30 March 2006
The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union [ABU], the professional association representing over 150 member broadcasters and affiliates in 55 countries across the AsPac region, is relaunching its logo competition in its search for a new logo in line with the ABUs rebranding exercise.
Entries to the new competition are required to be a more contemporary version of the existing logo. In other words, the design must be an updated version of the existing logo and must not be a radical departure from the existing logo. It should still incorporate the concept of two arms representing the broadcasters of the Asia-Pacific working together to achieve their developmental objectives but at the same time promoting cultural diversity. This is similar to the concept of Yin Yang, of which the existing logo incorporates a stylised representation.
Criteria
The following criteria should be followed:
The design should have a ‘meaning’ in that the designer should explain what message the logo is trying to convey.
The new logo should be single colour (blue), or blue and black, or two-tone blue and black, in order to maintain an association with the existing logo.
The design should not resemble an existing logo. (Prior to reaching a decision on a final choice, the ABU will require a written declaration that the submitted designs are not a copy of any existing logo, and do not, to the best of the designers belief, closely resemble any existing logo apart from the ABUs).
The font used should be an original design in order to avoid any possible claims of copyright breach.
Each new design should be submitted in three forms clean logo, letterhead layout and business card layout and be suitable for superimposing with credits at the end of a television production.
The new competition is opened to any artist or designer and is not restricted to employees of ABU members.
All entries should be submitted to logo@abu.org.my. The closing date for entries is 21 April 2006.
The ABU Administrative Council will review the entries at its meeting on 26 April to be held in the Maldives. If a suitable entry or entries are identified, a recommendation will be made to 2006 ABU General Assembly to be held in Beijing, China, in November. A cash prize of US$1,000 will be awarded as soon as a final decision is made. The designer of the new logo will also receive a return economy air ticket and accommodation to attend the 2007 ABU General Assembly in Tehran, Iran, to receive a Commemorative Certificate.
For more information, please visit www.abu.org.my or contact Tony Chan, tony.c@abu.org.my.
The ABU is a member of the AIB.
29 March 2006
Al Jazeera is to sponsor a major new initiative in the funding of independent television and film production. The Al Jazeera Sponsorship Fund for Independent Television Productions – Riaya – is a five million Qatari Riyal fund (approximately US$1.4million) provided by Al Jazeera to sponsor and support independent television productions, focusing particularly on encouraging talented young producers.
The Al Jazeera Sponsorship Fund for Independent Television Productions will provide financial support and technical services to independent producers – particularly beginners in the field – hold regular training sessions, workshops and lectures to raise the quality of production, provide scholarships and other financial aid for selected ventures, collaborate on independent productions, and engage in a variety of activities in support of independent filmmaking.
29 March 2006
Sheikh Hamad Bin Thamer Al Thani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Jazeera Network has appointed Wadah Khanfar as Director General of the Network.
Al-Jazeera Network conmprises all Al Jazeera operations, including: Al Jazeera Channel (the Arabic-language channel), Al Jazeera International (the English channel launching in the next few weeks), Al Jazeera Sports, Al Jazeera Mubasher, Al Jazeera Documentary, and Al Jazeera Net.
The creation of the new Director General post for the Network comes as a step to promote the institutional structure of the Network and improve integration. As Director General of Al Jazeera Network, Khanfar will continue in his post as Managing Director of Al-Jazeera Channel to which he was appointed in October 2003.
Al Jazeera is a Platinum Member of the AIB.
28 March 2006
AIB Members are to benefit from a significant discount on the delegate fees for the Arab Broadcast Forum, taking place in Abu Dhabi on 5 and 6 June 2006 following an agreement between the AIB – the industry association for international broadcasting – and the Forum’s funders.
Organised by the editorial team behind the annual NewsXchange event, the Arab Broadcast Forum will be the first-ever gathering of all Arab broadcast news outlets and will also bring established western broadcasters and new media executives, to examine and explore the current state of Arabic broadcasting and how it can achieve and maintain excellence and explore how media from both sides of the “cultural divide” can bridge the large gaps between the Arab and western worlds.
Full information about the event is available on the ABF website (link below), and details of the highly attractive AIB member discount on delegate fees is available from the AIB head office in London.
27 March 2006
Autocue has signed new contracts with the BBC for the provision of prompting systems and operator services. The contract with BBC News is for two years, with an option for a further three years and will cover Breakfast, One, Six, and Ten O’clock News, Newsnight, News 24, World, The Politics Show, Sunday AM and Newsround. BBC Scotland News & Sport’s contract is for one year, with an option for the contract to be extended on a rolling basis; programmes covered include Reporting Scotland, Newsnight Scotland, Sportscene, Holyrood Live, Politics Scotland and the Politics Show.
Under the terms of the new contracts, Autocue will work in partnership with the Corporation to explore technology and process innovations that will deliver added value.
“We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to continue to exclusively provide this service,” said Kieran Smith, Autocue’s CEO. He added, “Our team of experienced, professional operators has been providing operating services to the Corporation for a number of years. This renewed agreement is an opportunity for Autocue to build on its existing relationship and focus on innovative solutions that will further deliver value.”
17 March 2006
The Committee to Protect Journalists reports on its web site that the Uzbek Foreign Ministry has invoked restrictive new regulations to reprimand three correspondents working for the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, escalating pressure on the few remaining local journalists working for foreign media.
In one case, the Foreign Ministry revoked the accreditation of DW correspondent Obid Shabanov for filing an allegedly inaccurate news report in January about 30 people who froze to death after their bus broke down in the desert. The Foreign Ministry claimed the event never happened. DW correspondents stood by the report, saying they had relatives crying recorded on audiotape.
The Cabinet recently approved regulations which give wide discretion to issue formal warnings to foreign correspondents, to revoke their accreditation and visas, and to expel them. Article 22 of the new regulations prohibits Uzbek citizens from working for foreign state-funded media without Foreign Ministry accreditation. The article could be used to silence those few journalists who continue to provide information to Western broadcasters and to Russian and European-based news Web sites. The restrictions follow a government crackdown on independent journalists since foreign media carried news of a May 13 massacre in the northeastern city of Andijan, where government forces shot and killed between 500 and 1,000 demonstrators, according to eyewitnesses and human rights groups.
The BBC closed its Tashkent bureau in October citing government harassment. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) closed its Tashkent office in December when the Foreign Ministry refused to renew its accreditation. Both broadcasters beamed local news back into Uzbekistan. Foreign news agencies reporting for a foreign audience such as ITAR-TASS, Xinhua, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, and The Associated Press still have stringers in Tashkent.
