Continuing its drive to establish FM broadcasts worldwide, the BBC has opened a new FM transmitter in Mzuzu, on 87.9. BBC World Service is also available on FM in Malawi on 102.5 in Blantyre and 87.9 in Lilongwe.
Kari Blackburn, Regional Executive Editor of the BBC’s African Service, said: Malawi is a key market for the BBC with nearly two million listeners tuning in. We are confident this new FM will bring us even closer to our audience”.
CNN has made a series of changes to its senior staff with the international newsgathering operation being integrated with CNN International to form a new directorate. This new directorate will report to Chris Cramer, who has been appointed to the new role of Managing Director, CNN International.
Cramer’s new role gives him oversight of the editorial and programming side of CNN International as well as the worldwide newsgathering operation covering 28 non-US bureaux.
Eason Jordan, CNN chief news executive, takes on the new role of managing CNN’s editorial relationships with international affiliates, business partners and governments. In addition, training, the International Professional Programme and the World Report programme and conference fall under Jordan’s remit.
Meanwhile, Tony Maddox – a regular speaker at the AIB Global Media Business Conference – takes up the new post of senior vice president, news operations, within CNN International. Maddox will relocate from London to the head office in Atlanta.
After weeks of speculation, rumours have been confirmed, and James Murdoch, 30-year-old son of News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch, is to be the new CEO of leading pay-TV company BSkyB. News Corp controls 35.4% of BSky B.
But will there be a shareholder revolt about this over-close relationship? In several instances recently, UK shareholders have successfully challenged board decisions.
A Nomination Committee has seen several candidates, but still came up with James Murdoch as their favourite. Was it a fix all along? To calm investors fears, the highly-influential Lord Rothschild has been appointed deputy chairman of BSkyB.
In a statement, Rupert Murdoch added: “The Board and I are pleased that the Nomination Committee has completed its task and it is unanimous in its conviction that James is the right man for this job.”
Some investors demanded further assurances about the selection process. Peter Montagnon, head of investment affairs at the Association of British Insurers, said Mr Murdoch’s appointment would need “a really compelling explanation”.
Pakistans Minister for Information and Broadcasting says that Pakistan and Iran will soon start exchanging TV and Radio programmes.
Shaykh Rashid Ahmed was accompanying the Pakistan Prime Minister on a three-day visit to Iran. He said a formal agreement would be signed between the two countries when a delegation of Pakistan Television and Radio Pakistan visits Iran.
Shanghai plans to set up an English-language television station, probably late next year. Industry officials said yesterday that moves towards setting up the station had faced some opposition from state broadcaster China Central Television, which operates the mainland’s only nationwide English channel, CCTV9.
Shanghai’s English station could bring more competition for both advertising revenue and viewers, depending on the geographical scope of its broadcasts. “This will be a competing channel. They want to do better than CCTV and they want to make money,” said a professor of journalism at a Shanghai university.
The group aims to beam the English channel nationally and even internationally. Officials in the industry said such a plan would need approval from the central government authorities.
Shanghai started its 24-hour satellite channel in 1998. Dragon TV said on its web site that its programming could now be seen domestically as well as in Japan, Australia and Hong Kong, with plans to expand to North America.