United Kingdom becomes co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition

17 February 2026

United Kingdom becomes co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition

The United Kingdom has been announced as the new co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), a global partnership of 51 countries working together to promote press freedom at home and abroad.

The United Kingdom will officially take over the co-chair role on 1st March 2026 and will serve as co-chair for a two-year term alongside Finland, which became co-chair in July 2025. The UK succeeds Germany, which has been MFC co-chair since January 2024.

The UK, alongside Canada, co-founded the Coalition in 2019 and then served as inaugural co-chair until late 2021. Over four years later, the UK returns as co-chair with the Coalition having expanded its membership, range of activities, and impact. Through the Media Freedom Coalition, member countries work together in partnership with civil society and legal experts to support MFC members and other countries to strengthen media freedom globally and in their jurisdictions, including through reforming laws to better protect journalists and media workers.

The UK would like to place on record its thanks to Germany as joint co-chairs in helping the coalition step up its response to the multiple issues threatening global public interest media today. While co-chair, the UK will work alongside Finland to guide an MFC that partners with members and interested countries, to strengthen approaches to media freedom.

To do so, it will utilise the coalition’s collective expertise to help nations find ways to support a viable public interest media, navigate the opportunities and risks that stem from new technology, and tackle the specific challenges facing women journalists.

The UK will also seek to raise the coalition’s profile, expand and strengthen its work by including new voices, strengthen the sharing of expertise, and support timely, effective advocacy.

The British Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, formally accepted the co-chairship from her German counterpart Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the Munich Security Conference.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Elina Valtonen was also present for the handover.

The Coalition’s 2024 annual report highlighted that the MFC has acted on 22 cases of journalists at risk during 2024, while embassies of MFC members had spoken out on a further 15 cases. The report also highlighted 123 actions by MFC member embassies around the world, such as visiting imprisoned journalists, providing funding, and organising events.

To deliver its mission , the Coalition works closely with a group of the world’s leading press freedom and media support organisations (the Consultative Network – of which the AIB is a member), a group of leading lawyers and judges from around the world (the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom), and international organisations including UNESCO. The Coalition is supported by a dedicated staff team (the MFC Secretariat).

Image: Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany (left), Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland (centre), and Yvette Cooper British Foreign Secretary (right); credit: Ben Dance / UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

World Radio Day 2026: Radio’s Enduring Power in a Changing World

13 February 2026

World Radio Day 2026: Radio’s Enduring Power in a Changing World

13 February marks World Radio Day 2026 – a moment to celebrate the world’s oldest electronic mass medium and its extraordinary resilience.

As the AIB noted in its special publication marking World Radio Day a decade ago, radio is both a cultural force and a global industry – a medium that touches billions every day and generating tens of billions of dollars in revenue worldwide. That fundamental strength has not diminished. If anything, radio’s importance has grown.

Across continents, radio remains:

The most accessible medium – free-to-air, affordable, and available on devices from battery-powered receivers to smartphones
A lifeline in emergencies – from earthquakes and cyclones to conflict zones, where mobile networks fail but radio continues
A trusted source of news – particularly in fragile or restricted media environments
A driver of social cohesion – creating shared national conversations and community connection

Today, radio is delivered across AM, FM, DAB/DAB+, satellite and IP platforms, with streaming and on-demand audio expanding reach to new generations. Yet the core strength remains unchanged: intimacy, immediacy and human connection.

The numbers tell the story

The BBC World Service reports a weekly global audience of over 200 million across platforms, with radio continuing to account for a substantial share of its reach.
Radio France Internationale (RFI) reaches tens of millions of listeners worldwide each week, particularly across Africa where FM partnerships and digital streaming extend its footprint.
In many countries, weekly radio reach remains above 80–90% of the adult population, demonstrating sustained mass appeal.
Industry data consistently shows radio as one of the most trusted news sources globally.

AIB members: Innovating while preserving reach

AIB members continue to demonstrate radio’s adaptability:

Expanding FM networks across Africa and Asia to strengthen local access.
Deploying portable transmission systems and “radio-in-a-box” solutions in crisis environments.
Integrating IP streaming, mobile apps and social media interaction to complement terrestrial broadcasting.
Delivering educational programming, youth engagement initiatives and multilingual services for international audiences.

From global broadcasters to regional and community stations, AIB members ensure that radio remains both technologically modern and socially essential.

Radio’s second century

As we move further into radio’s second century, its hybrid future is clear: terrestrial broadcasting and IP distribution will coexist, reinforcing resilience, reach and relevance.

On World Radio Day 2026, the AIB salutes presenters, producers, engineers, editors, correspondents, technologists, regulators and listeners everywhere.

Radio remains innovative. Radio remains trusted. Radio remains indispensable.

Trailblazing surgeon Professor Kelvin Kong delivers 2026 Wang Gungwu Lecture

12 February 2026

Trailblazing surgeon Professor Kelvin Kong delivers 2026 Wang Gungwu Lecture

Surgical pioneer Professor Kelvin Kong AM presents the 2026 Wang Gungwu Lecture, premiering on Friday 20 February at 8:00pm AEDT on ABC Australia and ABC iview.

In its fifth year, the annual Wang Gungwu Lecture celebrates the contributions of inspiring Chinese Australians to business, science, politics, education, sport and culture.

Professor Kong is a proud Worimi man of Chinese Malaysian heritage and recognised as Australia’s first Indigenous surgeon. He has dedicated his life to improving the health of others through his work in paediatric and adult otolaryngology, head and neck surgery and his distinguished career spans medicine and policy development with a focus on improving health outcomes for Indigenous communities.

In an uplifting address delivered at Parliament House’s Great Hall in Canberra, Kong honours the sacrifices of his Chinese ancestors who endured war and poverty and his Aboriginal family members who faced structural barriers and policies of exclusion.

Kong also addresses the ongoing challenges faced by Chinese and First Nations peoples who experience racism, microaggressions and assumptions around identity, and reflects on his own experiences navigating his identity and a sense of belonging.

“I’m so humbled by this,” Professor Kong said upon finding out he had been offered to deliver this year’s lecture. “There are so many amazing Chinese Australians in this country that I put on a pedestal and I’m probably sitting on the bottom of that list, so to think that I’m worthy of a conversation makes me extremely honoured.”

Minister for International Development, Minister for Small Business and Minister for Multicultural Affairs, the Hon. Dr. Anne Aly said, Chinese-Australians are the largest multicultural community in the country. Spanning many generations, languages and origins, contributing to every aspect of Australian society.

“Our national story weaves ancient songlines and migrant journeys, with inspiring Australians such as Professor Kelvin Kong AM bringing that story to life. As a Worimi man of Malaysian Chinese heritage, he embodies the intersection of histories that have shaped this country and demonstrates how diversity strengthens our institutions and our shared sense of purpose.”

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said, “We are delighted to be bringing Professor Kong’s story to audiences in Australia and to the Asia Pacific across our ABC TV, digital and social platforms, celebrating a unique First Nations and Chinese migrant experience. This is our fifth year of working with the National Foundation of Australia China Relations in producing the Wang Gungwu lecture. It’s a productive partnership which provides a vehicle for us to tell the story of modern Australia to audiences across our region.”

Chair of the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations and the lecture’s host Marina Go AM, said “Professor Kong is an inspiration. He brings to his lecture his skill as a surgeon, a sense of awe at the gift of hearing, and authenticity as a storyteller. As he highlights in his own life the extraordinary contributions of both Chinese-Australians and the Traditional Owners, he brings us together as a nation”.

About the Wang Gungwu Lecture

The annual Wang Gungwu Lecture, named after eminent Chinese historian Professor Wang Gungwu AO, CBE, celebrates the substantial and longstanding contributions of Chinese Australians to Australia’s national story.

The Lecture is a partnership between ABC International and the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, an initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Previous speakers have included Olympic diving champion Melissa Wu OLY, business leader Ming Long AM, Australian Children’s Laureate and author/illustrator Gabrielle Wang, and former Australian of the Year and paediatrician Dr John Yu AC.

Where to watch:

The 2026 Wang Gungwu Lecture will premiere on ABC Australia and ABC iview at 8:00pm AEDT on Friday 20 February.
It will also be available on demand via ABC Asia from 9:00am AEDT on Saturday 21 February.

Australia mandates AI disclosure for radio

11 February 2026

Australia mandates AI disclosure for radio

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has registered updated rules for commercial radio broadcasters that include new requirements for content broadcast around school drop-off and pick-up times, and also for disclosing artificial intelligence use.

Under the Commercial Radio Code of Practice 2026, radio stations will be required to let their audience know when a synthetic voice is being used to host a regularly scheduled program or news broadcast. This is the first time AI has been addressed in a broadcasting code of practice.

Broadcasters will also have to give special care when airing content between 8-9am and 3-4pm on school days, when children are more likely to be listening.

ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said the new rules would allow audiences to make more informed decisions about their listening habits: “Broadcasting rules must keep pace with technology and with community expectations. AI is a powerful tool that offers a lot of innovation for broadcasters.

“However, listeners want greater transparency about when AI is being used. We welcome the commitments by the radio industry to address listener concerns.

“Listeners are also worried about inappropriate content at peak travel times when families listen together.

“These new rules set clear time windows where broadcasters must consider whether their content is suitable for children, giving parents and carers greater confidence when tuning in.”

The revised code, which was developed by industry group Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA), also includes strengthened provisions around corrections for errors in news coverage and greater transparency in complaints reporting.

A significant number of submissions to the review called for strengthened rules around the broadcasting of Australian music. The new code includes changes to the station categories that determine how much Australian music must be played to better reflect contemporary broadcasting practices and music genres.

The ACMA will be working closely with CRA and the commercial radio industry over the coming 12 months to ensure stations are applying the new categories correctly and meet their longstanding Australian music obligations, including in relation to new Australian music.

As with all the provisions in the code, the ACMA expects that licensees with comply with their obligations to broadcast Australian music.

“Commercial radio is an integral part of Australia’s media landscape and these rules will help strengthen trust between broadcasters and their audiences.

“We would also like to see broadcasters voluntarily extend the code safeguards to content available on their on-demand streaming services. If they do not, we expect that new regulations may need to be put in place so that listeners know what to expect no matter how they tune in,” Ms O’Loughlin said.

The Commercial Radio Code of Practice 2026 will come into effect from 1 July 2026.

Global Media Security: Tim Davie and Fiona Crack speak about the BBC World Service

10 February 2026

Global Media Security: Tim Davie and Fiona Crack speak about the BBC World Service

Speaking at Global Media Security and Innovation 2026 event organised by the BBC World Service, BBC Director-General Tim Davie emphasised the World Service’s growing importance in times of insecurity and instability and urged the UK government to back the World Service.

BBC News Global Director Fiona Crack pressed the case for innovation, investment, and urgent intervention in the distribution space.

Both speeches can be read here: Tim-Davie&Fiona-Crack-GlobalMediaSecuritySpeeches.

Greeting the participants at the event, which focused on overcoming barriers to open and free media and discussed new ways of providing reliable content to global audiences, Tim Davie said:

“Media security means two things: the ability to produce journalism and the means to deliver it. For BBC journalism to thrive, and to be useful for people around the world, they need to have access to it. There is little point in producing world class journalism if people cannot read, see and hear it.

“This conversation comes at a critical time for the BBC. We’re in the middle of a discussion about the BBC’s future as part of the process of reviewing our Royal Charter. The BBC World Service is front and centre of that debate. Today it remains the most trusted international news provider around the world. Across 43 languages, it’s thanks to the World Service that BBC News reaches 418 million people on average every week.

“I have often talked about the growing importance of the BBC World Service in times of insecurity and instability. People in all corners of the globe depend increasingly on our ability to reach them with independent, impartial, accurate journalism they can trust. So as part of Charter review, we’re making the case for a strong BBC World Service that’s fit for the future.

“In the meantime, the current funding arrangement with the Foreign Office runs out at the end of March. Seven weeks today. We’re waiting to hear the outcome of the settlement. But while we do, other Western news organisations are cutting their international reporting teams, disinformation is flooding the digital sphere at an incredible speed, and state-backed media firms are using AI to promote propaganda.

“We have no time to lose. As a country, we face big decisions about our role in the international arena.

“I urge the government to back the World Service, to act decisively and confidently about what we can achieve in this space, and to act soon… So that amid all the global uncertainty, audiences can continue to rely on our journalism – the very best the UK has to offer.”

Fiona Crack, Global Director, BBC News said:

“If trusted news is the frontline in a war against disinformation, we are face to face with the enemy. And to be fit for this fight, we need to innovate and invest in our technological armour. Distribution and media security is an area that has always been a strength for the UK; we are building on a history of integrity and trust. But the world order is rapidly changing.”

She added: “How we reach our audiences is under considerable strain. Instances of hostile interference are climbing. The BBC is blocked, jammed, throttled or subject to shutdowns in an escalating number of countries. Only last month, when confronted with civil unrest, the Iranian regime enforced a total internet blackout. This is a problem on the rise.”

She concluded by saying: “It is our greatest duty to serve those in greatest need. As the largest and most trusted international news provider, the BBC World Service can play a unique role in helping to bring media security to countries and populations globally – but we can only do so with an industry-wide response and the right long-term investment in circumvention. Let me be clear, creating enhanced routes to audiences is no longer a desirable outcome. It is business critical. The risks of not doing so are far too great.”

NHK WORLD-JAPAN’s focus in February is Hokkaido

4 February 2026

NHK WORLD-JAPAN’s focus in February is Hokkaido

Focus on Hokkaido

Trouble in Paradise: Okhotsk Encounters Climate Change February 28 Sat. 1:10/7:10/13:10/19:10 (UTC) Disruptions to Shiretoko Peninsula’s ecosystem are altering its balance. Sea ice is diminishing, as are trout and salmon. Ultra-high-resolution video reveals the changes.
The Imperial Palace February 21 Sat. 1:10/7:10/13:10/19:10 (UTC) The Imperial Palace of Japan showcases peerless artworks, craftsmanship, and a tradition of thoughtful hospitality. Join us on a journey into a world of supreme aesthetic elegance.
Asia Insight Fridays 0:30/5:30/10:30/15:30/21:30(UTC) Dynamic Asia. Stories behind the world’s largest continent as it faces political, economic, cultural and technological change.