The Channel | 2002 | June

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4 AIB Global Media
Conference
A comprehensive report on the AIB’s
Global Media Business conference
held in April
8 European TV ratings -
The text of the Keynote Speech
made by Rick Cotton, President
and Managing Director of CNBC
Europe, at the AIB Global
Media Business conference
10 Global Brief
Bangladesh bans foreign TV
BBC World buys Japan company
MTV launches regional services
Regional initiatives at DW
DW-TV - 10 year anniversary
US Aid for Afghan radio
MBC rival to Al-Jazeera?
14 The Internet -
displacing other
media?
The impact of the Internet on
traditional international
broadcasting - the real facts
16 Cover Story
Banned, sacked,
abducted, jailed or
killed
The everyday story of the life of the
journalist in Asia
19 Personal view
Finn Norgren on PSB
20 Broadcast Technology
page 3
Editorial
Published by The Association for International Broadcasting
a non-profit making company limited by guarantee and registered in England
© The Association for International Broadcasting June 2002
The Channel - ISSN 1477-8718
Editor Tom Walters
Managing Editor Simon Spanswick
Editorial Office PO Box 4440, Walton, CO14 8BX, UK Tel +44 1255 676 996
Advertising MMM
Tel +44 20 8992 7073
Contents
The Association
for International
B r o a d c a s t i n g
Design and typesetting in house by AIB
Print by Times Printers Pte Limited, Singapore
Towards better international broadcasting
In one way, cross-border broadcasting is already hugely impressive and successful – the
colossal one-off, or limited-period, transmissions of events such as the football World
Cup reach hundreds of millions, in the highest quality. But enormous sums of money
are poured into these occasions, large risks are taken and anyway, the world audience
has grown to expect nothing but the best.
It’s another matter altogether, running a regular schedule of programmes on a daily
basis to audiences beyond your frontiers. Those who attended theAIB’s first international
conference, in Manchester UK at the end of April, heard many words of wisdom plus a
variety of enlightening and controversial points of view.
“The Global Media Business in an Uncertain World” was the theme, and very apposite
too. The electronic media must make their presence clearly felt on the global scene;
they must conduct their activities in a business-like way, and they are operating into a
most uncertain environment.
The AIB was set up to help those involved with cross-border broadcasting carry out
their business more effectively, be it public service or commercial broadcasting,
television, radio or internet, programming or technology. The Manchester conference
covered the whole range.
Technology is naturally the talking point at the moment, as it is moving on so fast. Our
conference report included a word of warning - that there are many impressive new
technological improvements out there, but, as “The Channel” has pointed out before,
they tend to be very costly, and may in practice not be exactly what is required.
A useful measurement of what is really needed, and one that is not consulted nearly as
often as it should be, is audience research. Does the broadcaster know exactly where the
potential audience is, and what it wants? Get that wrong, and you might as well pack up
and go home. This issue of “The Channel” takes a fresh look at audience research,
which can provide a clear picture enabling broadcasters not only to make audience-
pulling programme decisions, but also to make the right business decision about
distribution technology, and about which programme-making equipment is actually
necessary. Basic issues, but they are not always addressed properly.
Our conference provided a flood of ideas for the improvement of global broadcasting,
with a strong emphasis on television. Radio speakers noted the development of digital
technologies that are already achieving some success, and which are capable of driving
a considerable resurgence of radio, as a successful international medium. The Internet
too, will have its place, although that is still very much to be worked out.
The Association for International Broadcasting has made its first major step towards
becoming an internationally-recognised forum for cross-border broadcasting. We look
forward now to staging a conference annually, and to being regularly present at the big
broadcasting events. We anticipate a strong growth in membership, and being able to
provide a useful service to the international broadcasting community.
We look forward to meeting you next year – perhaps as a member of the AIB.