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New Chairman and DG for BBC
Michael Grade, whose appointment for a
four year term was announced by the
Government in April, took up his role as
BBC Chairman on 17 May. Shortly after he
arrived at the BBC White City building he
sent an email to all BBC staff, in which he
admitted being thrilled at being part of
the BBC team again. His immediate focus
was the BBC’s contribution to the Charter
Review, writing “We cannot take our
privileged position as a ‘cherished
institution’ for granted; we need to make a
compelling case for the BBC to be allowed
to continue as the unique, vibrant and
creative organisation we know it to be.”
A week later, the appointment of Mark
Thompson as the BBC’s new Director General
was announced. Grade said: “We were
impressed by Mark Thompson’s analysis of
the challenges facing the BBC, and by his
track record. We concluded that he was the
right person to lead the BBC at this important
period in its history.” Thompson returns to
theBBC following two years at one of Britain’s
commercial TV networks, Channel 4. He
originally joined the BBC in 1979, rising to
become director of television, effectively
number two to Greg Dyke. His move to
Channel 4 was seen as an acceptance of the
need to gain experience in the commercial
sector before returning to the BBC as Dyke’s
successor. Dyke’s sudden resignation in the
wake of the Hutton Enquiry created such a
vacancy earlier than anticipated. Thompson
joins the BBC on 22 June.
La Latina TV for Europe
La Latina TV, a new general public
entertainment channel with a pronounced
Latin American accent, is planning to launch
in October to Spain, Germany, UK, Italy and
France, via cable and ADSL. The channel will
transmit 24hours aday andplans tobroadcast
2,600 hours of different programmes a year.
The reasoning behind the channel is that
there is a considerable diaspora of Latin
American origin in Europe, and considerable
interest among Europeans in Latin American
programmes. The channel intends to show
themost original andpositive aspects of Latin
America – programmes will be based around
music, films, soaps, documentaries and
lifestyle programmes.
DW welcomes first language trainees
On 1 June DW Director General Erik
Bettermann welcomed the international
broadcaster’s first foreign language trainees
who, over the next year, will learn their bi-
media journalistic trade at the DW Academy
and eventually join DW’s foreign language
services in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Dari,
Farsi, Hindi and Kiswahili. The nine trainees
were chosen from over 200 applicants.
Channel NewsAsia granted China broadcast rights
MediaCorp’s Singapore-based Channel NewsAsia International has won rights to beam
its international news and information TV channel to viewers in top hotels and residential
compounds reserved for foreigners. China’s English-language CCTV-9 channel is carried
by StarHub Cable Vision in Singapore, while Channel NewsAsia’s international edition
is distributed by China International TV Corporation (CITV). The agreement opens up
a potentially huge TV market for Channel NewsAsia, making it the second Asian-owned
news network to be given landing rights in China. Launched in 1999, Channel NewsAsia
is viewed in more than 16 million homes and hotels in 18 territories across Asia. It has
correspondents in more than 10 keyAsian cities, providingAsian perspectives on regional
and global events. It is a member of the ABU’s daily news exchange, Asiavision.
Australia TV extends Asian reach with Singapore launch
Australia’s Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, launched the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation’s Asia Pacific TV service (ABCAP) in Singapore on 11
June. The broadcaster has teamed up with Singapore’s only cable operator StarHub
to offer the service on a new digital cable platform. Asia Pacific has been broadcast
in the region for just under three years and is now available in 33 countries and more
than 6.5 million homes and 150,000 hotel rooms across the region.
Radio Australia and RNZI join forces in Pacific
Radio Initiative
At the end of May Radio Australia and Radio New Zealand International joined forces
to bring the best of regional news and current affairs coverage to Pacific listeners. The
joint initiative between the two regional broadcasters is part of a wider
Pacific Radio Initiative under which several Pacific public radio
broadcasters will exchange radio programmes via satellite. The
programme exchange will enable Pacific listeners to hear debates and
discussion programmes from around the region on their local stations.
RNZI’s flagship daily Pacific current affairs programme ‘Dateline
Pacific’ is now broadcast on Radio Australia’s shortwave, satellite
and FM services as part of its breakfast service to the Asia/Pacific
region from Monday to Friday, preceded by a RNZI Pacific regional
news bulletin. RNZI Manager Linden Clark (left) says she is delighted
to be able to work more closely with RA and looks forward to
delivering ‘Dateline Pacific’ to new audiences, through a greater range
of outlets.
Funding boost for Radio New Zealand International
Radio New Zealand International, New Zealand’s highly regarded international short-
wave broadcaster serving listeners in the Pacific, has received a funding boost. The
Government is to provide $2.64 million dollars capital in 2005 – 2006 for a new
digital capable (DRM) short-wave transmitter. An additional $421,000 will be
provided next year and in subsequent years to cover operating costs. Radio New
Zealand International currently has just one analogue transmitter which is nearing
the end of its serviceable life.
Radio New Zealand International is the country’s only short-wave station,
broadcasting 24 hours a day to audiences from Papua New Guinea in the west to
French Polynesia in the east, covering all South Pacific countries in between.
While broadcasting mainly in English, Radio New Zealand International also
carries news in seven Pacific languages, making it one of the most listened to
stations in the South Pacific.
Radio Australia broadcasting in Khmer
RadioAustralia has began broadcasting news and current affairs programmes in English
and Khmer on FM 102 MHz, reports the Phnom Penh Post. Every day at noon the
NGO-supported Women’s Media Centre relays Radio Australia programmes for 30
minutes. Most Phnom Penh radio stations broadcast along political lines and Radio
Australia will join the British Broadcasting Corporation, Voice of America and Radio
Free Asia in offering an alternative, the Phnom Penh Post added. Programme content
will be produced by four staff in Melbourne, with input from two stringers in Phnom
Penh. Radio Australia also plans to broadcast on five or six provincial stations.
