19 October 2016
Newstag – the award-winning Stockholm-based video news service – has announced at MIPCOM plans to launch a business-to-business news service designed to offer online publishers and telecommunications (TELCOS) companies bespoke, broadcast-quality ready-to-air news programmes.
‘Newsreel’ will provide tailored news bulletins using professionally-produced video content that is curated by audiences. Using big data and machine learning, the result will be to provide top quality news programmes targeted to reflect the interests of viewers in any geographic market or demography.
Newstag co-founder Henrik Eklund, explains: “When you let the crowd curate the news agenda, audiences around the world build a picture of themselves through what they choose to watch and share. By creating packages that reflect these concerns and interests, we put individuals in control of the news they consume. This will create more democratic news programming that has greater relevance for viewers, both on a global and local level.”
Content providers, whether they are online publishers or TELCOS, are set to benefit as much as consumers from this service as the production cost is a fraction of the traditional cost of producing news programming, without any loss of quality or relevance. This will provide a sustainable solution to providers who are looking for news content but unable to fund their own news operation, while also giving existing newsrooms the opportunity to allocate resources to professional journalism, instead of overheads.
The ground-breaking model – which is a world first – is drawn from the Newstag platform, a ‘mobile-first’ news service aimed at consumers that enables users to create their own personalised TV channel or ‘tagtsream’ in seconds, organising, consuming and sharing stories that they find relevant or interesting among their social networks using the latest web and mobile technologies. All the content is drawn from some of the world’s leading professional news producers such as AP, AFP and Bloomberg.
Newstag co-founder Camilla Dahlin-Andersson added: “Audiences want to engage with and understand the world they live in and to provide a balance to videos of cats on skateboards, we want to empower people to engage and make a real difference. Newstag isn’t a shallow ‘light agenda’ platform. Users can explore breaking news topics in greater depth than ever before through personalisable tags, while news from multiple sources gives everyone the opportunity to consume stories from different angles, creating a more nuanced picture of the world.”
The platform’s innovative approach to content distribution has already been globally recognised. It was shortlisted at this year’s Content Innovation Awards hosted by Digital TV Europe and TBI at MIPCOM and is nominated for a TVB Award recognising innovation and outstanding technical achievement later this month. Earlier this year, Newstag was a start-up of the year finalist at the MEG-awards and selected as one the companies best positioned for growth in Asia at Asia Beat. In 2015 Newstag received a bronze award for ‘Best News Website’ at the Asian Digital Media Awards jointly presented by WAN-IFRA and Google. The platform was also selected as a top international start-up by Mobile World Capital Barcelona in a contest to recognise the most innovative use of mobile technology in business and won ‘Best Start-up’ at TVB Europe Awards.
(Source: Newstag press release)
13 October 2016
Mark Barton, Bloomberg Television’s longest serving presenter in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, is to host the AIBs – the twelfth international awards for the best factual television, radio and online productions.
Taking place in London on Wednesday 2 November 2016, the AIBs celebrate the work of producers, editors and journalists from around the world. Work from nearly 40 countries has been submitted to this year’s AIBs, and the shortlist includes work from major broadcasters, online video companies, newspapers and independent producers.
“I am delighted to have been asked to host this year’s AIBs,” said Mark Barton. “I have been amazed by the range and quality of productions that have been entered. I am looking forward to revealing who has won in this global competition and sharing in the celebrations of success.”
“It is great that Mark Barton has agreed to present this year’s AIBs,” commented Simon Spanswick, chief executive of the Association for International Broadcasting. “His experience in live journalism means he understands the realities of getting news to audiences in challenging situations. He also has consummate interviewing skills that will bring the best out of this year’s winners as they receive their prizes.”
Mark Barton played an integral role in establishing Bloomberg Television as a global financial and business news network. Mark has witnessed at first hand three global recessions and covered five UK general elections and five US elections.
Mark has travelled the world to interview more than ten thousand newsmakers. They’ve included Presidents, Princes, Prime Ministers, members of the US Federal Reserve and most of the global business elite. Among his personal career highlights are Microsoft founder Bill Gates and the late Israeli leader Shimon Peres.
The AIBs will be presented in London at LSO St Luke’s on 2 November 2016 in front of a truly global gathering of journalists, editors, producers and directors representing countries as diverse as Argentina, Denmark, India, France, Russia, the USA and the UK, among many others. Reserve places at theaibs.tv.
Eutelsat and MediaGuru are sponsors of this year’s AIBs.
5 October 2016
France 24 has entered the South Korean media landscape thanks to a new distribution agreement recently concluded with Hyundai Cable Networks (HCN). The operator has 1.3 million TV subscribers across the country.
France 24 English version is now available on the channel 446 within the “Gold” package which brings together several foreign channels. In addition to this access via cable, the channel is also available on IPTV and mobile in the “Premium” offer.
With this first distribution agreement in South Korea, France 24 will also enhance its presence throughout the country with screens broadcasting the channel in the Alliances Françaises and at the Institut Français in Seoul (French cultural Institutes).
A few weeks before the 2015-2016 France-Korea year draws to an end (a France Médias Monde group partnership), France 24 will soon propose a special edition of its cultural magazine “Encore!” entirely dedicated to the Korean culture.
For more real-time information on France 24’s distribution worldwide, go to ► http://f24.my/2dMp36i
(Source: France 24 press release)
29 September 2016
The Broadcasting Board of Governors met at its Washington, D.C. headquarters on September 28, 2016 to receive status reports from each of the five BBG networks and to discuss BBG programming in key topic areas.
BBG CEO and Director John Lansing presented his report along with representatives from the International Broadcasting Bureau and network heads of the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Middle East Broadcasting Network, Radio Free Asia and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.
Lansing updated the Board on agency-wide initiatives to counter violent extremism and on programming for women and girls.
“It’s noted that communities where women and girls participate in civic life are safer, generally more stable, more equal and ultimately are better partners for the United States,” said Lansing. “Unfortunately this sort of equality is difficult in many of the markets where we operate. In many cases we are the only potential platform to give voice to the voiceless women.”
Other agency highlights included OCB Director Malule Gonzalez’s readout of the recent OCB-hosted Cuba Internet Freedom Conference. The conference, which took place during Social Media Week Miami, brought together journalists, innovators and other individuals for talks focused on improving digital rights in the country. The event included a panel discussion featuring Alan Gross, the former U.S. government contractor jailed on the island for attempting to establish Internet access for a minority group.
Additionally, VOA Director Amanda Bennett briefed the Board on a recent town hall meeting which brought together Somali communities in Mogadishu, Somalia and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bennet showed a clip from the town hall during which Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, who took questions from the crowd on topics ranging from terrorism to education, thanked VOA for hosting the event.
The Board was also introduced to Dr. Nnake Nweke, director of its newly created Office of Internet Freedom. Dr. Nweke will lead the development of the BBG’s strategies on combating internet censorship and will study its impact on BBG programming.
Minutes, documents and a video recording are available on the BBG website.
(Source: BBG press release)
28 September 2016
Regional broadcaster Channel NewsAsia and its partners, CSR Asia and Sustainalytics, today announced that technology companies took seven of the top ten spots in the 2016 Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking. Wipro Ltd. was ranked number one for its proactive efforts to reduce its energy use and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The annual Ranking identifies the top 100 companies in Asia with the highest sustainability performance, measured based on a broad range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) indicators. The partners released the Ranking at the 2016 CSR Asia Summit in Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong.
Key findings of the 2016 Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking
Companies in the technology sector captured the largest proportion of positions (38 of 100) in the Ranking.
Eighty-two percent of companies in the top 100 are from Japan (33), Taiwan (20), India (16) and South Korea (13). Regulatory oversight of corporate sustainability disclosures is likely the reason for companies in these countries to take leading positions.
Five Japanese companies have been placed in the top 20 of this year’s Ranking, up from only one in the 2015 Ranking.
The top five companies in the 2016 Ranking are Wipro Ltd. (India), City Developments Limited (Singapore), Lite-On Technology Corp. (Taiwan), Hankook Tire Co., Ltd. (South Korea) and Qisda Corporation (Taiwan).
The 2016 Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking is generated based on specific ESG indicators and methodology developed by Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of ESG and corporate governance research and ratings. From the full list of 100 companies identified, the Ranking highlights the overall top performing 20 companies and the top three businesses per country. A total of 11 territories are covered in this robust research – China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
The Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking is part of the channel’s initiative under its larger Corporate Social Responsibility project, Changing Lives. The focus for this year – Business and Philanthropy in Asia – highlights the importance for today’s businesses to take the lead in propelling social change and progress in Asia. The Ranking urges businesses in the region to find the balance among their economic, social and environmental responsibilities in their operations.
Ms Hidayah Ong, Head of Mediacorp’s News Segment, says, “Amidst the competitive and busy corporate climate in Asia, this Ranking serves to help businesses benchmark themselves against some of the best in the industry. It spotlights companies that are successful in corporate sustainability and urges action from others. We hope that such initiatives play a pivotal role in driving change.”
Mr Michael Jantzi, CEO of Sustainalytics, says, “Over the past few years, the consideration of ESG factors has gained significant momentum throughout Asia. This Ranking has added to the dialogue, bringing more attention to the importance of company ESG issues. We congratulate the companies included in this year’s Ranking for providing comprehensive sustainability information to their stakeholders.”
Mr Richard Welford, Chairman, CSR Asia said, “This ranking enables companies and their stakeholders to benchmark performance with respect to sustainability. Bold and effective leadership – from business, government and individuals – is needed to drive the sustainability agenda forward in Asia Pacific. Indices like the Ranking are an important tool to assess which companies are looking to become regional and global leaders”.
The Ranking is available online at http://sustainability-ranking.channelnewsasia.com/
(Source: Channel NewsAsia press release)
27 September 2016
RT received seven trophies at the prestigious Lovie Awards – the European counterpart of the Webbys, which honors outstanding achievement in digital media. RT won three People’s Lovies based on public online voting. Additionally, an expert jury composed of representatives of major international media companies such as Google, Twitter, and the Huffington Post awarded RT one silver and three bronze prizes.
Chernobyl: Fallout 30, RT’s special interactive multimedia project marking the 30-year anniversary since the nuclear disaster, received a silver for “Web: Best Practices” and a bronze for “Web: Best Use of Animation/Motion Graphics”. RT’s website RT.com and RT’s social media platforms (on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Soundcloud, Coub and Instagram) were awarded bronze trophies in the “Web: News” and “Social: Best Overall Social Presence” categories respectively.
In addition to the expert jury prizes, following an online vote, RT won “The People’s Lovie” in three categories. In the “Web: News” category, RT.com surpassed the likes of VICE News, RFERL and The Guardian. In the “Social: Best Overall Social Presence” category, viewers gave the top spot to RT, leaving behind The Guardian and the popular “Game of Thrones” TV series, while Chernobyl: Fallout 30 won in “Web: Best Use of Animation/Motion Graphics.”
“To receive seven prizes in such a prestigious and high-profile digital media competition – that’s incredibly cool! But to win the People’s Lovie in almost all the categories where we contested means even more: it proves that RT enjoys highly engaged audience, and when your real fans vote for you to win – it means more than any gold,” said Kirill Karnovich-Valua, RT’s Head of Online Projects. “We thank the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for this honor, and we thank everyone who voted for us – it is our joint victory!”
In April 2016, RT won the People’s Voice Award Webby – the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet – in an open online vote. Webby Awards online voters chose RT social media platforms over those of BBC News, ABC News, NBC Nightly News, and the New York Times.
RT is a global TV news network that broadcasts 24/7 in English, Arabic and Spanish from its studios in Moscow, Washington, D.C., and London. RT has a weekly TV audience of 70 million people in 38 countries, and is the most watched TV news network on YouTube with nearly 4 billion views. RT is the winner of the Monte Carlo TV Festival Awards for best 24-hr newscast, and the only Russian TV channel to become a four-time finalist of the International Emmy Award for News.
The Lovie Awards is the most prestigious pan-European awards honoring online excellence. Now in its sixth year, The Lovie Awards continues to celebrate the most resonant and pertinent stories in Europe, those inside and outside of the prevailing trends. The Awards reflects the tremendous growth of the internet as a tool for business and everyday lives. The Lovie Awards presents gold, silver and bronze awards as chosen by members of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). In addition, the online public votes for their favorite finalists to take home The People’s Lovie Award in each category.
(Source: RT press release)
