12 September 2017
CEO John F. Lansing issued the following statement on the closing of RFA’s Phnom Penh Bureau:
“In recent days, the intimidation campaign by Cambodia’s government against free speech has intensified. As a result, and out of concern for the security and safety of its journalists, Radio Free Asia (RFA) has made the difficult decision to suspend operations of its news bureau in Phnom Penh.”
“In this interconnected age of borderless news and information, the Broadcasting Board of Governors is committed to achieving our mission of informing, engaging, and connecting people around the world in support of freedom and democracy. There has never been a more important time to hold governments accountable for treating press freedom as a human right and a universal priority. The Cambodian government’s actions have only strengthened our resolve to continue to respond to threats and harassment with accurate, factual reporting, analysis, and other vital information.”
“We condemn this crackdown and again call on the Cambodian authorities to permit journalists to do their important work in safe, unfettered conditions; and to allow the programs of BBG networks back onto FM stations in the country.”
“We salute the dedication and determination of the journalists of RFA, and independent media outlets in Cambodia who provide much-needed news and information to audiences eager for the truth.”
(Source: BBG press release)
12 September 2017
The Longlist for the 13th annual AIBs – the international awards for factual content, is announced today, Tuesday 12 September 2017
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Factual content from countries as diverse as Papua New Guinea, Denmark, the UK and Argentina
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18 distinct categories to reward factual video, audio and online productions
From the hundreds of entries, the Association for International Broadcasting’s shortlisting team has narrowed down the list of contenders across the 18 programme categories.
“This year’s range, breadth and depth of entries is astonishing,” says Simon Spanswick, Chief Executive of the Association for International Broadcasting. “The energy demonstrated by the programme producers around the world is astonishing. We have seen and heard remarkable stories told imaginatively and sensitively – despite many being truly difficult and disturbing subjects.”
“To illustrate the range of work entered, there are political stories from the USA, Philippines, North Korea and the Maldives,” says Clare Dance, the AIBs Co-ordinator. “Deeply moving personal stories have come from Korea, Japan, the UK and Denmark. And then there’s news coverage of the major events of the past year.”
The international spread of entries is reinforced this year, with work from almost 40 countries submitted. Work has been submitted for the first time from Italy and Papua New Guinea, while increased numbers of productions have come from Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region.
Inclusion on the AIBs 2017 Longlist indicates that the production is among the world’s best factual content produced for television, radio or online platforms.
International judges
The AIBs 2017 Shortlist will be announced on 22 September as the panel of 55 jurors in more than 20 countries starts work on the final judging of entries.
The 2017 winners will be announced at a gala evening at LSO St Luke’s in London on 1 November, hosted by Matthew Amroliwala (pictured left) presenter and journalist at BBC Global News.
The leading awards for quality factual productions
First awarded in 2005, the AIBs are recognised as one of the leading prizes for factual productions in any language. The list of winners includes the world’s leading broadcasters and production companies, and notable personalities including Sir David Attenborough, Larry King and Christiane Amanpour.
See the Longlist here
12 September 2017
Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat) announced that it will participate in the Exhibition of the International Broadcasting Conference IBC-2017 in Amsterdam from 15th to 19th September. IBC is considered to be the largest international gathering attended by experts and professionals engaged in the field of Satellite TV broadcasting.
Eng./Khalid bin Ahmed Balkheyour, ARABSAT President & CEO said that Arabsat will showcase its new satellite services in addition to its new and updated marketing and sales strategies to accommodate market demands.
(Source: Arabsat press release)
6 September 2017
Cyfrowy Polsat Group, Poland’s leading media and telecommunications group, today signed a long-term contract with Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) for the lease of multiple transponders. The agreement covers the extension of existing capacity and expansion at the HOTBIRD video position. This new contract for capacity at Poland’s most popular video neighbourhood consolidates a collaboration that began in 1992 with the launch of Polsat, Poland’s first commercial channel, on a Eutelsat satellite.
The new contract adds 33 MHz to the capacity already used at the HOTBIRD position by Cyfrowy Polsat, Poland’s largest satellite platform and pay-TV operator and TV Polsat, the leading commercial broadcaster in Poland. The capacity will support the continued expansion of digital entertainment services and raise the bar for enhanced image quality. TV Polsat provides 24 popular channels under its brand and Cyfrowy Polsat offers approximately 180 channels, including over 80 in HD, in 4.8 million pay-TV subscriptions.
Dariusz Działkowski, CTO at Cyfrowy Polsat S.A. and Telewizja Polsat Sp. z o.o., said: “As Poland’s leading media group and the largest pay-TV platform, we have always placed the quality of our services among our priorities and their regular development as one of the main goals of our business strategy. The new satellite capacity and long-term cooperation with a reliable partner create a stable environment and give us a lot of comfort in these two areas.”
Michel Azibert, Eutelsat Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial & Development Officer, added: “The launch of Polsat on a Eutelsat satellite 25 years ago heralded the beginning of a multi-channel market that has evolved into a vibrant and innovative business offering viewers the benefits of quality, choice and diversity, and has seen Cyfrowy Polsat grow into one of Europe’s largest pay-TV platforms. We are proud to cement our collaboration with a new contract that underscores the continuing leadership of the HOTBIRD neighbourhood across Europe and chosen home for more than 200 channels in Polish.”
(Source: Eutelsat press release)
31 August 2017
In September, the programme of NHK WORLD TV comprises the following hightlights:
Orda Cave
A 300-million-year mystery of creation
Sep 9 Sat 15:10/ 21:10/ Sun 3:10/ 9:10 (UTC) <49 min.>
Nestled at the foot of Russia’s Ural Mountains, Orda Cave is said to be the site of the world’s most beautiful view. For the first time in history, the view has been recorded with a 4K camera, providing entrée to an underground world. The cave’s transparent water and white gypsum minerals lie beneath a field of snow. A specialist explains the mystery behind the cave’s origin, a tale of land and climate change that reaches back 300 million years.
Zhangjiajie’s Miracle Stone Forest
Bird’s-eye view of a Chinese World Heritage Site
Sep 16 Sat 23:10/ Sun 5:10/ 10:10/ 17:10 (UTC) <49 min.>
Thousands of 200-meter-high rock pillars jut out from Zhangjiajie’s Stone Forest. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is known as the inspiration for the world of the movie Avatar. Much of the area is not open to the public, but NHK obtained permission to document its unparalleled beauty using a 4K drone camera. Close-up images of the pillars, along with a perspective on the lives of the inhabitants, reveal the magic of this secluded treasure.
A Tale of Love and Honor
Life in Gion
Sep 23 Sat 15:10/ 21:10/ Sun 3:10/ 9:10 (UTC) <49 min.>
The doors to the 200-year-old Tomiyo tea house open to our cameras to provide a glimpse of the lives of geisha, or geiko as they are known in Kyoto. 77-year-old Kimi is Tomiyo’s eighth generation okami proprietress. She faces the difficult decision of when to pass on her responsibilities to her 45-year-old daughter, who also has outside interests. Tradition and modernity converge in this candid portrait of a rarefied world.
CYCLE AROUND JAPAN
A Summer Journey in Southern Hokkaido
Sep 30 Sat 0:10/ 6:10/ 12:10/ 18:10 (UTC) <49 min. 30 sec.>
This is a 500-kilometer bike ride through the grand scenery of Japan’s northernmost prefecture. The city of Hakodate offers a mix of cultural influences from East and West. Down the road, a port city keeps busy in summertime with kombu kelp drying. The trip includes stops at a dairy farm and a watermelon patch, evidence of the close connection between the people and the land.
29 August 2017
Euronews, in partnership with German regional media outlets and with the support of the Google News Lab, launches a series of 9 portraits of German people in 360° videos, produced in the weeks before the German federal election.
Following its innovative coverage of the French presidential election earlier this year, Euronews launches its immersive coverage of the German campaign with a series of portraits of voters produced using VR360 technology.
The unique project created by Euronews, one of the world’s pioneers in the production of immersive video reports, is backed again by the Google News Lab.
It is being produced in collaboration with the newsrooms of German regional media outlets – such as Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, Passauer Neue Presse, Berliner Zeitung, Weser-Kurier, Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag, isso., Südwest Presse, Schwäbische Zeitung. With-in depth regional knowledge, they will provide crucial insights into the geographic and sociological diversity at the local level, reflecting the German electorate.
Germany has consistently made headlines over the past year, whether for its role in Greek debt crisis, controversy over its immigrant policy or its targeting by terrorists. Chancellor Angela Merkel, in a post-Brexit post-Trump world, has at times seemed embattled, under fire from both the left and the right wing. She remains popular, but social-democrats hope to dethrone “the most powerful woman in the world” after almost 12 years in office.
To report on this fascinating situation, immersive journalism provides a fresh perspective on election cycle and a way to better listen to and understand the issues affecting the German electorate. This storytelling format also empowers German voters to have a say, express their hopes and worries in the run-up to this election.
Before the election day on September 24, Euronews’ journalists Carolin Küter and Lena Roche and partner journalists set out to meet the people of Germany, whether they intend to vote or not.
The series of nine 360° episodes is being produced in six languages: German, English, French, Turkish, Arabic and Russian.
After the vote, a tenth episode will gather the voters’ reactions in an interactive virtual-reality environment produced in partnership with German start-up Vragments.
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Thomas Seymat, VR & immersive journalism editor, Euronews |
“We are very excited to be using immersive journalism to our international audience on the ground in Germany ahead of this very important vote for the country, and for the European Union. With our extensive 360° video experience, and with the hard work of our German colleagues, we are looking forward to bring local German voices to the global stage.”
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Isabelle Sonnenfeld, Head of Google News Lab (DACH region) |
“During the French presidential election we already observed the positive impact these 360° stories had. Each episode gave voice to a voter and his or her personal perspectives. 360° video on YouTube in combination with cardboard offers a unique experience as it creates empathy with the person, the personal story and the environment. We are proud to support this second immersive storytelling project produced by Euronews in the run up to the German election. It combines collaboration with experimentation which lies at the heart of what the Google News Lab thrives for.”
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Joachim Dreykluft, Head of Digital, Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag |
“Elections are a celebration of democracy. And as with all great celebrations, we need things that bring us together, in substance and emotion. 360° videos are a wonderful way for us to combine both at shz.de. They convey relevant content. And they create a proximity and immediacy to people and their environment as no other form of representation.”
Germany 2017 in 360°
The series is simultaneously broadcast by Euronews and the media partners. Starting on August 28, they will be available on euronews.com in the respective languages, Euronews’ YouTube channels and its apps. If you have a Cardboard or VR headset at hand you will get a fully immersive experience.
(Source: Euronews press release)
