The Channel | 2002 | June

9 / 22

10 | the channel
Global Brief
The latest news from the international broadcasting industry
Radio Free Afghanistan doubles transmission
AIB broadcaster member Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has increased
the total daily airtime in the Dari and Pashto
languages from 6.5 to 10.5 hours. The expanded
broadcasts will be available initially on FM in the
Kabul area and on RFE/RL’s web site ), but increased
shortwave, satellite and AM broadcasts will follow in the near future.
RFE/RL Director of Broadcasting
Jeffrey Trimble said that the
additional airtime will be used to
provide expanded news coverage on
the hour and half-hour, as well as to
offer more original programming
such as a daily combined Dari/
Pashto cultural programme
scheduled for broadcast every
evening from 2000-2030 CET
[1800-1830 gmt]. Special coverage of the preparations for the Loya Jirga, or
Grand Council, to decide the political future of Afghanistan has also been
expanded, Trimble said.
Bangladesh bans foreign TV
Bangladesh has banned 13 satellite and cable television stations to stop an
“invasion” of alien culture. Speaking in May, Information Secretary Mirza
Tasadduk Hussain Beg said the ban on the channels, including MTV, Channel-V,
Hallmark, AXN, Star Movies, StarWorld and HBO, would take immediate effect.
“We had to take the decision (to ban the channels) following growing demands
from sensible parents and conscious persons of society,” Bed told reporters. The
government was considering banning all satellite channels which broadcast
“vulgar programmes”, he added.
Cable operators expressed dismay. “Our clients liked popular channels like HBO
and AXN which show world-class movies,” said Mir Mohammad Akhtar,
president of Bangladesh Satellite Cable Owners’Association. “They will ask for
reduced line rent that will affect our business.” Foreign channels have proved
popular in Bangladesh where state-run Bangladesh Television devotes much of
its airtime to the government at work.
(via BBC Monitoring)
MTV launches in Romania
MTV Networks Europe has launched a new regional music television channel
targeting Romania’s young music fans. The music television network has signed
a multi-year licensing agreement with Romanian broadcaster, Music Television
Systems (MTS) to bring MTV Romania to 1.4 million cable households.
MTVRomania officially launched in Romania on 15 June 2002 with an exclusive
music concert in Bucharest featuring Latino heart-throb Enrique Iglesias
performing before a crowd of 50,000. This event, sponsored by Coco Cola, was
be the biggest music event of the year and represented the first time Enrique
Iglesias had performed in Romania.
The new channel will be 100 per cent targeted at the Romanian youth audience
15-25, and a secondary target 26-35, combining locally-produced Romanian-
language programming, Romanian presenters/VJs, and a music playlist tailored
to Romanian music tastesMTV Romania will be MTV Network Europe’s tenth
dedicated regionalised programming service in Europe.
An avenue where the global media giants
gather is planned for southern Beijing .
The 3.2-km “international media avenue”
lies in the Xuanwu District, covering a total
area of 220 hectares, developers told the
Fifth China Beijing Scientific and
Technological Industries Fair.
An estimated investment of 30bn yuan
(3.6bn US dollars) would be needed to
build the avenue, which is expected to form
a large community of international media
industries. Construction of a global news
centre, funded by China’s Xinhua News
Agency and other entities, will start within
the year. Preparations for other key projects
on the media avenue are under way.
(via BBC Monitoring)
MTV and MGM teamed up in Cannes to host
perhaps the most decadent party of this
year’s Cannes Film Festival in celebration
of the 40th anniversary of James Bond, on
18 May. 1,200 of Europe’s movie glitterati
were invited to party in Pierre Cardin’s
private villa, the perfect setting for 007’s
coming of age celebration.
The party, sponsored by leading pan-
European Internet Communication
company Tiscali, featured the Aston Martin
Vanquish, Jaguar XKR and Range Rover cars
from the 20th James Bond Film ‘Die Another
Day’, currently in production at Pinewood
Studios. The cars were flown in to Cannes
especially for the party, which also boasted
a host of exotic ice sculptures and Bond’s
customary casino offering guests the
chance to gamble their millions away in
true James Bond style whilst drinking
vodka martinis “shaken, not stirred” from
an intricate vodka ice bar.
The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in
Boston, Massachusetts, has decided to sell
its last shortwave station, WSHB. WSHB,
which is part of AIB coporate member
NASB is the second largest, privately
owned shortwave radio station in the
United States. It operates in the shortwave
radio bands above the standard AM bands.
The Herald Broadcasting Syndicate, a
subsidiary of The First Church of Christ,
Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, owns
the station.
CNBC Asia has launched a TV news service
in conjunction with Maeil Business TV
News in South Korea. Called MBN-CNBC ,
the service is mainly in Korean and has a
potential reach of over 4.5 million
households in the country.
India will follow Britain’s lead, establishing
a ‘super-regulator’, if the Communications
Convergence Bill passes into law. The new
regulator will cover telecom, broadcasting
and the Internet sectors.