Australian government to end ABC funding freeze

9 February 2022

Australian government to end ABC funding freeze

Australia’s federal government has announced that it is ending a freeze on funding of the ABC.

From July 2022, the ABC will receive almost A$3.3 billion (US$2.37 billion) over three years. SBS – the country’s second national broadcaster – will receive more than A$950 million over the same period.

ABC Chair Ita Buttrose said: “I am delighted with the Government’s decision to commit $3.3 billion over the next three years to the ABC.

“It will allow the national broadcaster to continue doing what it does best – provide information and entertainment to Australians wherever they live.”

ABC Managing Director David Anderson commented: “On behalf of the ABC, I welcome the funding certainty this announcement brings to the national broadcaster for the next three years.

“The $3.3 billion over the next triennium, announced by the Minister Paul Fletcher, sees the resumption of indexation, the continuation of the Enhanced Newsgathering (ENG) program that provides vital services across the country, and ongoing support for audio description services for blind or visually impaired audiences.

“ENG funding has delivered more tailored news to local communities and has seen the ABC invest more in specialist resources that provide vital context and analysis about issues that matter to all Australians.

“Importantly, this announcement also guarantees the ability of the ABC to continue to reinvest funds from the recently concluded Google and Facebook deals into rural and regional services.

“As the ABC’s Managing Director, I have consistently made the case for the resumption of indexation on the ABC’s base funding and the continued support for ENG program.

“The triennial funding announcement is an important recognition that the ABC is needed now more than ever, and this funding is required so it can continue to fulfil its vital role in our democratic society.

“I would like to thank the Minister, Paul Fletcher, and the Government for recognising the enduring value of the ABC as we mark 90years of serving Australians.”

Media Freedom Coalition evaluation published at Estonia conference

9 February 2022

Media Freedom Coalition evaluation published at Estonia conference

A new evaluation finds that the Media Freedom Coalition requires a ‘re-injection of energy’.

The Foreign Policy Centre – an independent, non-partisan international affairs think tank based in the United Kingdom – has supported the publication of a report evaluating the first two years of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC). The MFC is a partnership, established in 2019 by the UK and Canada, of 50 countries working together to advocate for media freedom and the safety of journalists. The report is being launched on 9 February at the Global Conference for Media Freedom in Tallinn, Estonia. https://mfctallinn.humanrightsestonia.ee/video/

Conducted by a team of six academics and researchers, from the University of East Anglia, City, University of London and University of the Philippines-Diliman, the report poses one central question: is the Media Freedom Coalition working?

“Our assessment is that the MFC is only partially achieving its objectives,” states Dr Mary Myers, the lead author of the report. “It has taken some positive steps towards its ambitious goals including attracting a relatively large membership and establishing collegiate ways of working. However, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the actions of the MFC have not been as rapid, bold or visible as was initially promised.”

The report concludes that MFC requires a ‘re-set’ and ‘re-injection of energy and funds’ in the next two to three years if it is to achieve its original aims, and provides a scorecard and recommendations to support future development.

“The objective of our report was to identify key areas for improvement to strengthen the MFC’s work moving forward, as such, we hope members of the MFC will take on board our findings and adopt our recommendations,” added Dr Myers.

Evaluating the MFC

The evaluation report’s findings are based on over 100 interviews with relevant stakeholders; analyses of news coverage, social media commentary and public statements; and a survey of media freedom campaigners – as well as detailed case studies in Sudan and the Philippines. The research team assessed the MFC against its own pledges to:

– Promote accountability by ‘raising the cost’ to those who abuse or violate media freedom;

– Hold its own members to account over media freedom violations;

– Work together as a coalition, expand the membership and collaborate with partners (including the Consultative Network, UNESCO and the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom;

– ‘Shine a spotlight’ on the issue of media freedom by raising awareness of it; and

– Develop and defend the media by providing practical support to independent media around the world.

The report finds that the Coalition had some early successes. Several states – such as the Maldives and Sierra Leone – have made positive improvements domestically, as a direct result of joining the MFC and there have been several instances of successful private diplomacy by Coalition members working together. However, according to Dr Martin Scott, another of the report’s co-authors, “its working methods have been slow and lacking transparency, its communications poor, and its financial commitments small”.

The Association for International Broadcasting is a member of the Consultative Network to the Media Freedom Coalition.

RT issues statement on broadcasting in Germany

9 February 2022

RT issues statement on broadcasting in Germany

RT’s Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Anna Belkina, has issued a statement on broadcasting in Germany

“It is ironic that just the idea of a new TV news channel with a different voice appearing in Germany has made the local authorities, including the regulator MABB, so nervous and desperate, as to abandon their much-touted principles such as freedom of speech. Today, by once more threatening an independent production company that has nothing to do with RT DE’s entirely lawful and legitimate license to broadcast in Germany and other European countries, it was demonstrated that rules and regulations – including European conventions – and even the semblance of all logic, have been thrown out the window. By claiming that we are not responsible for our broadcasts here in Moscow MABB is ignoring facts, and painting a false reality to suit a clearly politically motivated threat.”

“We will not be removing our feeds or channels voluntarily, and encourage all platforms not to be bullied by MABB’s illegitimate demands. MABB’s actions have no basis in law, and are a clear attempt to overreach and impede the German people’s free access to information, protected under the ECTT (European Convention on Transfrontier Television). Any efforts by MABB to impede RT DE’s fully legitimate and properly obtained rights to broadcast will be met with legal challenge in all applicable jurisdictions, including Germany.”

AIB seeks nominations from member companies for its Executive Committee 2022-24

8 February 2022

AIB seeks nominations from member companies for its Executive Committee 2022-24

The AIB is currently seeking nominations from its global membership for the Association’s Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee provides oversight and governance to the AIB and is comprised of six people from AIB Members who hold office for a two-year period.

AIB Members may nominate senior staff from their organisations by the deadline of 16 February 2022. Members have been circulated with details of the nomination form. Those who may not have seen this should contact the Secretariat.

All nominees will go forward to a vote amongst AIB Members at the end of February.

Arqiva tops the Independent Teleport Operator rankings 2021

7 February 2022

Arqiva tops the Independent Teleport Operator rankings 2021

Arqiva ranked as No.1 in the World Teleport Association Independent Top 10 teleport operators

The annual rankings of companies by revenue and revenue growth are compiled by surveying teleport operators around the world as well as referencing the published results of publicly-held companies.

The Independent Top 10 ranks teleport operators based on revenue from all sources. The list focuses on the independent operators at the core of the business, excluding companies whose primary business is ownership and operation of a satellite fleet or terrestrial network.

Arqiva also ranked 6th in the Global Top 20 list. The Global Top 20 ranks companies based on revenues from all customised communications sources and includes operators of teleports and satellite fleets.

https://www.worldteleport.org/news/594359/World-Teleport-Association-Publishes-Top-Operator-Rankings-for-2021.htm

“It’s great news to be listed and ranked as No.1 in the World Teleport Association Independent Top 10 teleport operators,” said Lesley Wilson, Head of Satellite Gateway & Data Services at Arqiva. “The WTA promote excellence in teleport business practice, technology and operations – with our growing LEO gateway capability, we are proud to be amongst the most innovative operators of teleports.”

RFE/RL condemns latest Kremlin threats as ‘Political Censorship’

5 February 2022

RFE/RL condemns latest Kremlin threats as ‘Political Censorship’

Press release by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL): Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) strongly condemns a sharp escalation of intimidation tactics by Russian authorities, which saw state media-monitoring agency Roskomnadzor overnight threaten to block eight RFE/RL websites serving audiences in Russia, Ukraine, and Central Asia unless they pulled down articles tied to corruption investigations by jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny’s team.

RFE/RL will not comply with these demands. Said President and CEO Jamie Fly, “RFE/RL will not allow the Kremlin to dictate our editorial decisions. This is a blatant act of political censorship by a government apparently threatened by journalists who are merely reporting the truth.”

Roskomnadzor sent more than 60 e-mail notifications giving RFE/RL 24 hours to remove content related to Navalny investigations from its two largest websites for Russian audiences – Radio Liberty and Current Time – as well as RFE/RL’s Russian-language sites for Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, and local sites for Russia’s Siberian, Volga-Ural, and Northwestern regions.

More than a dozen Russian publications, including the newspaper Novaya gazeta, as well as Dozhd television channel and Ekho Moskvy radio station, have received similar notices in recent days. Several decided to comply with the demands and removed the content. The move is the latest in a series of attacks against RFE/RL and other independent media and comes as RFE/RL has been extensively covering the unprecedented Russian military buildup for its audiences in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, rebutting Kremlin disinformation and exposing malign Russian activities.

In the past year, Roskomnadzor has issued 1,040 violations against RFE/RL that will result in fines of more than $13.4 million for its refusal to submit to the unjust and invasive content labeling provisions of Russia’s “foreign agent” law. RFE/RL continues to fight these fines in Russian court and has also filed suit with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over the law. In addition, 18 RFE/RL journalists have been designated as individual “foreign agents.”

On January 26, RFE/RL’s Russian Service was fined 3 million rubles ($39,000) for the alleged “public distribution of knowingly false information about the activities of the U.S.S.R. during World War II.” In fact, the existence of the published material is backed by documents from Russian archives – and RFE/RL is being held liable for actions that are not punishable under Russian law. RFE/RL is appealing the fine, not least to help defend Russia’s shrinking space for press freedom.

In a sign that the crackdown on press freedom may yet intensify, President Putin in late January issued an order calling for the creation of a new “register of toxic content.”

[Press release by RFE/RL]