9 December 2015
Burmese-speaking users of Viber now have access to the BBC’s news updates thanks to the launch of the BBC Burmese channel on the app. The BBC Burmese channel on Viber will deliver several updates of key news stories of the day, in text, images as well as short audio and video clips.
With its population of 48.7 million, Myanmar (also known as Burma) has 29 million active mobile subscriptions. According to the international telecoms providers operating in the country, Myanmar is among world leaders in smartphone usage.
BBC Burmese Editor, Tin Htar Swe, comments: “While BBC Burmese audio news bulletins are available for listening on mobile phones in Myanmar, this is the first time BBC Burmese content is made available on a chat app. With Viber’s reported 14.8 million unique users* in Myanmar, we can now connect with our audiences – existing and new – through this growing platform, offering them access to news from the BBC, in their language.”
To access the BBC Burmese Public Chat on Viber App, users are required to:
- go to their App Store and download the Viber App on their smart phone; Viber will ask them to provide their phone number – that’s all they need to register
- once they are in Viber, they need to click on the ‘Public’ icon – this takes them to Viber Public Chats
- hit the magnifying glass and search for the BBC Burmese Public Chat
- hit ‘Follow’ – and the chat will be visible whenever the ‘Public’ icon is clicked.
BBC Burmese reaches 6.9 million people every week (2015). The BBC Burmese Facebook page has over 3.7 million fans (December 2015). The BBC Burmese radio programming is broadcast on shortwave and on Asiasat5 satellite television channel and streamed online via bbcburmese.com. Selected radio programming is rebroadcast by some of the country’s nationwide FM networks. BBC Burmese TV news bulletins are broadcast live on the national TV channel, Myanmar National Television (MNTV) at 20.45 local time (14.15 GMT) Monday to Friday, and are streamed live on the website bbcburmese.com.
BBC Burmese is part of BBC World Service which also offers a Public Chat channel in Nepali on Viber App. BBC World Service’s content in other languages is also available via messaging apps such as LINE, We Chat and Telegram.
9 December 2015
NHK WORLD TV, 24-hr English language channel launches on PT MNC Sky Vision and PT MNC Kabel Mediacom platforms
NHK WORLD TV expands its presence on DTH and IPTV in Indonesia through a new deal inked with PT MNC Sky Vision and PT MNC Kabel Mediacom. NHK WORLD TV will now offer its contents on Indovision, OKEVision, Topvision and Playmedia. This move further increases the existing footprint of NHK WORLD TV in Indonesia with the addition of 2.5 million new subscribers.
“NHK WORLD TV provides domestic and international news with accuracy and speed which is essential for discerning viewers in today’s fast-paced world. Our global network enables the presentation of information on Asia from various perspectives to keep our viewers informed and updated which is our main focus,” said Yoshihiko Shimizu, president and CEO, Japan International Broadcasting.
Yoshihiko Shimizu said the wide variety of entertainment programs available to the new viewers will make the English language channel a complete package for the whole family.
Operating from Japan, NHK WORLD TV is a 24-hour English language television service for international viewers; providing the latest informative and entertainment programs. NHK WORLD TV is available to 290 million households in more than 150 countries and regions.
About Japan International Broadcasting, Inc.
Japan International Broadcasting Inc. (JIB), a subsidiary of NHK, is responsible for the worldwide distribution of NHK WORLD TV, as well as the Japanese language channel NHK WORLD PREMIUM. Currently, the two channels are broadcast around the world on three international plus domestic satellites in their respective markets and reach households, hotels and others via DTH, cable, IPTV and terrestrial broadcast.
9 December 2015
WikiLeaks co-founder, whose exclusive interview show on RT caused an international media firestorm, will take part in the panel dedicated to information privacy and security in the digital age, via a live-link from his asylum at the Ecuadorean embassy in London.
Assange will headline the session “Security or Surveillance: Can the right to privacy and effective anti-terror security coexist in the digital age?” Joining him in Moscow will be Philip Giraldi, former counter-terrorism specialist and military intelligence officer of the CIA, Annie Machon, whistleblower and former MI5 intelligence officer, noted CIA whistleblower Raymond McGovern and historian, author and strategic analyst Gregory Copley. Thom Hartmann, a prominent American progressive intellectual and media personality, who hosts political discussion program “The Big Picture” on RT America, will moderate the discussion.
RT’s conference, titled “Information, messages, politics: the shape-shifting powers of today’s world,” brings together prominent politicians, foreign policy experts and media executives from around the world to discuss a wide range of international issues, including Middle East security, the state of geopolitical power balance, the battle of media narratives, the role of Russia on the world stage, tradeoffs between information privacy and security at the time of a global terrorist threat, the evolution that the international news landscape has undergone over the last decade and the role of media in addressing the challenges facing the world today.
The conference will take place in Moscow’s historic Metropol Hotel from 9:30 to 16:30 on Thursday, December 10, 2015 – 10th anniversary of RT’s first news broadcast. To find out more about the event, press accreditation and how to attend, please go to http://conference.rt.com/ or contact: Anton Konyaev, aakonyaev@rttv.ru , +7 (499) 750-00-75 ext. 2390.
About RT
RT is a global news network that broadcasts 24/7 in English, Arabic and Spanish from its studios in Moscow, Washington, DC, and London. It is available to 700 million viewers worldwide. RT is the most watched TV news network on YouTube with more than 3 billion views. RT is the winner of the Monte Carlo TV Festival Awards for best 24-hr broadcast, and the only Russian TV channel to receive three nominations for the prestigious International Emmy Award for News.
8 December 2015
The Broadcasting Board of Governors today announced that Maria “Malule” González will take over as Director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, responsible for the strategic planning and direction of TV Martí, Radio Martí and Martinoticias.com, which are collectively known as the Martís.
“We are thrilled to have Malule join us at such a critical time for Cuba broadcasting,” said BBG Chairman Jeff Shell. “She is a seasoned, Emmy award-winning journalist, a proven leader and an innovator, and she has the skills and experience to lead the Martís through a new era of U.S. broadcasting to Cuba.”
“I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve my country,” said González. “I strongly believe that the people of Cuba must have access to free and accurate information, and I am thrilled to work alongside the entire Marti team to ensure that they do.”
González began her journalism career as a writer, producer and manager in Puerto Rico before she moved to Univision in 1989, followed by Telemundo where she produced several shows and launched “CBS TeleNoticias,” the first Spanish 24-hour pan-regional news network.
Since then she has created popular programs for Venevision International, served as General Manager for an independent local station in Puerto Rico, and most recently has served as Vice-President and Station Manager for WLII and WSTE, two local stations owned and operated by Univision.
González will be taking over for Carlos A. Garcia-Pérez, who has served as OCB Director for five years.
“Since 2010, Carlos has passionately worked to provide Cubans with unbiased, accurate and reliable information,” said BBG CEO and Director John Lansing. “He has led the charge to improve programming, pursue new strategies to overcome Cuban jamming and enhance editorial effectiveness. He is a tireless defender of Article 19, and I know there are Cubans whose lives are better for it.”
Despite changes in its relationship with the United States, Cuba continues to have one of the world’s most restrictive media environments. The island nation consistently ranks in the bottom ten of Freedom House’s Freedom of the Press Index, and the Committee to Protect Journalists calls it one of the worst countries to be a blogger.
The Martís are a multimedia hub of news, information and analysis that provides a one-of-a-kind service that brings unbiased, objective information to Cuba. Despite consistent jamming by the Cuban government, OCB reaches audiences on the island through a variety of high- and low-tech solutions. In addition to satellite television, and shortwave, satellite, and AM radio, OCB launched a mobile app for Android and iOS devices. The Martís also use SMS text messaging as a means to push unfiltered information out to audiences.
González’s appointment is effective December 12, 2015.
7 December 2015
Globecast has today announced that Philippe Bernard has been appointed as its new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Olivier Barberot. He brings a wealth of international experience and has a track record for sales and customer relations expertise.
Philippe Bernard will drive Globecast’s strategy to position the company as a fully global and integrated media solutions provider that addresses the changing needs of markets and customers, as a complement to its position as the largest international independent teleport operator and satellite services provider.
“I’m honoured and grateful for the opportunity to lead this exceptional company with dedicated, talented and creative professionals,” said Philippe Bernard. “Globecast is a leading company in the broadcast and media industry, with multi-cultural employees passionate about their work and driven by the desire of offering the best quality and bespoke media solutions to its customers. Broadcasters and media companies are having to respond to evolving consumer viewing habits, and Globecast is perfectly positioned to help them take advantage of new market opportunities. We will keep providing customers with greater access to our expertise.”
Globecast’s position in the market is underpinned by its global reach, supported by Media Centres in key locations around the world. This unique combination enables it to deliver an end-to-end solution offering for everything from media preparation to VoD logistic, playout and international distribution – in a truly unified manner across all its territories.
Philippe Bernard joins Globecast from the Orange Group, where has served as EVP of Quality, Customer Experience & Sales since July 2013. Prior to that he was CEO of Transpac, before joining Orange Group as VP of Orange Business Solutions, based in the UK, and went on to take over the European Sales and Customer Relations Division. He is a graduate of the prestigious Ecole Polytechnique.
4 December 2015
A group of the world’s leading international broadcasters say that freedom of information and access to fact-based, verifiable journalism is critical to peace.
The statement, issued on behalf of the representatives of Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) [Australia], British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) [United Kingdom], the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) [US], Deutsche Welle (DW) [Germany], France Médias Monde [FMM], Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) [Japan] and Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW), said:
“We, the members of the DG7, at our annual meeting this year in Tokyo November 30-December 1, have reaffirmed our support for global freedom of information and expression, articulated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
The DG7 comprises publicly funded international media organizations from seven democratic nations: Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States, represented by their respective directors general or chief executive officers.
Following the recent attacks in Paris and ongoing extremist violence in many parts of the world, including the Middle East and North Africa, the African Sahel, and South Asia, we condemn the contributing role of information as a weapon of terror and tool for recruitment of extremists.
We further note the continued decline of media freedom around the world as documented by international organizations such as Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders.
It is in this environment that we renew our call for unfettered access by citizens everywhere to free flows of fact-based, verifiable journalism. This we do in recognition of the critical role freedom of information and freedom of expression play in supporting peaceful and prosperous societies.” (Source: BBG press release)
