7 October 2014
France 24, the trilingual rolling news channel from the France Médias Monde group, has been chosen by Média Aéroports de Paris (a joint-venture 50/50 owned by Aéroports de Paris and JCDecaux) as content partner for the Airport TV channel.
Airport TV is the dedicated news and entertainment channel for Aéroports de Paris passengers. It is broadcast over a network of 256 screens across the 10 Aéroports de Paris terminals, particularly in departure lounges.
Airport TV aims to offer airport passengers high quality international news with a global perspective. It is part of Aéroports de Paris’ quality of service improvement strategy.
France 24 will be providing national and world news and weather broadcasts specially adapted to the airport environment, without sound, subtitled in French and in English.
With substantial international experience, France 24 offers editorial content that is largely equipped to meet the demands of a multicultural and available (average waiting time in departure lounges is 1hr39) audience of more than 90 million passengers a year, including 47 million French passengers (opinion leaders).
About Aéroports de Paris – www.aeroportsdeparis.fr
3 October 2014
The Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) is pleased to announce the appointment of Neal Romanek as its new Editorial Director.
Romanek, 46, joins AIB from the technology trade magazine, TVBEurope and most recently from producing high-level panels at IBC 2014. In his new role, he will be responsible for the editorial content and direction of AIB including its long-established international media magazine, The Channel, as well as AIB’s growing online news and knowledge network and its social media activities.
“Neal has a great track record across technology and content,” said Simon Spanswick, AIB chief executive. “He brings with him extensive experience as a writer who can explain highly complex technical ideas in language that anyone can understand. He also has a deep understanding of programme production, including development and writing. Neal will be a great asset to AIB and its Members around the world.”
The new appointment comes at a time when AIB is developing rapidly as the association enters the second year of its third decade. Membership is growing and the breadth as well as the depth of its activities is increasing in every continent. AIB provides its Members with market intelligence briefings, helping them make sense of the rapidly changing media marketplace. AIB celebrates success with its annual awards for the best factual content across TV, radio and online. And it offers news to a global readership of more than 26,000 media executives, technologists, editors, producers and journalists.
“It is great to be joining AIB when the organisation is growing so fast,” said Neal Romanek. “As the global media industry continues to change, AIB is well-placed to provide a pivotal role as its knowledge network. I’m looking forward to helping develop and increase AIB’s news and information services across multiple platforms. It’s a great opportunity.”
AIB will be holding its Global Media Summit in London on 18 and 19 February 2015 and Neal Romanek will be involved in curating this important international event. He will also develop a Masterclass around the annual AIBs, the international factual media awards run for the past ten years by the Association and which take place in London in November.
1 October 2014
The shortlist for this year’s AIBs – our tenth annual international awards for the best factual content across TV, radio and online – has been announced.
Work from more than 30 countries was entered in the festival and the shortlisting team has had to work very hard to compile our final list that is now being judged by our international panel of experts.
The awards will be presented at a gala evening at LSO St Lukes, Old Street, London on 5 November, hosted by the BBC’s Matthew Amroliwala.
Reserve your places now: the booking form is online here, or you can use our store to book places and tables for this memorable evening.
30 September 2014
Radio New Zealand CEO, Paul Thompson, has announced that Carol Hirschfeld, the former
General Manager Production for Maori TV, is to join Radio New Zealand as Head of Content and
Radio New Zealand Networks Presentation Manager, John Howson, has been appointed to the
new role as Head of Radio.
Today’s announcements complete the reorganisation of Radio New Zealand’s senior
management team following an earlier appointment of the STUFF website editor, Glen Scanlon,
to the position of Head of Digital Media.
Carol Hirschfeld will be responsible for News, Drama, Music, Spoken Features and Radio New
Zealand International while John Howson will be responsible for all radio output across the
Radio New Zealand National and Concert networks.
In making the announcements Paul Thompson, has emphasised the importance of the new roles
for Radio New Zealand as it implements a strategy to deliver high quality multi-media journalism
and programming across multiple digital platforms.
“I am delighted to announce the two appointments. Both are very experienced broadcasters.
Carol is a respected media executive with a proven track record of success in managing stories,
developing programmes and leading staff, while John is an effective leader with a deep
knowledge of Radio New Zealand and he has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve over the
next two years.“
Carol Hirschfeld noted that the new position marks a return to an organisation where she began
her career as a cadet reporter. She says: “I believe strongly in the importance of public broadcasting and I am excited by the opportunity to contribute to a national media organisation that touches lives across New Zealand.”
She will join Radio New Zealand on November 24th.
_____________________________________________________________________________
The Radio New Zealand Executive Team is:
Paul Thompson – Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief
Ken Law – Head of Business Services, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer
Glen Scanlon – Head of Digital Media (starts November 17)
Carol Hirschfeld – Head of Content (starts November 24)
John Howson – Head of Radio
Matthew Finn – Head of Technology
John Barr – Head of Communications
Radio New Zealand International manager Linden Clark also sits on the executive.
(Source: RNZ press release)
26 September 2014
• US President remarks shows support for Al Jazeera staff to be freed
• Australian PM also urges Egyptian leader to release jailed trio
• Al Jazeera marks UNGA with viral campaign for #FreeAJstaff
Doha- 26th September, 2014
World leaders at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) have highlighted the importance of press freedom, and called on Egypt to release the three jailed Al Jazeera staff.
The wrongful imprisonment of Baher Mohamed, Peter Greste and Mohammed Fahmy was raised by US President Obama in his first meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
According to the Deputy National Security advisor Ben Rhodes, Obama reminded the Egyptian leader of his duty to human rights, including the rights to free speech and the rights of the three jailed Al Jazeera journalists:
Rhodes said: “The president expressed his view that those journalists should be released.”
President Obama’s emphasis on releasing the men follows a similar meeting between Tony Abbott the Australian Prime Minister and Sisi for twenty minutes.
After the meeting Abbott said: “I think he (Sisi) will do his best to be helpful”.
At UNGA similar calls for Egypt to release the three journalists were made by the British Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond who told Al Jazeera: “On the question of Al Jazeera journalists, I’ve raised this question personally with President Sisi. I raise it every time I see Foreign Minister Shoukry. The current situation is that the journalists have, as I understand it, appealed their convictions and that means this remains at the present time a judicial process. And we have to respect the separation of judicial and executive power. Once that judicial process is complete, if that sentence still stands, we would look to the executive to intervene and ensure they are released.”
In a campaign to increase even further awareness of the jailing of the Al Jazeera three, an advert was placed in the New York Times and Times Square New York to remind the Egyptian leader and other officials that the three men have been arrested, detained, charged and sentenced for just doing their job of honest, free and fair reporting.
Australian Peter Greste, Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed were convicted in June of aiding terrorism and spreading false news that portrayed Egypt as being in a state of “civil war”. Greste and Fahmy received seven-year terms, while Mohamed was sentenced to 10 years, in a case that sparked international outrage.
Since their arrest in December 2013, Al Jazeera has received international support calling for their freedom from human rights organisations, news networks and various governments.
On social media the advert placed in the New York Times alone gave 800,000 impressions on Twitter in the first five hours.
Commenting on president Obama’s call for the release of the Al Jazeera three, an Al Jazeera spokesperson said:
“For nine months since the arrest of Baher Mohamed, Mohammed Fahmy and Peter Greste, world opinion has stated that these men are innocent and have committed no crime, yet nearly 300 days later they still languish behind bars. Al Jazeera welcomes the direct involvement of President Obama and Prime Minister Abbott by reminding the Egyptian authorities that it is their moral duty in the name of free speech and human rights that they release our colleagues who are innocent and renowned Journalists.”
Calls for the release of Al Jazeera staff have previously been made from the White House, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the European Union, the Australian Government and over 150 rights groups, including Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Press Institute.
Over 200,000 people have signed petitions globally, including two petitions signed by 150,000 people presented to the Egyptian Vice Counsel in Sydney by Australia’s leading journalists.
Over 40 of the world’s top journalists have also signed a letter demanding the release of the journalists, and media outlets across the globe have staged their own protests, including BBC, CNN, ITN, Channel 4, Fairfax Australia, Toronto Star, VRT deredactie and Iran’s Shargh Daily.
High profile supporters include leading media personalities Larry King, Christiane Amanpour, Jon Snow, Piers Morgan, Stephen Fry, Ben Wedeman, Brian Stelter, Alex Thompson, as well as Naomi Klein, Reza Aslan, Mia Farrow and Bianca Jagger.
Similarly public calls of support for the release of the journalists has occurred throughout the social media campaign #FreeAJStaff, with over 137,000 people who have shared their support on Twitter, reaching 112 million people, and delivering over 2 billion impressions.
-Ends-
For more information email pressoffice@aljazeera.net
Follow on twitter & facebook
For more information on #FreeAJStaff
24 September 2014
Paris, 24 September 2014
For the first time, MIPCOM, the global entertainment content market, launches a conference event to support and discuss a key sector of the international television business ‐ the distribution of TV Channels around the world.
The aim of the programme is to create a central point of interaction for channels and platforms to meet, and to provide an educational forum specifically dedicated to showcasing new channels and carriage platforms (cable, satellite, IPTV, OTT).
Organised by Reed MIDEM, the 30th anniversary edition of MIPCOM will take place in Cannes, France, from 13-16 October 2014.
This one day programme will take place on Monday October 13th in a dedicated area and will include a series of business-oriented conferences and workshops. Mediamétrie/Eurodata will present data and comments on the growing channel distribution market and leading international platforms will unveil their strategies for the year to come. The ‘Driving the Quest for The Audience: Channel Distribution Strategies for Success’ conference session will showcase new channels with international appeal.
“With the increasing presence of multi-service operators and channels from around the world, carriage deals are a growing part of the market. Our ambition is to become the international business destination for the carriage ecosystem,” comments Laurine Garaude, Director of Reed MIDEM’s TV Division.
“It is vitally important that channels and platforms understand each other’s businesses,” says Simon Spanswick, Chief Executive of the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB). “Neither sector can operate independently of each other. This new initiative at MIPCOM is, we believe, essential as the distribution market becomes more complicated as new platforms launch.
AIB is delighted to be part of this important concept that is designed to bring businesses together and start conversations that will turn into business deals.”
The first Global Channel Distribution day at MIPCOM will bring together the French Telco & Pay TV operator Orange, German Telco and IPTV operator Deutsche Telekom, Globecast, Al Jazeera’s global network, A+E networks, Scripps Networks International, EbonyLife TV and OTT service operator Magine.
About AIB
AIB, the Association for International Broadcasting, is the international industry association and global knowledge network for the international broadcasting industry – cross-media, cross-border, cross-cultural. It has grown into a unique centre of information about international broadcasting, covering television, radio, and emerging media platforms such as online and mobile.The AIB, established in 1993, is a not-for-profit organisation, with headquarters in the United Kingdom.
About MIPCOM
2014 marks the 30th anniversary of MIPCOM, the year’s most anticipated global market for entertainment content across all platforms. Each October, the industry’s major players from TV and film – converge in Cannes to create a new world of entertainment. MIPCOM turns every moment into an opportunity, transforming four days of meetings, screenings and conferences into deals, from blockbuster programming to ground-breaking partnerships. And MIPJunior – the leading showcase for kids programming which takes place the weekend before MIPCOM – unites the world’s most influential buyers, sellers, producers, digital players, publishers and licensing executives who present, discover and screen the very latest content. For the first time this year MIPJunior will be held at the Palm Beach, the Croisette’s glamorous landmark location.
Please visit www.mipcom.com
Media Contacts
For further information please contact
Roger Stone, AIB: +44 (0) 20 7993 2557
roger.stone@aib.org.uk
Jane GARTON, Entertainment Press Director: +33 1 79 71 94 39
jane.garton@reedmidem.com
Joanna KIRK, Press Manager: +33 1 79 71 95 82
joanna.kirk@reedmidem.com
Philippe LE GALL, Press Events Manager: +33 1 79 71 96 48
philippe.legall@reedmidem.com
Download the press release here
