, as its Vice
Chairman. Hoek has been Vice Chairman
since DRM’s beginning.
“I’m proud to report that, in just four years,
DRM’s members have built a universal, on-
air system that will revitalize the AM
broadcasting bands below 30 MHz in
markets worldwide,” says Senger. “The
clarity of DRM’s near-FM quality sound
offers a dramatic improvement over
analogue AM. And DRM is the world’s only
non-proprietary, digital AM system for
short-wave, medium-wave and long-wave
with the ability to use existing frequencies
and bandwidth across the globe.”
World Radio Network (WRN) has decided
to seek commercial advertisers and
sponsors for its broadcasts. WRN carries
programming from 25 public broadcasters
from around the world. A recent survey
found that WRN has a weekly reach of
almost 90,000 via its satellite service on
the Sky Digital platform. Of these, 56 per
cent are in the ABC1 group, a key market
for companies that advertise in global
media such as Time, Newsweek and CNN.
WRN Managing Director Karl Miosga said
“I’m delighted with this research, and
confident to welcome aboard an exclusive
group of commercial advertisers and
sponsors to share this opportunity.” WRN
Strategic Consultant Richard Jacobs, who
will spearhead the move to attract
advertising and sponsorship added that
“WRN is a unique and exciting radio
station. This development means that the
commercial sector now has access to an
audience regularly tuning into a truly
global radio station.”
Meanwhile, WRN has launched a new
English service via satellite for South
America. The new service joins the
broadcaster’s other English networks to
North America, Europe, Africa and the
Middle East, and Asia Pacific.
WRN in South America is available on the
Telstar 12 satellite at 15 degrees West, with
a Ku-band footprint that covers all of South
and Central America.
Asia Satellite Telecommunications
Company Limited (AsiaSat) and UAE
Radio & Television, Dubai (UAERTV-
Dubai) have signed a long-term agreement