23 May 2003
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) has announced that its third annual Satellite Industry Forum has been rescheduled to take place in Hong Kong on October 28, 2003. The Forum will now be a curtain-raiser to the CASBAA 2003 Convention which runs from October 29-31.
The conference is themed Why Satellite: Customers, Services, Profits. Sessions will cover issues for telecom customers, special needs of regional & domestic broadcasters, new applications and ideas, and how to finance new projects. The day will wrap up with a high-powered CEO Forum on Keeping the Customer Satisfied.
This is an exciting and challenging time for the Asian satellite business, said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO, CASBAA. We have turned to the experts for the third year running to give us guidance on the issues that face all the players. This will be fun as well as informative.
The CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum has become the pre-eminent event in Asia for the satellite industry, said Mr William Wade, Deputy CEO of AsiaSat and Chairman of CASBAAs Satellite Committee. Last years forum was Asias largest gathering of the top level decision-makers who shape our industry, and we expect this year to be even better.
Confirmed speakers include CEOs and senior representatives from companies in Asia, North America and Europe including Asiasat, ASTRO, Sony India, ESPN STAR sports, Shin Satellite and Boeing Capital.
For more information on the CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum 2003 visit www.casbaa.com where full details of the programme and registration procedures are accessible.
23 May 2003
Ahmad al-Rikabi, a Swedish Iraqi, is to become the new head of Iraqi state television.
Al-Rikabi has worked in the Arabic Service of AIB Member Radio Sweden, part of Sweden’s national public-service broadcaster, Sveriges Radio. He has also been presenter of the SVT [Swedish television] programme ‘Mosaik’.
Al-Rikabi succeeds former dictator Saddam Husayn’s son Uday as head of Iraqi television. State-owned Iraqi propaganda TV is to be turned into a free medium serving democracy.
23 May 2003
BT Group, the UK’s dominant telco and a Member of the AIB, reported strong full-year profits and a better-than-expected dividend.
Underlying pre-tax profit rose 44 per cent to £1.8 billion in the year to the end of March. Earnings per share were at the top end of forecasts at 14.2 pence. Revenue rose two per cent to £18.7 billion, in line with forecasts.
22 May 2003
The AIB is taking part in the Production Show, the London exhibition that focuses on television and radio production equipment and services.
Join us at stand 670 for a chat about the AIB and how we can serve your needs.
22 May 2003
Dubai-based Middle East Business News (MEBN), an affiliate of CNBC, is to launch an Arabic-language channel CNBC Arabiya in June. The programming will cover Middle Eastern economic and business news.
CNBC Arabiya, owned and run by MEBN under a licensing and affiliation agreement with CNBC, will be based in Dubai and will have bureaus in Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain. An investment of around US$45 million has reportedly been earmarked for the next three years.
CNBC Europe – an AIB member – and CNBC Asia are to provide CNBC Arabiya global news link.
22 May 2003
London’s Financial Times newspaper reports that BBC World Service is to join forces with international commercial broadcaster Viacom to launch the first pan-African radio campaign aimed at combating HIV/AIDS.
BBC World Service – a member of the AIB – is to produce anti-AIDS radio messages in seven African languages. The station’s audience in Africa is around 60m people.
The development follows a reported approach by Viacom – the company that owns MTV, CBS TV and Paramount Pictures – to the BBC. Viacom is to jointly fund the programming in association with the American health charity, the Kaiser Foundation.
