15 May 2006
In observance of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, RFE/RL held a roundtable discussion in which three experts gave their assessments of the media in post-Soviet countries. All three agreed that press freedom in this region, with only a few exceptions, has declined in the past year.
Chris Walker, Director of Studies at Freedom House, noted that “independent media [in the former USSR] is under assault.” Press freedoms in this region, in general, have eroded, Walker said, citing the results of a recently-released Freedom House survey that found the media in 10 of 12 countries of the former USSR to be “not free.” Five of these saw further erosions of press freedom in 2005 — and only two, Georgia and Ukraine, improved enough to be categorized as “partly free,” according to the annual “Freedom of the Press” study. Walker called for “keeping lifelines open,” to help journalists who are “under siege” in these countries.
RFE/RL analyst Daniel Kimmage said that the key problem in Central Asia is “distribution and access to information” by non-state media. According to Kimmage, the worst media environments are found in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, where the government controls all local media. The situation is only slightly better in the remaining three countries. In Kazakhstan, independent media exists, but has little penetration outside the capital. In Tajikistan a small group of independent newspapers exists, but the state controls all television broadcasts. In the wake of the Tulip Revolution, Kyrgyzstan’s media experienced a degree of liberalization, Kimmage said, but such freedoms have since eroded.
Robert Orttung, Associate Research Professor at the Transnational Crime and Corruption Center at American University, said that “broadcast media at the national level in Russia shows increasing state control.” Using the state energy monopoly Gazprom, Orttung said, the Russia government is increasingly taking ownership of media outlets. News and information programs have been replaced with entertainment, and Orttung noted that an “informal self-censorship” now exists — “journalists know what the lines are.” Three state-controlled television networks supply the news to 79 percent of the Russian population, according to Orttung, who noted that “A weekly meeting in Moscow provides guidance” to the networks in their coverage and that the “Chechen war is the most sensitive [topic].” The press and radio enjoy “some independence,” said Orttung, who added that there is still a “variety of coverage” by media at the regional level — a situation Orttung expects will change as Russia’s 2007-2008 election cycles approach.
Each of the speakers noted the growing influence of the Internet throughout the post-Sovieet countries. In Russia, “with ten percent of the population on-line,” blogging has opened up new avenues for civic participation at a local level, according to Orttung. Despite the fact that Internet usage remains relatively low, particularly in Central Asia, Kimmage says that the Internet is the “primary alternative media for Central Asia.”
15 May 2006
Worldspace, Inc., one of the world leaders in satellite-based digital radio services, today reported its financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2006.
Worldspace finished the first quarter of 2006 with 153,437 subscribers. The Company added 38,131 subscribers in the first quarter of 2006, an increase of 109% over the 18,233 subscribers added in same quarter of 2005. In India, the Company had 111,723 subscribers at the end of the first quarter of 2006, up 50% from 74,574 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2005 and a five-fold increase from 21,730 at the end of the first quarter of 2005.
At the end of the first quarter of 2006, Worldspace had rolled out its satellite radio services in ten cities in India — Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and Kolkata, India’s second largest city, which was launched in February 2006.
WorldSpace’s market distribution is now available to a population of nearly 63 million, including nearly 35 million people in the three market segments targeted by the Company.
“We are continuing to focus very closely on driving subscriber growth, especially in India, as we expand our services to more cities, ensure the availability of our products at more retailers and upgrade our content and products,” said Noah Samara, chairman and chief executive officer, Worldspace. “We are launching more cities and creating innovative special promotions that are driving strong revenue growth. We are confident that we have taken the necessary steps in terms of management changes, enhanced visibility, expanded marketing alliances and improved products that will enable us both to grow and retain subscribers to our ever-expanding unique and exciting content.”
Separately, Worldspace announced today the appointments of Gregory B. Armstrong and Alexander Brown as co-Chief Operating Officers of the Company.
8 May 2006
The first Arab Broadcast Forum, the most important gathering to date in the Arab world of regional and international broadcast news journalists and executives, will take place on June 4 and 5 at the Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi. The inaugural event, hosted by Al Arabiya News Channel and Abu Dhabi TV, will be announced today at a press conference and will provide a global forum for hundreds of news professionals to discuss the most powerful issues in the Arab media.
The Arab Broadcast Forum will provide a dynamic interactive forum where broadcast news professionals, journalists and political leaders can exchange views, ideas and experiences. We will engage in in-depth and thought-provoking debate from the beginning and we invite all media in the region to participate in this industry first, says Jim Gold, Managing Director of the Arab Broadcast Forum.
Leading executives from top Arab and global broadcasters have defined a content-rich agenda that will shape the perceptions and behaviour of the Arab media in the 21st century. The interactive forum will address: – Embedded in Danger: The continuing dangers of covering Iraq; – New Technology and Citizen Journalism: How does it affect Arab news broadcasters; – Technological Minaret: How media savvy Islamicists reach new audiences by using all aspects of the media; – Women & Arab Media: A look at how women are faring in the Arab broadcast news media; – Lost in Translation: How global broadcasters are now focusing on reaching the Arab viewer and a look at the new players; – Thinking Global/Reporting Local: Do Arab broadcasters focus too heavily on pan-Arab and international issues to avoid covering local stories?; – Arab Perceptions of the West: Results of a major new comprehensive study are released.
Jihad Ballout, Director of Communications at Al Arabiya adds: The forum is a vital opportunity to promote the rise of investigative journalism and technological advancement of the Arab media, while addressing the challenges of transparency and risks in reporting the truth. Debate will challenge perceptions and ultimately drive change towards more professional, balanced reporting.
We believe the Arab Broadcast Forum is needed in this region, says Nart Bouran, head of news at Abu Dhabi TV. The revolution in news broadcasting on the Arab airwaves has been remarkable in the past 15 years and its now time for the industry and its leaders to look back, take a hard look at where weve come and how we can all improve over the next 15 years.
8 May 2006
Al Jazeera International, the 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel, headquartered in Doha, announced that Divya Gopalan and Hamish MacDonald have joined the channels team of on-screen talent.
Divya and Hamish will be the channels weekend news anchors for Al Jazeera Internationals Kuala Lumpur broadcast centre, one of four regional broadcast centres strategically placed around the world in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC. They join the award winning weekday news anchors Veronica Pedrosa and Teymoor Nabili, formerly of CNN International and CNBC Asia respectively.
Divya brings the channel over 10 years experience in international journalism including roles with BBC News, CNN and American networks NBC and CNBC. Hamish meanwhile joins Al Jazeera International from the UKs Channel 4 News where he built a career as a news producer and reporter covering a range of international stories.
Nigel Parsons, Managing Director of Al Jazeera International said, I am pleased to confirm our weekend presenters who bring a dynamic approach to news reporting in keeping with the channels aim of bringing a fresh perspective on world news while maintaining the highest journalistic standards.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to be part of Al Jazeera International. I’m looking forward to the challenge of helping shape what I believe will be this century’s defining news station,” said Divya Gopalan.
“I am hugely excited to be joining Al Jazeera International. This truly is a dream job and I am honoured to be part of an on-air team which includes the likes of Sir David Frost, Veronica Pedrosa and Riz Khan,” said Hamish MacDonald.
“Working on the Asia pacific patch for Al Jazeera International is an enormous opportunity for me and I am looking forward to the challenge of producing distinctive journalism which is meaningful to people living both inside and outside of this region, he continued.
At the BBC Divya worked on daily news and current affairs programmes such as Hard Talk. Her portfolio included major news stories such as the Iraq war, the Asian Tsunami, the Bali and London bombings. She also covered the 1997 Hong Kong handover for NBC and at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival interviewed Palm Dor winner for best actress Maggie Cheung and best director nominee Wong Kar Wai. Divya was the first ethnic Indian newsreader on Hong Kong television.
Starting her on-air career as a sports reporter, Divya interviewed some of the biggest names in the sporting world like tennis stars Steffi Graf, the Williams sisters, Anna Kournikova, F1 star Jensen Button, and International soccer players including Gianfranco Zola and Andy Cole.
Divya has a truly global background, she is of Indian origin and was born in Hong Kong. She was also brought up in the Philippines, educated in North America and spent five years living and working in London and is fluent in four languages.
Hamish has covered major stories at Channel 4 including the Asian Tsunami and the London bombings. He reported live for Channel 4 and ITV news and reported as an eyewitness for Australian Networks 9, 7 and ABC.
He began his TV career with WIN television in Canberra as a politics reporter and presenter. From there he moved to the UK and freelanced for a short period, before joining the Channel 4 news team as a producer.
Hamish trained in journalism at Charles University in Australia and began his career as a Talk Radio presenter and newsreader on Radio 2BS Gold. He is the first Australian news anchor to join the Al Jazeera International news line-up of on-screen talent.
8 May 2006
Independent media in the countries of the former Soviet Union, already operating under extreme duress, came under further assault over the course of the last year. The political, legal, and economic environments in most of the non-Baltic former Soviet countries remain distinctly inhospitable to independent journalism.
This reality is reflected in ‘Freedom Of The Press 2006,’ the latest edition of Freedom House’s annual global survey of media independence. Ten of the 12 Soviet countries are ranked ‘Not Free’ in the new edition of the survey. Of the 10 Not Free countries, five saw a further erosion in their performance over the course of last year.
Of the 12 non-Baltic former Soviet states only Georgia and Ukraine, which are categorised as ‘Partly Free,’ escape the Not Free designation. No country in the region achieves the designation of ‘Free.’ The degree to which each country permits the free flow of information determines the classification of its media as ‘Free,’ ‘Partly Free,’ or ‘Not Free.’
The downward trend was particularly evident in countries with regimes that place a premium on controlling the airwaves. Among the Not Free states, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan experienced declines. Uzbekistan and Russia suffered the most dramatic backslide.
Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
8 May 2006
The ABU has announced the appointment of a senior Japanese broadcaster as the new Director of its Programme Department. He is Tatsuya Nakamura, currently working as an Executive Producer with NHK International Inc.
Mr Nakamura, 53, will be joining the ABU Secretariat, which is based in Kuala Lumpur, in early June.
He will be responsible for the overall management and supervision of the Programme Department, preparing its annual activity plan and budget, and advising the Secretary-General on programme matters, among other things.
Mr Nakamuras career with NHK-Japan spans over 30 years – and among his earliest positions with the public broadcaster was as Programme Director for an overseas shortwave radio service for Radio Japan.
He rose through the ranks, working in various NHK departments as well as affiliate companies before being promoted to his current position in June 2003.
On working with the ABU, Mr Nakamura said: I have been working for the broadcasting industry for almost 30 years and was able to gain a lot of expertise in this field. I firmly believe that broadcasters have a great responsibility in creating cultures based on the latest technologies.
I am confident I will be able to contribute effectively as the ABU meets the challenges of our rapidly changing media world. I like taking up challenges and the new post at the ABU is another big challenge to me.
The Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) is a member of ABU.
