The Channel | 2002 | June

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the channel | 7
The inaugural conference of the AIB
Manchester, UK, 30 April 2002
argument that public service broadcasting would continue to have a role in the new
broadcasting environment by providing high quality and wide ranging news. He said
that the BBC was working to expand its reach and added that to ensure the increased
focus of its international news operation, had put its direction under a single head,
Mark Byford, the managing director of the world service.
David Andrews, the head of Population Communications International – examining
how the new media was serving audiences – chronicled the development of his
organisation, which operated in 22 countries from China to Tanzania in developing
educational and entertaining soap operas. He said that in the latter country, television
audiences had risen by up to 25% Mr Andrews provided one of the most amusing
moments of the conference when he said that to avoid the use of the word “condom” in
a sex educational soap on the island of St Lucia – after it had been banned by the
government – the word “catapult” had instead been deployed at every mention of a
contraceptive. The result was that it was the common slang for a condom throughout
the island – and beyond! Gerry Jackson, one of the founders of SW Radio Africa, explained
about the mission of the radio station she runs from the UK, beaming news and
information to Zimbabwe. She revealed that the station has funding - from USAID - to
continue operations until December. Tony Maddox
of CNN International said that – despite the climate
of the advertising recession – AOLTime Warner was
allowing the continued expansion of services and
not interfering in editorial issues.
After tea, the focus shifted to whether radio was
the new television. Paul Brown, vice president of
the World DAB Forum, claimed that, with the
availability of the digital radio signal increasing
rapidly in most countries, there were signs that
demand was also beginning to rise. He said that a key factor could be the availability of
cheaper receivers, adding that one was soon likely to be marketed in the UK costing
£99. John Perkins, editor in chief of Independent Radio News (IRN), said that in the UK,
hours per week radio listening had surpassed viewing those for television viewing for
the first time in many years. He claimed that while television as a medium was confused
and increasingly fragmented, radio was simply getting on with what it did best. Peter
Jackson of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) said that the project was developing and
adapting the AM signal to bring it into the digital age, and of a quality to rival that of
FM. He said the new service was due to start in 2003. Atef Awad, the managing director
of World Space UK, said that the satellite service, which now serviced Africa, the Middle
East and Asia, was developing three revenue streams, subscription, advertising and
capacity learning. He said that in the latter category, up to 11m students were being
reached every day via receivers in every school in Kenya.
In the final session, examining the web as an international broadcaster, Mike Slocombe,
the founder of the service said that it had been built with a budget of
nothing and aimed to be a focus of anti-globalism protest movements. He said the
service had developed its own reporting of events that gave a clear alternative to those
of the mainstream establishment providers. Henry Peirse, the founder of Global Radio
News, said that the new service was providing subscription news feeds throughout the
world from its pool of freelance reporters.
Talking with delegates and speakers after the event, it’s become clear that the overarching
opinion is that there is a genuine desire for there to be a regular conference with this
truly international theme. In fact, a majority of the people to whom this correspondent
has spoken has suggested that next year’s Global Media Business conference should be
longer, have an exhibition and deal with yet more subjects.That’s a challenge which the
AIB tells me it is set to take on in 2003.