18 November 2014
The BBG’s networks draw a record-high audience of 215 million people each week, according to a new report released today. This includes noteworthy increases in competitive media markets, on television and online.
Growth in the television audience has been tremendous, with an increase of 14 million from 2013. This is in part due to a successful affiliate strategy, through which BBG partners with more than 2,300 media outlets worldwide. These partnerships bring the BBG more than half of its overall global audience.
“Large audience gains in countries of strategic importance to the United States, combined with our distribution strategy, underscore that we are accomplishing our mission and skillfully utilizing our resources across difficult media environments,” said BBG Chairman Jeff Shell.
Weekly audiences in Russia and Ukraine have doubled as Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty expanded live coverage and introduced new programming in the region to counter Russian misinformation. Together, they reach one in five adults in Ukraine weekly.
VOA’s overall audience grew by seven million, to 171.6 million, due to large audience gains mainly in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Russia and Cambodia. Expanded television offerings on popular affiliate stations drove much of this increase in measured audiences.
RFE/RL’s overall audience expanded by more than five million, up to 23.3 million, a marked 30% increase from 2013. Notable audiences came from Iran, with the launch of Radio Farda’s popular morning program “Breakfast with News” as a television show.
In addition to weekly audience size, the BBG measures impact using quantitative, qualitative and anecdotal data on a wide range of factors, including program quality and trustworthiness, engagement with the news process, and audience understanding of current events. Examples of impact include:
- Radio/TV Martí launched Reporta Cuba, allowing citizen reporters to use mobile technology and digital media to provide eyewitness accounts of news directly from Cuba.
- Radio Free Asia has been at the forefront of breaking news from inside China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), garnering frequent media pickups from the New York Times, Associated Press, Washington Post, and regional media in Asia.
- Alhurra and Radio Sawa provided the Middle East and North Africa an alternative and reliable news source in contrast to ISIL propaganda.
The BBG’s Internet anti-censorship program also expands audience reach and program impact, through deployment of circumvention tools and by facilitating access to closed markets.
To learn more about the BBG’s performance measures, the 2014 Performance and Accountability Report is available here, along with the BBG’s 2014 audience overview and explanation of research methodology.
11 November 2014
UK media regulator Ofcom has declared Russian news channel RT, an AIB Member, to be in violation of its regulations, accusing the broadcaster of bias in its coverage of the Ukraine crisis.
Ofcom’s reprimand comes just two weeks after RT’s launch of its new British news channel, RT UK. Ofcom has summoned representatives from RT to a meeting to discuss the issue the issue further.
The Ofcom report outlined four incidents in early March 2014 in which it found RT’s reporting of the civil strife in Ukraine to be insufficiently impartial. Ofcom declared the Russian broadcaster was in breach of Ofcom’s Rules 5.1, 5.11 and 5.12:
- Rule 5.1: “News, in whatever form, must be reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality”.
- Rule 5.11: “In addition to the rules above, due impartiality must be preserved on matters of major political and industrial controversy and major matters relating to current public policy by the person providing a service (listed above) in each programme or in clearly linked and timely programmes”.
- Rule 5.12: “In dealing with matters of major political and industrial controversy and major matters relating to current public policy an appropriately wide range of significant views must be included and given due weight in each programme or in clearly linked and timely programmes. Views and facts must not be misrepresented”.
In the report’s concluding remarks, Ofcom said:
Ofcom emphasises that there is no requirement on broadcasters to provide an alternative viewpoint on all news stories or issues in the news, or to do so in all individual news items or programmes. It is also legitimate for news on a licensed service to be presented in broad terms from the viewpoint of a particular nation-state. We recognise that TV Novosti, providing a service with a Russian background, will want to present the news from a Russian perspective. However, all news must be presented with due impartiality: that is with impartiality adequate or appropriate to the subject and nature of the programme. In particular, when reporting on matters of major political or industrial controversy and major matters relating to current public policy in news programmes, broadcasters must ensure that they reflect an appropriately wide range of significant views and give those views due weight. Presenting news stories with due impartiality in news programmes very much depends on editorial discretion being exercised appropriately in all the circumstances.
In the same report Ofcom also cited a breach of rules by BBC Radio 1 for interviewing an alleged Islamic State fighter on its Newsbeat programme on 13 June. Ofcom considered the story inappropriate for Newsbeat’s youthful demographic.
Ofcom’s report, which includes lengthy analysis of both cases, can be read here.
10 November 2014
NHK WORLD TV Delivers English-Language Lifestyle, Culture and News Content to More than 7.7 million Homes in the Country
Japan International Broadcasting (http://www.jibtv.com/), the distribution company of NHK, and Tricolor TV (http://tricolor.tv/), the largest satellite television operator in Russia, have announced a new partnership which brings NHK WORLD TV (www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld) to 7.7 million households throughout the country. The stand-alone, 24-hour, English-language television lifestyle and news network produced by NHK, Japan’s sole public, independent broadcaster, launched today.
NHK WORLD TV is now available to viewers in Russia as part of the Super-Optimum and Maximum HD channel packages. The network can be found on channel 178 for MPEG4 STB holders and on channel 209 for HDSTB holders.
“Russia is one of the most significant markets in the world,” said Yoshihiko Shimizu, president and CEO, Japan International Broadcasting. “We are honored to share Asian culture with its people through our high quality and captivating programming.”
NHK WORLD TV provides a 24-hour programming cycle, including a vast selection of science, travel, food and entertainment shows, such as “Science View,” “GREAT NATURE,” “Somewhere Street,” “Core Kyoto,” “Dining with the chef” and “J-MELO.” In addition, a variety of news and world financial affairs programs can be found, including “ASIA BIZ FORECAST,” “ASIAN VOICES” and “NEWSLINE.”
The network also broadcasts an assortment of groundbreaking documentaries and specials, including “Document 72 Hours,” “TOMORROW,” “Shima Kosaku’s Asian Entrepreneurs” and “NHK Documentary.” You can view the entire program schedule at http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/tv/schedule/index.html.
“Tricolor TV is committed to meeting our viewers’ great desire for international programming,” said Mikhail Goryachev director of content, Tricolor TV. “NHK WORLD TV provides a compelling lineup of lively entertainment from Japan and the rest of Asia, as well as vital financial and world news which is sure to satisfy our audience.”
NHK WORLD TV is the third international channel carried by Tricolor TV after France 24 and Deutsche Welle (DW). NHK WORLD TV is now available in 280 million households across 150 countries and regions.
7 November 2014
SES (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) announces that ANATEL, the Brazilian National Telecommunications Agency, has approved the NSS-806 satellite for use at the 48 degree West orbital position recently awarded at auction to SES. The satellite will provide capacity for Brazil and Latin America.
“The use of NSS-806 in the Brazilian and Latin American markets demonstrates SES´s commitment to the region. Although we have up to 4 years to start providing capacity from that position, we are now ready to begin supplying our customers and partners with capacity, thereby expanding opportunities in the region,” said Jurandir Pitsch, director of SES DTH do Brasil.
NSS-806 provides C-band and Ku-band capacity and has 28 transponders available for use in Brazil. Together with SES-6, located at 40.5 degrees West, and SES-10, which is under construction and will in the future occupy the 67 degrees West position, NSS-806 will enable television broadcasters to launch new HD and Ultra-HD channels, for example, or allow telecom operators to improve mobile phone signals in remote areas.
“The demand for capacity in Latin America remains strong and SES is fully committed to meeting that demand. The use of NSS-806 in Brazil will allow our customers to improve their services in Brazil and the other countries covered by the satellite,” said Pitsch.
To expand the reception of signals, SES has initiated an antenna program for Brazilian cable operators, providing free antennas and know-how to those who are interested.
“We believe this new orbital position will be an excellent alternative for regional video distribution and signifies added value for cable operators, since most satellites serving this market already have a very high fill rate,” concluded Pitsch.
SES in Latin America
Today, SES has 11 satellites operating at 10 different orbital positions to provide service in Latin America. In addition, the company reaches 21 million homes and supports four DTH platforms in the region. In 2016, the company expects to launch the SES-10 satellite, which is being manufactured by Airbus Defence & Space and is designed for dedicated service to the region.
ANATEL Auction
In May 2014, SES won 2 Brazilian orbital positions as part of an auction by ANATEL. The company invested 33 million Brazilian Reais to operate in the FSS C, Ku and Ka-bands at the 48 degrees West position, as well as 26.8 million Brazilian Reais to operate in the BSS Ku-band at 64 degrees West. The rights granted by ANATEL are valid for 15 years, renewable thereafter for the same period.
7 November 2014
Wilfred Frost at the 10th Annual AIB Awards
At the 10th annual AIB Awards in London on 5 November, Wilfred Frost, son of journalist Sir David Frost, announced the inaugural Sir David Frost Memorial Lecture. The talk by a major public figure to be announced will be held on 18 February at the Association for International Broadcasting’s #iamabroadcaster Global Media Summit.
A journalist in his own right, Wilfred Frost announced the lecture in his introduction to the “In Conversation” segment of the AIB Awards gala. This year’s In Conversation featured an interview by Frost interview with documentary filmmaker Olly Lambert, who won the AIB last year in the category of Best Middle East Documentary for his film Syria: Across The Lines.
Frost said: “We debated whether an annual talk should be given in Dad’s name by a fellow TV presenter. Or perhaps by a fellow media entrepreneur or executive. But in the end, the answer was simple. If Dad were alive today, who in the world would he most want to be interviewing? On Wednesday 18th February 2015 Paradine Productions and AIB will bring you an address from an individual that fits that description – someone who can not only tell us what is happening on a set of crucial issues in the world today, but can in fact make news themselves with what they say. We will be announcing the speaker for February very soon.”
Sir David Frost, who died last year, is one of the most famous journalist of the 20th century. He is most known for his interviews with notable political figures, including eight British Prime Ministers and seven US Presidents. His series of interviews with US President Richard Nixon, broadcast on American TV in 1977, drew the largest TV audience for a political interview in US TV history. The Nixon interviews were adapted into the play Frost/Nixon, which was adapted into a film in which Frost was played by Martin Sheen, directed by Ron Howard.
The #iamabroadcaster Media Summit will offer the global media industry two days of intensive discussion on the upheavals and opportunities facing broadcasters today. Held in London from 17-18 February, #iamabroadcaster will feature provocative and challenging discussions with major players and thinkers both from within and outside the media industry. Attendees will leave with an entirely new outlook on the broadcast industry and a new definition of what the word “broadcasting” means in the 21st century.
Further information, including venue, line-up, and sponsorship opportunities will be available on the AIB website.
