BBC World Service to provide people of Syria with enhanced services

17 December 2024

BBC World Service to provide people of Syria with enhanced services

Following the rapid developments in Syria, the BBC World Service will offer enhanced services to audiences across the country.

Broadcast on medium wave and FM, an enhanced audio service will provide the people of Syria and surrounding countries with a trusted source of independent news when audiences need it the most, particularly as local media and digital services are disrupted.

Broadcasting news and information in Arabic, the service will air BBC News Arabic bulletins throughout the day including the BBC News Arabic’s World at One and BBC News Arabic’s Newsnight. It will also feature packages from the Gaza Lifeline service and contributions from correspondents such as Feras Kilani as well as the BBC’s wealth of reporters based across the region.

There will also be an English offer on the network, curated from World Service English, for those Syrians who speak the language.

Jonathan Munro, Global Director, BBC News (pictured), says: “As we have all been watching, listening to and reading about the dramatic changes that have swept through Syria, the Syrian population have been left without essential access to reliable and independent news about the events taking place. The BBC World Service’s enhanced services will bring them the latest breaking news and analysis from Syria, the Middle East and the rest of the world.”

The Syrian radio network will go out on medium wave, 720kHz and 639kHz, and on 93.0 FM.

The BBC World Service has a history of responding to emergency situations globally. Most recently, in Nov 2024, we launched an emergency radio service for Gaza – which remains on air – and in May 2023 during the conflict in Sudan, BBC News Arabic began an emergency radio service. In February 2022, the BBC News Ukraine service extended TV bulletins following the invasion of the country.

BBC News has responded to the events in Syria with special programming across the week. World Service English amended their schedules on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 December in response to the fast-developing story, there have been additional episodes of the BBC Global News podcast and correspondents including Barbara Plett-Usher, Lyse Doucet and BBC News Arabic’s Feras Kilani, have brought audiences breaking news across BBC outlets.

[Source: BBC press release]

MBC STUDIOS and Telfaz11 Studios form strategic partnership

9 December 2024

MBC STUDIOS and Telfaz11 Studios form strategic partnership

MBC STUDIOS, the production arm of MBC GROUP and Telfaz11 Studios, a leading creative media studio, have announced a landmark partnership to co-develop and co-produce multiple projects that celebrate the depth and diversity of Saudi storytelling. This collaboration combines Telfaz11 Studios’ innovative creative storytelling and box office success with MBC STUDIOS’ strong regional reach and unparalleled production capabilities, marking a pivotal moment for the Kingdom’s entertainment industry.

The partnership includes multiple projects, including one based on a compelling true story, highlighting the shared mission of both companies to create meaningful content that captures the richness of Saudi culture and resonates deeply with audiences across the region. Together, they aim to nurture Saudi talent, drive creativity, and contribute to the growth of the region’s film and television industries.

MBC STUDIOS brings decades of expertise and an extensive regional footprint to the partnership, providing the resources and platforms to amplify Saudi stories across the Arab world and beyond. This collaboration leverages MBC STUDIOS’ ability to connect audiences to high-quality content while strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a leader in the entertainment landscape.

Telfaz11 Studios, with its global success and box office records, has been instrumental in shaping Saudi cinema. The action-comedy “Sattar” became the highest-grossing Saudi film of all time. Similarly, the thriller “Mandoob” not only won critical acclaim as an award-winning film but also became the biggest Arabic-language film at the Saudi box office in 2024, surpassing international releases and setting a new benchmark for local productions. These successes underscore Telfaz11 Studios’ dedication to crafting stories that deeply resonate with audiences while contributing to the growing stature of Saudi cinema.

Wael Abu Mansour, Head of Telfaz11 Studios, stated: “This partnership with MBC Studios builds on the foundation we’ve established at Telfaz11 Studios with our slate of nine feature films, which span diverse genres and cater to a wide range of audiences. Our films, such as the record-breaking Sattar and the award-winning Mandoob, have not only achieved remarkable box office success but also demonstrated the power of authentic Saudi stories to captivate and connect. Collaborating with MBC Studios allows us to expand on this success, combining our creative vision with their expertise to deliver even more compelling content. Together, we aim to elevate Saudi storytelling and create a dynamic slate of films and series that entertain, inspire, and resonate with audiences across the region.”

Hana Al Omair, Saudi director and Creative Director at MBC STUDIOS, commented: “It is now more important than ever to tell our own stories. As creatives, we are constantly seeking fresh, diverse, and thought-provoking narratives that audiences across the GCC, the region, and the rest of the world can relate to or find engaging. By joining forces with the brilliant Telfaz11 Studios team, we are not only tapping into a treasure trove of authentic Saudi stories but also setting yet another new benchmark for excellence in regional content creation. I look forward to us exploring bold ideas, nurturing emerging talent, and crafting productions that speak to the heart of Saudi culture, captivating and inspiring viewers far beyond the Kingdom’s borders.”

This collaboration aligns with the goals of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, fostering creativity, empowering local talent, and contributing to the Kingdom’s growth as a global cultural and entertainment hub. Through this partnership, MBC STUDIOS and Telfaz11 Studios are laying the groundwork for a new chapter in Saudi storytelling.

MBC GROUP is the largest and leading media organisation in the Middle East and North Africa.

[Source: MBC press release]

France Médias Monde channels cover reopening of Notre-Dame

5 December 2024

France Médias Monde channels cover reopening of Notre-Dame

After more than five years of complex construction following the fire that partially destroyed the Cathedral in 2019, the doors of Notre-Dame de Paris will reopen on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 December, the dates of the reopening to the public and the first Sunday mass. To bring this global event to life for its listeners, viewers and Internet users, France Médias Monde channels are covering the event in special programmes in French and 21 other languages.

Journalists from RFI, France 24 and Monte Carlo Doualiya have followed the progress of the work over the past five years and have met with the major players in the reconstruction of Notre-Dame. The channels are offering series of documentaries, reports, as well as interviews and analyses to understand the scope, particularly internationally, of this historic and religious monument.

All times are Paris/CET (GMT+1)

On France 24

The four France 24 channels (in French, English, Arabic and Spanish) will offer worldwide coverage of the reopening of Notre-Dame to their viewers and Internet users. Special correspondents intervene live to deliver the highlights of the ceremonies, accompanied by guests and international commentators on set.

Friday, December 6:

> At 4:15 p.m., “News» offers a special edition on “The builders of Notre-Dame, yesterday and today”.

Laure Manent meets women who helped rebuild the cathedral: a construction manager, an art restorer and a roofer. They talk about the difficulties they encountered in bringing an 850-year-old building back to life, but also their enthusiasm, alongside the hundreds of craftsmen who worked tirelessly to enable the reopening promised for December 8, 2024.

A show that can also be found in English in “The 51 Percent», presented by Annette Young on December 6 at 4:15 p.m.

> At 12:15 p.m., “ On Show » (in French) and « Arts 24 » (in English), offer a portrait of Jean-Charles de Castelbajac who presents at the “Notre Dame workshop” the liturgical vestments and ornaments that he made for the approximately 700 prelates who will take part in the reopening ceremonies.

On the Arabic channel, “ Paris Secret », presented by Tatiana El Khoury , offers a special Notre-Dame de Paris program, five years after the restoration work.

> In news coverage

France 24 is broadcasting live, in French, English, Arabic and Spanish, the official ceremony of December 7 and is covering the return of the faithful to the cathedral throughout the day.

Throughout December 7 and 8, France 24 will broadcast a series of reports, special editions, and will welcome numerous guests on set.

> On digital

The France 24 digital editorial team is offering a liveblog to follow the ceremonies of December 7 and 8 in real time. The special correspondents offer exclusive content, to be followed on the website and social networks of the international channel in French, English, Arabic and Spanish.

All the reports, portraits, interviews and magazines broadcast on France 24 can be found on france24.com and social networks.

On RFI

> Special editions

Saturday, December 7th

Throughout the day, the editorial team offers interviews and live reports from Notre-Dame to follow the official reopening ceremony and its preparation. At 7:20 a.m., the editorial team welcomes Philippe Villeneuve , chief architect of historical monuments in charge of Notre-Dame, in “ Le grandinvité international ” .

At 1:10 p.m., special edition with Patrick Jouenne , carpenter, responsible for the construction site, design and assembly of the spire of Notre Dame and Dany Sandron , professor of medieval art history at Sorbonne University.

From 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., RFI is dedicating an edition to the event, with Emile Armand Benoit , roofer-ornamentalist, named Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2015, who participated in the renovation of Notre-Dame de Paris, and Father Bertrand Auville , priest of the diocese of Nanterre.

Sunday, December 8

Special editions from 8 a.m. with many guests, including Benjamin Mouton , former chief architect of Notre Dame and member of the Scientific Council for the restoration of Notre Dame, and live interventions from correspondents around the world and special envoys to Notre-Dame for the first Sunday mass.

At 10:30 a.m., the “ Big report » (20 minutes) by Muriel Maalouf looks back at the saga of the reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris (also broadcast on Thursday, December 5 at 12:10 p.m. and 8:40 p.m.).

From 11 a.m., Véronique Gaymard presents a special program of “ Religions of the World ” live, in the presence of Arnaud Alibert , editor-in-chief of Religions of the newspaper La Croix, and with several interviews.

> Also available in RFI magazines

Saturday, December 7 at 6:10 p.m .: “ The political workshop », presented by Frédéric Rivière , devotes a program to the links between the State and the Church today.
From Sunday, December 1st to January 26th at 8:55 a.m. and 1:54 p.m ^.: in the 9-episode special series of “ 100% creation : The builders of Notre-Dame ”, Maria Afonso meets the craftsmen (bell maker, organ builder, chandelier maker, stained glass artist, etc.) involved in the reconstruction of the cathedral, which involved building trades, craftsmen and designers for the restorations and reconstructions.
Sunday, December 8 at 2:10 p.m .: in “ So far so close ” , Céline Develay-Mazurelle offers a 3D audio sound immersion, produced by RFI Labo, in the daily life of the cathedral. Based on recordings made a few years before the fire, RFI invites you on a timeless journey to the heart of the most famous cathedral in France, which is preparing to resume its former life, from the square crowded with tourists to the sacristy, via its nave or its two towers with their fantastic bestiary.

> RFI in foreign languages

RFI’s 16 foreign-language newsrooms also offer a comprehensive system to retrace the reconstruction process, from the fire to the reopening on December 7, through videos, series of reports, interviews, monitoring of construction sites, etc. To make this saga of the reconstruction of Notre-Dame heard throughout the world and in all languages, in which international artisans participated, a symbol of France throughout the world.

> On digital

All reports and content can be found on the digital environments and the siterfi.fr, which devotes an article to the reconstruction of Notre-Dame and the scale of the work. A file on the history of the cathedral can also be found on ” RFI Knowledge », the section that provides the keys to understanding the world.

On MCD

Thursday 5 and Friday 6 December at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.:

“Journal of Culture », at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., presented by Lina Mahmoud , is devoted to the human and cultural aspects of the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris, five years after the terrible fire of April 19, 2019.

” Hot coffee », at 8:45 a.m., hosted by Hanane Abdallah and Atif Ali Salih , offers fascinating stories from enthusiasts, as well as reflections on the importance of Notre-Dame as a universal symbol of resilience and unity.

Saturday, December 7 at 5:30 a.m. and 7:50 a.m.:

“ Dialogue ”, presented by Rita Courie, offers an interview with Father Ralph Chamoun, parish assistant of the Notre Dame du Liban cathedral in Paris, about the reopening.

AIB launches Government Relations service for members

4 December 2024

AIB launches Government Relations service for members

The AIB has employed experienced Government and Parliamentary advisors to help you build relations with decision-makers, instead of simply following policy edicts handed down from on-high

In most countries, broadcasting has a dynamic and sometimes problematic relationship with political administrations. This occurs for many different reasons, but the result is the same: stress on broadcasters and time and money spent on conforming to regulatory frameworks that broadcasters may have had little power to influence when they were created.

That’s why the Association for International Broadcasting has launched the AIB Government Relations Division. This team is all about finding win-win solutions with politicians and other official authorities, enabling broadcasting to turbocharge its ability to seek amicable and fair self-regulatory and regulatory solutions to the challenges facing the industry in legislation and guidelines, particularly as the media marketplace changes so rapidly.

The AIB already advises a number of members in this area of activity, and we’re now formalising our service. Many of the same problems are present in different countries and often solutions based on the AIB’s vast international experience of regulatory and legal frameworks affecting broadcasting can be applied effectively in these cases.

The AIB also aspires to ensure that broadcasting is “ahead of the curve” in terms of potential legislation. We do this by offering members the opportunity to become highly proactive with relevant legislative Parliamentary authorities, ensuring that the industry’s input is made so early that often it avoids any “top-down” legislation that can harm the latitude of the industry to perform its functions.

The Government Relations Division can and will handle any project of any size affecting the sector in your country or region. We have former Parliamentarians, professional public affairs experts and legal counsel to help with any issue. Whether you’re a large firm or in the early stages of your development, we’ll be happy to help. We work on reactive cases that need a fast response, and proactive cases where the industry itself seeks reform or action from authorities.

Get in touch with the AIB Government Relations Division through the AIB Secretariat. We always start with a general conversation, and then develop a framework agenda for the project. Based on your input and feedback, we develop the programme from there, bringing in other relevant interest groups if and when required.

Governments respect us because we have no political vested interest – simply a professional interest in ensuring the success and vitality of the broadcasting sector. Get in touch and let’s see what we can do to help you have a good, honest and influential relationship with governments and its political officers.

The AIB Government Relations Division is the smart, non-confrontational way to influence policymakers, and turn political decision-makers into policymaking partners.

France Médias Monde strengthens collaboration with Mexican radio stations

4 December 2024

France Médias Monde strengthens collaboration with Mexican radio stations

Marie-Christine Saragosse, President and CEO of France Médias Monde, has signed two framework agreements to strengthen collaboration between RFI and Mexican public and university radio stations

The first is a tripartite framework agreement between France Médias Monde , La RED México, which brings together all of Mexico’s educational and cultural radio and TV stations, and the Federation of French Alliances of Mexico. This agreement was signed during a session with the remote participation of Fernando Sánchez Mejorada and Azucena Pimentel, respectively the outgoing president and new president of RED México, as well as Clémence Mayoral, coordinator of the Federation of French Alliances of Mexico.

This agreement makes available to RED México the original bilingual series of initiation to the French language of RFI “Parlez-vous Paris?” and “Les voisins du 12 bis“, adapted for Spanish speakers, and grants their broadcast on the airwaves of the network radios wishing to program them. These original series, produced by the “Langue française” service of RFI and which are part of the offer “Easy French with RFI“, and the dedicated teaching materials (teaching sheets, self-correcting exercises, comic strips, etc.) can also be used in classes by the thirty or so Alliances Françaises in Mexico, an observer member country of the OIF.

The second is a bilateral framework agreement between the Association of University Radios of Mexico (RRUM), represented remotely by its president Sandra Fernández Alaniz , and France Médias Monde.

This agreement aims to increase collaboration between RFI and the 22 university radio stations that are part of this network, several of which already broadcast RFI programs in Spanish in Mexico. It is intended to facilitate training and exchange projects between Mexican university radio stations and RFI, as well as to strengthen the promotion of the “RFI Award for reporting in Spanish”, which celebrated its 10th edition in 2024, among Mexican Universities.

Thanks in particular to these agreements and an active partnership policy, Mexico now constitutes RFI’s third largest listener base, and the Latin American country in which RFI has the largest number of partner radio stations that broadcast its content.

Image: Marie Christine Saragosse and Blanca Jiménez Cisneros at the signing of framework agreements, courtesy France Médias Monde

85 Years of ABC International

4 December 2024

85 Years of ABC International

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) celebrates 85 years as Australia’s trusted international voice.

On 20 December 1939, just after the start of WWII, Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies launched ABC Radio Australia, then called Australian Calling, to counter disinformation and propaganda from enemy forces. Since then, ABC International has undergone many changes. Today, it is engaging audiences in Asia and the Pacific and supporting media across the region through the work of two teams – ABC International Services and ABC International Development.

ABC Radio Australia and international television service ABC Australia reach nearly 11 million people each month and digital platforms ABC Pacific and ABC Asia are also experiencing rapid growth. Meanwhile, media capacity building activities, funded by the Australian Government through DFAT and managed by ABC International Development, continue to expand, promoting public interest journalism in the Asia Pacific.

As part of the birthday celebrations, ABC International has launched an interactive storytelling platform, the Indo-Pacific Media Map, which portrays the ABC’s activities, audiences and impact across the region.

This week, international audiences will also enjoy special birthday content on ABC Pacific, ABC Asia and ABC Radio Australia, including ABC Radio Australia Nesia Daily presenters Jacob McQuire and Michael Chow interviewing iconic former ABC Radio Australia identities and unearthing some of the biggest moments from the past 85 years of programming and an in-depth digital feature delving into ABC International’s fascinating past.

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said: “I am incredibly proud of ABC International’s legacy as the trusted and independent Australian voice for 85 years in the Asia Pacific region. As we take this moment to reflect on our journey, we also look to the future as we continue to grow our international audiences and deepen our connections, championing regional storytelling and a robust and independent media landscape.”

EXPLORE THE INDO-PACIFIC MEDIA MAP

Take a journey through the media landscape of Asia and the Pacific using our interactive platform, the Indo-Pacific Media Map, and discover the depth and impact of the ABC’s international activities: https://indopacificmediamap.abc.net.au/