ABC brings home a swag of awards from New York Festivals

26 April 2023

ABC brings home a swag of awards from New York Festivals

ABC content has proven itself to be world class with its screen programmes taking home a number of wins including five gold awards at the 2023 New York Festival Awards.

Factual programmes and the ABC’s in house creative agency ABC Made were the big winners, with Catalyst specials taking home 3 awards and the ABC 90 Years campaign awarded two gold awards.

The two-part Catalyst special Keep on Dancing was awarded a gold in the Health/Medical Information category. The heart-warming special formed part of our ABC Your Move programming and followed a group of over 65’s as they attempted to slow the effects of aging through dance.

Catalyst’s Miracle Babies: Operation Hope was awarded gold in the Health/ Medical Information category. The program took an intimate look at the awe-inspiring world of fetal surgery in a story of hope and trailblazing medicine as parents face agonising decisions about their baby’s future.

Creative National Science Week Catalyst special Australia’s Favourite Tree was awarded a silver award in the Environment & Ecology category. The programme profiled Australia’s unique tree species and saw 270,000 votes cast to determine which tree was Australia’s favourite.

The latest iteration of the incredibly successful social experiment, Old People’s Home for Teenagers also took home a gold award in the Social Issues category adding to the programmes impressive run at home and on the world stage.

This season saw the uplifting series swap pre-schoolers for teenagers to see if they could transform the lives of older people and teenagers amid an epidemic of loneliness.

Of the awards, Richard Huddleston, ABC Acting Head of Factual and Culture said “I am delighted to see our content being recognised at such a prestigious global event. These awards are a testament to the quality of Australian storytelling and an acknowledgement of the creativity and passion that our teams pour into their work.”

The ABC’s brand campaign for our ABC 90 celebration was awarded two gold awards in the Station/Image Promotion and Station/Network ID categories.

Produced in-house by the ABC’s creative agency ABC Made, the campaign was filmed in four locations across Australia with ninety people in each location performing the iconic Bruce Woodley AO and Dobe Newton song, I am Australian.

ABC Director Audiences Leisa Bacon described the campaign as “A true celebration of our commitment to connecting Australians for the last 90 Years.”

The New York Festivals Radio Awards saw podcasts Pink Diamond Heist, Let Us In! and Beauty Queens Who Want to Save the World all recognised as finalists.

BBC World Service commissions Fukushima audio drama

26 April 2023

BBC World Service commissions Fukushima audio drama

BBC World Service has announced that it has commissioned Fukushima, a new seven-part drama series exploring the 2011 nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan.

In March 2011, the largest earthquake ever recorded in Japan’s history triggered a tsunami which sent five to ten metre waves into coastal towns and cities, killing thousands.

Water barrelled over the seawall protecting the Fukushima nuclear power plant, flooding its basements and cutting power. It led to the world’s most severe nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

The stricken power plant became a ticking timebomb, a threat to life in Japan and beyond. As the energy company and politicians in Tokyo lost control, the reactors became unstable and a “suicide squad” of older workers was sent inside.

Akiko is a journalism student who, 10 years after the disaster, goes in search of the story behind the headlines, of how it unfolded and the consequences for the country.

Simon Pitts, Commissioning Editor, BBC World Service English, says: “Fukushima is a compelling drama that powerfully explores the 2011 disaster.

“Through the eyes of a young journalist the story follows events as they unfold, and interrogates the aftermath and the lasting effects. We’re thrilled to have a cast of brilliant and accomplished actors and crew to bring the story to life, and look forward to sharing Fukushima with our listeners across the world.”

Fukushima is narrated by twice Golden Globe nominated actress Romola Garai, and stars Togo Igawa, Ami Okumura Jones and Eiji Mihari.

It was written by Adrian Penket and produced by Toby Swift and Sasha Yevtushenko. It was commissioned by Simon Pitts for the BBC World Service.

Fukushima premieres on Monday 15 May 2023 and each 30 minute episode will premiere weekly thereafter on BBC Sounds as well as other podcast platforms. There are seven episodes. For more information visit: www.bbcworldservice.com/fukushima

It will broadcast as a radio series on the BBC World Service weekly from Wednesday 31 May at 1030 GMT.

Sudan civil war brings communications to near collapse

26 April 2023

Sudan civil war brings communications to near collapse

As the civil war increased in intensity in Sudan, communications including mobile phones and Internet connectivity all but collapsed on 23 April. Sudan’s media blamed the disruption to fuel supplies caused by the fighting. In many parts of Africa, mobile operators and ISPs rely on diesel generators to power their masts and data centres as the electricity grid can often be unreliable (for example, one broadcaster in Nigeria spends US$30-50k a month on fuel for its TV transmitters).

In addition to the fuel issue, it was reported that the fibre connection to one of the country’s principal ISPs was cut by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

According to monitoring group NetBlocks, internet connectivity was partially restored, but it is likely that if fighting continues, it will remain challenging to access the web.

The challenges with Internet connectivity have meant that access to news and information from Sudan’s broadcasters, and from those outside the country, has been impaired. This shows, in the AIB’s view, the need for a mixed approach to content distribution, including the retention and use of traditional transmission technology to reach audiences at times of natural or man-made disasters.

Broadcasters that operate Arabic-language programming delivered on short wave that are likely to be receivable in some or all of Sudan include:

Adventist World Radio
All India Radio
BSKSA
China Radio International
Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporation
IRIB
Madagascar World
Radio Akhbar Mufriha
Radio Algiers
Radio Bangladesh
Radio Cairo
Radio Dabanga

Radio Dushanbe
Radio Exterior de Espana
Radio Kuwait
Radio Romania International
Radio Sawa
Radio Tamazuj
Radio Vatican
Trans World Radio
TRT
Voice of Indonesia
Voice of Korea
Voice of Nigeria

Jazeera heads back to Doha as Buzzfeed cans news

25 April 2023

Jazeera heads back to Doha as Buzzfeed cans news

According to the Guardian newspaper, the London broadcast centre of Al Jazeera English is to close. Programming will move to Doha, the Qatari capital. The London operation, located in the Shard skyscraper in the city (pictured), currently produces news bulletins between 1900 and 2300 GMT. The Guardian quotes an email sent to staff by Al Jazeera English managing director Giles Trendle in which he says staff producing live output will be offered the opportunity to relocate to Doha.

Al Jazeera English pioneered the concept of rolling newsrooms producing blocks of output. The original idea was that the day would be split into four, with output coming from broadcast centres in Kuala Lumpur, London, Washington DC and Doha. The KL and Washington output has been scaled back over the past few years with just London producing a block of content.

The Guardian believes that the London newsroom will remain in operation feeding into the main newsroom in Doha. It is unclear whether this withdrawal from London is a cost-cutting exercise or part of a reassessment of the best way for Al Jazeera English to operate in an increasingly competitive media marketplace.

Meanwhile Buzzfeed is adding to the woes of journalists as it is closing its advertising-supported news operation. Instead, it will concentrate its news operation through the Huffington Post that it acquired from Verizon Media in 2021. It is likely that the audiences for Buzzfeed News and HuffPost are different and it will remain to be seen if the Buzzfeed audience migrates to HuffPost.

For journalists at Buzzfeed news, the future does not look bright as founder Jonah Peretti announced that the company would seek to make substantial redundancies.

This contraction in the English-language online news space could be a blessing for other newcomers, like Semafor that wants to become a major player in global digital news. It may also help established broadcasters with significant online presence as users search for an alternative to Buzzfeed beyond HuffPost.

VOA names new Latin America Division Director

21 April 2023

VOA names new Latin America Division Director

The Voice of America has selected Sandra Thomas-Esquivel as the new director of its Latin America Division, providing news and information to audiences throughout Latin America as threats to freedom of expression, political instability, drug trafficking, organized crime, violence and corruption continue to plague the region.

A native of Mexico City, Thomas-Esquivel has extensive experience in leading complex news teams and has dedicated the last 25 years of her career in television and journalism to serving the Latino community in the U.S. and Latin America. As Univision’s Senior Director of Local and Affiliate News, she supported strategic initiatives for all Univision Television Group news departments across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. As Vice President of News for Telemundo 39 in Dallas, she oversaw the station’s news department as well as local productions across multimedia platforms. As Telemundo Network News Bureau Chief for Mexico and Central America in Mexico City, she led a team of correspondents, producers and video crews. She joined Voice of America in 2019 as chief of the Spanish language service.

In 1994, Thomas-Esquivel received an Emmy® from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for a network special about poverty-stricken Latino children in the U.S., and in 2005, the California Chicano News Media Association honored her for her career achievements in broadcasting and for her many years of mentoring young journalists. That same year, she received the “Trailblazer Award” from American Women in Radio and Television.

She holds a master’s degree in international journalism from the University of Southern California and Bachelor of Arts degrees in journalism and radio, television and film from the Instituto Latinoamericano de Comunicación Educativa (ILCE-UNESCO) and the University of Maryland.

“We’re excited to see Sandra permanently appointed to the position of Latin America Division Director, as she has been in this role for a while in an acting capacity,” said Acting VOA Director Yolanda Lόpez. “She has excelled in guiding VOA’s activities in the very diverse Latin America media market and advancing her division’s relationship with the large number of VOA’s affiliate stations in the region.”

Sandra Thomas-Esquivel’s appointment is effective as of April 23, 2023.

[Source: VOA press release]

RTÉ appoints Kevin Bakhurst as next Director General

19 April 2023

RTÉ appoints Kevin Bakhurst as next Director General

Ireland’s public broadcaster RTÉ has announced the appointment of Kevin Bakhurst as its next Director General following an extensive and competitive recruitment process which was managed by the RTÉ Board. Kevin Bakhurst will replace Dee Forbes as Director General of RTÉ when her term comes to an end on 11th July this year.

Kevin Bakhurst was previously Managing Director of News & Current Affairs at RTÉ and Deputy Director General from September 2012 – October 2016. He was also a member of the RTÉ Executive throughout this period and served as acting Director General for a six-month period.

Commenting on his appointment, Kevin Bakhurst said:“I am honoured and delighted to take up the role of Director General. RTÉ playsa central role in Irish life and has brilliant people dedicated to delivering great and trusted content for audiences. RTÉ faces huge challenges and global competition, and I am confident we can deliver the ambitious change needed to remain valued and relevant to our audiences. I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Prior to re-joining RTÉ, Kevin Bakhurst was Group Director, Broadcasting and Online at Ofcom where he was a member of Ofcom Board. Kevin’s responsibilities included setting Broadcast Strategy and Policy for UK broadcasting regulation, creating and implementing the framework for regulating the BBC, enforcing and developing editorial standards for UK broadcasters and leading work on the future of UK Public Service Broadcasting which has led directly to new government legislation. He has led Ofcom’s work on the UK’s new Online Safety Policy and built a team of around 350 to deliver it, including a new data and technology team, and in the process shaping the overall transformation of Ofcom to take on the new duties.

Between 2006 and 2012, Kevin Bakhurst held a range of senior editorial positions at the BBC, including Controller, BBC News Channel and Deputy Head, BBC Newsroom from 2005. He was also a member of the BBC’s London 2012 Olympics Steering Committee.

As Director General of RTÉ, Kevin Bakhurst will be required to take the organisation forward in a rapidly evolving media landscape, while ensuring RTÉ’s valued place in public life in Ireland.

RTÉ will confirm Kevin Bakhurst’s official start date as Director General of RTÉ in due course.

Commenting on the appointment of Kevin Bakhurst, RTÉ Chairperson, Siún Ní Raghallaigh said: “I’m delighted to welcome today’s announcement of the appointment of Kevin Bakhurst as the new Director General of RTÉ. The appointment follows a competitive recruitment process, with Kevin as the unanimous choice of the RTÉ Board. Kevin brings an exceptional breadth of industry experience, great leadership skills and a passionate commitment to the development of public service broadcasting in all its forms. Kevin’s appointment comes at time of opportunity and change for RTÉ. With my fellow Board members, I look forward to working with Kevin in our shared commitment to a thriving and financially sustainable RTÉ.”