8 May 2006
Independent media in the countries of the former Soviet Union, already operating under extreme duress, came under further assault over the course of the last year. The political, legal, and economic environments in most of the non-Baltic former Soviet countries remain distinctly inhospitable to independent journalism.
This reality is reflected in ‘Freedom Of The Press 2006,’ the latest edition of Freedom House’s annual global survey of media independence. Ten of the 12 Soviet countries are ranked ‘Not Free’ in the new edition of the survey. Of the 10 Not Free countries, five saw a further erosion in their performance over the course of last year.
Of the 12 non-Baltic former Soviet states only Georgia and Ukraine, which are categorised as ‘Partly Free,’ escape the Not Free designation. No country in the region achieves the designation of ‘Free.’ The degree to which each country permits the free flow of information determines the classification of its media as ‘Free,’ ‘Partly Free,’ or ‘Not Free.’
The downward trend was particularly evident in countries with regimes that place a premium on controlling the airwaves. Among the Not Free states, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan experienced declines. Uzbekistan and Russia suffered the most dramatic backslide.
Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
8 May 2006
The ABU has announced the appointment of a senior Japanese broadcaster as the new Director of its Programme Department. He is Tatsuya Nakamura, currently working as an Executive Producer with NHK International Inc.
Mr Nakamura, 53, will be joining the ABU Secretariat, which is based in Kuala Lumpur, in early June.
He will be responsible for the overall management and supervision of the Programme Department, preparing its annual activity plan and budget, and advising the Secretary-General on programme matters, among other things.
Mr Nakamuras career with NHK-Japan spans over 30 years – and among his earliest positions with the public broadcaster was as Programme Director for an overseas shortwave radio service for Radio Japan.
He rose through the ranks, working in various NHK departments as well as affiliate companies before being promoted to his current position in June 2003.
On working with the ABU, Mr Nakamura said: I have been working for the broadcasting industry for almost 30 years and was able to gain a lot of expertise in this field. I firmly believe that broadcasters have a great responsibility in creating cultures based on the latest technologies.
I am confident I will be able to contribute effectively as the ABU meets the challenges of our rapidly changing media world. I like taking up challenges and the new post at the ABU is another big challenge to me.
The Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) is a member of ABU.
3 May 2006
The AIB is holding its second International Broadcasting Awards.
International broadcasting is a dynamic industry that has more to celebrate every year. Yet, since most broadcasting is national or local, the craftsmanship in our part of the industry too often goes unrecognised. AIB members argue that trying to share ideas across cultures is one of the hardest aspects of broadcasting to do well. Last year, AIB members suggested the establishment of annual International Broadcasting Awards to celebrate our industrys achievements in this sector, and to recognise excellence in international television, radio and cross media programming. We also need to reward contributions by the industrys leading presenters and personalities. They act as role models for others.
Many people have recognised that some traditional TV and radio awards have been devalued by overt commercialism. There are so many categories and awards that every entrant seems to win a prize. The judges report, if it is exists, has little or no value in helping to improve standards the following year. I believe AIB has now established a different approach. The AIB Awards are focused purely on the international broadcasting industry. Entries are judged by prominent media critics, broadcasters and specialists who understand the challenges producers face. They appreciate that culture, budgets and facilities all play a role in the final production. But such a peer review can encourage emerging talent, spotting creativity, passion and objectivity in covering sensitive subjects. Above all, the awards are authentic.
Full details of the Awards are available online – click the link at the bottom of this page. The categories in 2006 are:
Category 1 International channel of the year – radio
Category 2 International channel of the year – television
Category 3 Best coverage of a single news event by an international broadcaster radio
Category 4 Best coverage of a single news event by an international broadcaster television
Category 5 Best documentary or magazine programme for an international audience radio
Category 6 Best documentary or magazine programme for an international audience television
Category 7 Most innovative use of technology in international broadcasting
Category 8 International presenter of the year radio
Category 9 International presenter of the year television
In addition, the 2006 Awards will include a very special Recognition Award that will be presented to someone who has worked within the international broadcasting sector and has made a lasting, positive impact on the industry.
REMEMBER: entries must be received at the AIB’s head office in the UK no later than 8 May 2006! DON’t DELAY – ENTER TODAY!
And to make life easier, entry fees can now be paid by American Express,
Diners Club, Mastercard and Visa. Use our secure WorldPay facility by clicking
here to pay for one or more entries – then simply include the
confirmation of payment with your entry when you send it to the AIB.
27 April 2006
WRN, the London-based international broadcaster, today announces the launch of its podcasting service. From 1st May a fantastic schedule of content will be available for download direct from the WRN website at www.wrn.org/podcasting and from iTunes and other podcast directories.
International programme producers providing weekly downloadable shows for the WRN podcasting service include Radio Prague, Radio Poland, Radio Slovakia International, RTE Ireland and Radio Guangdong from China. This list is set to grow over the coming weeks. The WRN Podcasting Team will also be producing exclusive podcast-only content for the service.
Abbie Cunliffe, WRNs Product Development and Distribution Coordinator, comments, WRN is delighted to launch this new service which will make a wealth of international content available as downloadable podcasts. This service follows the WRN strategy of making the content of our international radio clients available across a wide range of media platforms including satellite radio, mobile phones and the Internet.
27 April 2006
New Skies Satellites, an SES GLOBAL company announced that Rede Canção Nova, the Brazilian Catholic broadcaster, has chosen its NSS-806 Latin American satellite to distribute its free-to-air international channel to cable operators, radio and television affiliates and the general public across Latin America and Europe.
New Skies is pleased to welcome Canção Nova to our Latin American video neighborhood on NSS-806, said Jurandir Pitsch, New Skies senior sales director of Latin America and the Caribbean. Canção Novas decision to choose NSS-806 reconfirms the satellites role as Latin Americas most attractive platform for video distribution and further strengthens New Skies position in supporting spiritual and ethnic broadcasters in reaching new audiences outside of their domestic markets. With its global fleet and mediaport network, New Skies offers religious and ethnic broadcasters a compelling satellite solution for all of their program distribution needs.
Canção Nova targets the Portuguese-speaking community in Europe and Latin America and is broadcast 24 hours a day. The channels mission is to spread its message through the use of mass media and to that effect Canção Nova operates a number of radio channels and a domestic television channel in Brazil.
“New Skies operates one of the leading video neighborhoods in Latin America; joining NSS-806 marks a major step in the development of our channel which seeks to reach out to the Catholic community throughout the world. NSS-806s widespread coverage allows us to expand to new viewers across Latin America and Europe,” said Wellington Silva Jardim, President of Rede Canção Nova. We selected the satellite for its high penetration of cable headends, as well as for its superb, high-powered coverage.
About the NSS-806 Video Neighborhood
NSS-806 is located at 319.5 degrees east, which provides an excellent look angle into Latin American markets while also reaching the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands, Western Europe and much of Eastern Europe. New Skies NSS-806 is the platform of choice for many of the regions national broadcasters and cable programmers, as well as a number international entertainment companies. NSS-806s video neighborhood includes ESPN Brasil, Fox, MGM, Universal, Eurovision (EBU), thus forming one of the largest video communities in Latin America. NSS-806 carries more than 120 channels and reaches a community of over 3,500 cable headends and 14 million households in South, Central and North America.
