5 October 2011
An independent panel of respected media professionals from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North and South America has been appointed to judge the 2011 AIBs. Their expertise covers TV, radio, satellite & online broadcasting as well as broadcast technology & marketing.
The AIBs, the International Media Excellence Awards run by the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) are unique in being judged by an independent panel of respected professionals drawn from the broadcasting and international media industries across the whole world. Today the AIB is delighted to announce that the panel of judges for the 2011 AIBs is made up of media leaders representing every continent and 23 different countries from Russia to South Africa, from Brazil to China, and from Australia to Norway. They have a vast range of experience in radio, TV and satellite broadcasting as well as online and cross-media production.
We are delighted that the reputation of the AIBs has convinced such an eminent group of broadcasting and media experts to volunteer to judge entries to the awards and to ensure an independent choice of the best in each category said Simon Spanswick, CEO of the Association for International Broadcasting. The judges bring knowledge from diverse media landscapes including France, Germany, UK, USA, Russia, Brazil, China, Korea, South Africa, Turkey , Qatar and UAE.
This years judges are:
Nashwa Al Ruwaini, CEO, Pyramedia, UAE
Salim Amin, Chairman, A24 Media, Kenya
David Astley, Executive Chairman, Asia-Pacific Media Alliance for Social Awareness, Singapore
Nigel Baker, VP Business Operations EMEA and Asia, APTN, UK
Wayne Borg, Deputy CEO and COO, twofour54, UAE
Julian Clover, Editorial Director, Broadband TV News, UK
Eugen Cojocariu, Director, Radio Romania International, Romania
Helle Dale, Senior Fellow for Public Diplomacy, The Heritage Foundation, USA
David Dufresne, Writer/Director, DufLab, Canada
Hosam El Sokkari, Head of Audience, Yahoo! Middle East, UAE
Mark Errington, CEO, OASYS, UK
Adelheid Feilcke-Tiemann, Director International Relations, Deutsche Welle, Germany
Monica Fritz, Producer/Director, 6 news, Turkey
Angela Fung, Deputy Head, Phoenix Chinese Channel, Phoenix Satellite TV, Hong Kong
Regina Goh, Executive Editor, Channel NewsAsia, Singapore
Peter Goldstein, Director of Communications, InterMedia, USA
Mohamed Ali Harrath, CEO, Islam Channel, UK
Mondher Kalai, Commissioning Executive, JCC, Qatar
Kim Hyuk-dong, Deputy Director, KBS World Radio, Korea
François Laborie, Chief Commercial Officer, Vizrt, Norway
Paulo Markun, Consultant, TV Escola, Brazil
Chris Maroleng, Africa Editor, e.tv, South Africa
Michael McCluskey, CEO, ABC Radio Australia, Australia
Marcus Metzner, Head of Marketing Services & Communication, arvato systems GmbH, Germany
Olivier de Montchenu, Commercial & Marketing Director, Euronews, France
Dick van Motman, President & CEO, DDB Greater China Group, P.R.China
Alexey Nikolov, Deputy Editor in Chief, RT Channel, Russia
Ian O’Reilly, Producer/Director, BBC News TV, UK
Nader Sh. Rad, Director Programmes Department, PressTV, Iran
Julia Ragona, Chief Broadcast Operations Officer, RFE/RL, Czech Republic
Dick Rempt, CEO, TalentsMedia, The Netherlands
Paul Robinson, MD, KidsCo, UK
Karim Sarkis, Executive Director of Broadcast, Abu Dhabi Media Company, UAE
Vatche Sarkisian, Director of Research and Program Review, Middle East Broadcasting Networks, USA
Danny Schechter, Executive Producer, Globalvision, USA
Simon Spanswick, CEO, AIB, UK
Fedor Strizhkov, CEO, Russian Travel Guide TV, Russia
David Treadway, Managing Director, WRN Broadcast, UK
Jeff Trimble, Executive Director, Broadcasting Board of Governors, USA
Laeed Zaghlami, Journalist/Writer, Algerian Broadcasting, Algeria
Biographies of all the judges, together with the full list of the award categories, entry details and information on the awards ceremony will be found on theaibs.tv
The AIBs, now in their seventh year, are independent of commercial interest and attract entries from throughout the world, representing the best of international radio, TV and cross-media broadcasting. The 16 different categories to be judged cover the broad spectrum from single news events to long-term investigation and from traditional terrestrial broadcasting to innovative use of multi-platform formats, with new awards this year in the categories of science, business and sports coverage. The categories also include awards for best marketing strategy, for most innovative technology and for radio and television personalities of the year. The one category not judged by the panel is the Peoples Choice award, which this year is for programmes dealing with Democracy Uprisings and which is awarded on the basis of online viewing and voting.
The winners of the AIBs will be announced at the AIB awards gala on Wednesday 9th November 2011 which is held in the stunning visual and acoustic space of LSO St Luke’s in London.
The currently announced sponsors for the 2011 AIBs are Russian Travel Guide (RTG) TV, Eurosport and OASYS.
3 October 2011
Al Jazeera has announced the departure of its Director General of eight years, Wadah Khanfar.
Speaking to staff today, he said that he had served for a substantial period of time, and the Networks current success offered him the opportunity to leave having accomplished the vision he had set for Al Jazeera to be a globally recognized media institution.
Khanfar had approached Al Jazeeras chairman with his intentions in July. His replacement, Shaikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani was identified one month ago, ensuring a smooth transition.
Since Khanfar took over the reins at Al Jazeera in 2003, Al Jazeera became a media network from being a solitary Arabic news channel. It now includes Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Sport, Al Jazeera Mubasher and Al Jazeera Documentary. The Arabic and English news channels have been widely acclaimed for their coverage of the Arab awakening.
Khanfar said: Upon my appointment I set a goal to establish Al Jazeera as global media leader. This target has been met and the organization is in a healthy position. This Network is great not because of me or any other individual, it is great because of its mission which carries on with all of its outstanding staff. My successor has the skills and attributes to maintain and build upon the quality journalism that Al Jazeera has become renowned for.
The new Director General will take over responsibilities from 21 September 2011. Sheikh Ahmad bin Jasem bin Muhammad Al Thani brings significant international and business experience to Al Jazeera. He has been a member of the most senior decision making body at Qatargas, where he led more than 247 capital projects. He has industry experience in France and the USA and holds degrees from numerous institutions worldwide including Imperial College in the UK and the Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business.
30 September 2011
Voice of America reporter John Tanza Mabusu is getting credit for successfully pushing the worlds largest online map sites to recognize the new Republic of South Sudan, which gained independence more than two months ago, but is still not shown on most maps.
When South Sudan was declared an independent nation, we were all excited, says Tanza. So, he was surprised when online sites didnt quickly update their maps to reflect the emergence of the new nation on July 9th.
Tanza, a native of South Sudan who works for the VOA program, “South Sudan in Focus,” decided to launch an online petition calling on Google maps, Microsoft and other sites to make the change and show South Sudan as a separate nation from its neighbor to the north.
The petition, which he organized in his private time, caught the attention of Google Maps. The site, which said it had already been gathering data for the change, promptly placed South Sudan on its map. I dont want to make a big deal of this, Tanza told one of his VOA colleagues, Nation building is a long process, and there are the small steps you need to achieve on an individual basis.
Tanza, who has reported extensively on the countrys long struggle for independence, has now been recognized by a number of media organizations, which credit him with Putting South Sudan on the map.
He says the attention has helped get the maps changed, but he gives the credit to those who took the time to join the campaign. I have been receiving congratulatory messages for taking this initiative. But the truth is, I need to thank them for signing the petition, Tanza says. And he says hes optimistic that all the mapping services will soon make the change.
30 September 2011
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU)* will demonstrate its new online content trading platform EurovisionShowcase.com on the Eurovision TV stand (G3.01) and at the Internet Zone (Level 0) at MIPCOM in Cannes, 36 October.
EurovisionShowcase.com captures programming and formats from around the globe enabling creators to showcase their work and buyers to source compelling content for their channels.
Andy Wood, CEO, Eurovision London Limited (EBU subsidiary) comments, Our strategy is to create an online marketplace and community for media professionals. This media platform for audio and visual content represents a significant step by the EBU towards serving the broader media community.
He explains, Eurovision Showcase offers an easy-to-use and secure environment. It complements existing distribution channels by providing a powerful set of tools such as HD video upload, template driven entry, advanced search, private screen rooms, personal and company contact profiles and social features including private messaging and relationships.
Why EurovisionShowcase.com?
The falling cost of content production and the widespread availability of broadband and mobile viewing platforms are key enabling factors. The push to develop and improve technology capable of receiving and playing high-quality content media is in turn driving demand for more and higher quality audio and visual content.
In turn, the trading of rights must evolve to enable properties to be purchased more easily. As the volume of content grows an electronic platform is needed that makes promoting and sourcing quality content for media professionals easier.
Platform brings businesses together
Members of Eurovision Showcase can upload, browse and search a database of content and formats. Buyers can then negotiate directly with the sellers to conclude rights deals. It provides content buyers with a powerful sourcing tool and enables open collaboration and sharing between the TV & media content community.
Eurovision Showcase has been developed by Eurovision London Limited, a subsidiary of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). EBU Members have an audience share exceeding 650 million viewers each week.
30 September 2011
11 SEPTEMBER 2011 Yahoo! Maktoob and the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) have announced that the 2011 Peoples Choice Award will be hosted on Yahoo! Maktoob, harnessing the sites enormous reach, which includes over 55 million users in the Middle East and North Africa. The Peoples Choice is the category in the AIBs international media excellence awards which is open to online viewers everywhere who vote for their favourite entry, and each year attracts entries from broadcasters across the globe.
This years topic for the Peoples Choice award is Best Coverage of Democracy Uprisings reflecting the momentous changes happening in the Middle East and North Africa during the Arab Spring and highlighting the impact that traditional and social broadcasting has had in enabling the movements for change.
The deadline for final entries is Friday September 16th, but already programmes have been submitted from Europe, Middle East, and Africa and include entries from Al Jazeera, Al Hurra, France24, NDTV, Press TV and The Doha Debates. A short list of the six best will be selected from which online users from across the world can view and vote on Yahoo! Maktoob from the second half of October. The winner will be announced at the AIBs ceremony on the 9th November.
Yahoo! Maktoob will be hosting the programmes on special pages in both English and Arabic versions, allowing a worldwide audience to participate in viewing and then choosing the one they like best. Viewers can also use the power of Yahoo! Maktoobs platform to comment on their choice and share their views and their votes with friends on Yahoo! Maktoob and other social media platforms.
Hosam El-Sokkari, Head of Audience, Yahoo! Middle East said, As the premier digital media company, our partnership with AIB demonstrates our commitment to international broadcasting and our determination to bring the best from the top broadcasters in the Middle East. Yahoo! Maktoob is a natural home for the Peoples Choice Awards, as it leverages our existing video property and our big user base. The unfolding of the events in the region has been a central theme in the discussions that have been taking place across Yahoo! Maktoobs social platforms, and it is only fitting that the general public should decide the best programme on these events that have been vital to so many and on which thousands of individuals have contributed to breaking the news.
Simon Spanswick, CEO of the Association for International Broadcasting said, The partnership with Yahoo! Maktoob means that these compelling TV programmes will catch the attention of a huge audience across the world, especially in the Middle East and North Africa, the heart of the region affected by the Arab Spring. These highly important events have presented extreme challenges for the broadcasters trying to cover them, but have resulted in some really fantastic output. They have demonstrated new methods of working where broadcasters have used input from those involved directly in the uprisings, via citizen journalism and social media, and have added context and validation before transmitting the news to a wider audience. Voters comments will once again make sure the story evolves still further as broadcasters continue to be fully engaged with the audiences they are serving.
Media Contacts
For further information please contact
Tala Toukan, Yahoo! Middle East
ttoukan@yahoo-inc.com
– or
Roger Stone, AIB
roger.stone@aib.org.uk
T +44 (0)20 7993 2557
AIB, PO Box 141, Cranbrook TN17 9AJ, UK
About Yahoo!
Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) is the premier digital media company, creating deeply personal digital experiences that keep more than half a billion people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the globe. Thats how we deliver your world, your way. And Yahoo!s unique combination of Science + Art + Scale connects advertisers to the consumers who build their businesses. For more information, visit the pressroom (
target=_blank>
pressroom.yahoo.com) or the companys blog, Yodel Anecdotal (
target=_blank>yodel.yahoo.com).
About the AIB
Established in 1993, the AIB is the international industry association and global knowledge network for the international broadcasting industry cross-media, cross-border, cross-cultural. With a reach of over 25,000 communicators and media professionals, AIB is a unique centre of information about international broadcasting, covering TV, radio, online and mobile. AIB researches regular market intelligence briefings for its members and provides client-specific consultancy and project support. Members receive an extensive package of services throughout the year. AIB publishes the comprehensive Global Broadcasting Sourcebook and the international media magazine, The Channel. AIB hosts the annual AIB International Media Excellence Awards the “AIBs”. For more information, visit
target=_blank>www.aib.org.uk or call +44 (0) 20 7993 2557
30 September 2011
Eurosport are the sponsors of the AIBs category “Best cross-media production”. Eurosport is the leading sports entertainment group in Europe and boasts six TV channels worldwide. The flagship channel Eurosport is the no 1 pan-European TV channel, broadcast in 20 languages and reaching 125 million homes across 59 countries.
OASYS are the sponsors of the AIBs category “Most innovative technology”.
OASYS has been leading the transition to software-based playout solutions for 20 years. The company’s flagship product, OASYS Player, is complemented by straightforward optional OASYS software to provide efficient, high quality, end-to-end playout solutions that are easy-to-use, scalable, flexible and, most importantly, highly reliable.
RTG TV are the sponsors of the AIBs category “Best current affairs documentary”.
Russian Travel Guide TV is an international documentary TV channel focused on the cultural and geographical variety of the world’s largest country. It covers a wide range of topics from history to culture, cuisine, nature programmes, active holidays, and Russia’s ethnic mix.
Vizrt are the sponsors of the AIBs category “Best live sports coverage”. Vizrt creates leading-edge content production tools for the digital media industry – from award-winning 3D graphics and maps through integrated video workflow solutions and online publishing tools. Vizrt proposes a new vision for content creation, management and delivery with an end-to-end solution from conception to multi-format distribution.
The 2011 AIBs Peoples Choice Award will
be hosted on
