3 April 2019
The AIBs celebrate factual programming across TV, radio and online platforms
The 15th annual AIBs have opened for entry, helping programme makers across the world share and showcase their best work of the year. Launched in 2005, the AIBs have become established as the major international competition for factual productions. The AIBs are highly valued and respected by producers, editors and journalists across every continent, demonstrated by the ever-increasing number of entries from broadcasters and independent producers in almost 50 countries.
The AIBs 2019 have 21 categories ranging from daily journalism through to human interest, sport to children’s. The complete list is:
TV/video
- Children’s
- Science, technology, nature – sponsored by Radio Taiwan International
- Sport event coverage
- Arts and culture
- Human interest
- Short documentary
- Daily journalism: single report
- Daily journalism: ongoing reporting
- Politics and business
- Investigative
- Domestic affairs
- International affairs
Radio/audio
- Arts and culture
- Human interest
- Daily journalism: single report
- Daily journalism: ongoing reporting
- Investigative
- Factual podcast
Specialist
- International channel of the year
- Breakthrough talent
- Impact
Demonstrating the truly international dimension of the AIBs, all categories are open to work in every language. Winners in the past have submitted work in Arabic, Cantonese, Czech, French, German, Hindi, Mandarin, Spanish and Swedish, among other languages.
“The AIBs are one of the highlights of the Association for International Broadcasting’s work each year,” says Simon Spanswick, chief executive of the Association for International Broadcasting. “Each year we are truly privileged to see so much of the world’s best factual programmes entered into the competition. Many programmes deal with really tough, challenging subjects but they provide an extraordinary snapshot of the contemporary world. We work to ensure that that the entries are shared as widely as possible, helping to share best practice among programme makers around the world.”
Judging of the AIBs is undertaken by an international panel of experts, who bring global perspective and extensive industry experience to the competition. The judging takes place in September using the AIB digital voting system which provides online access to all shortlisted entries.
“We have more than 50 judges who give their time voluntarily to make the AIBs a success,” says Clare Dance, co-ordinator of the AIBs. “Every year our judges tell us that they are astounded by the range of content they see and hear, much of it material that they would not normally be able to view or listen to. Judges have gone on to commission programmes from producers who have been shortlisted, so the AIBs help develop international collaboration.”
The AIBs are open for entry until 28 June 2019. See the entry book online at http://theaibs.tv/Assets/AIBs-2019-books/AIBs-2019.html and more information at http://theaibs.tv.
30 March 2015
Muhammad Bdaiwi, who was shot dead in March 2014
One year after its Baghdad bureau chief was slain, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has launched the Muhammad Bdaiwi Memorial Journalism Prize to pay tribute to his career by recognizing the best examples of radio journalism in Iraq.
“In this way, our colleague’s contribution to journalism will be remembered, and his life-long commitment to strengthening Iraq’s independent media and building a more democratic society will continue,” said Nenad Pejic, RFE/RL editor in chief.
The prize will recognize distinguished local radio reporting that supports the values of pluralism and human rights in Iraq. It will be administered in cooperation with the College of Mass Communication at the University of Baghdad, where Bdaiwi was an associate professor of journalism.
The prize was announced during a March 23 ceremony on the anniversary of Bdaiwi’s death
The new prize was announced during a March 23 ceremony at the University of Baghdad marking the first anniversary of Bdaiwi’s death.
Recalling Bdaiwi, whom he knew as a graduate student and with whom he worked at several media outlets after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, the Dean of the College of Mass Communication, Dr. Hashim Hassan Al-Tamimi, said, “[Bdaiwi] devoted his whole life to his work…His life was a constant struggle on a professional and humanitarian level.” During the ceremony, he announced that an auditorium at the College would be renamed in Bdaiwi’s honor.
Hadi Marae, who directs Iraq’s Journalistic Freedoms Observatory, a Baghdad-based media monitoring group, said that establishing a press competition in Bdaiwi’s name demonstrates the importance and perseverance of Iraqi journalists, and expressed the hope that other news organizations would follow RFE/RL’s example.
On March 22, 2014, Dr. Muhammad Bdaiwi Owaid Al-Shammari, who was known on the air as Hasan Rashid, was shot and killed at a checkpoint in the Jadriyah neighborhood of Baghdad while on his way to work at the Baghdad bureau of Radio Free Iraq, RFE/RL’s Iraq Service. His killer, a member of the Iraqi presidential guard, was tried and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Source: Press release, RFE/RL
11 March 2015
Even before the public unveiling of their new locations services partnership, Reuters and TIMA were planning their live facilities provision for the 87th Academy Awards.
The physical set up, which commenced several days before the show, was culmination of weeks of planning and coordination between the Reuters bureau in Los Angeles, and staff in Washington DC and London from both Reuters and TIMA. The live camera was set up on a specially-constructed steel bridge over the red carpet on Hollywood Boulevard, near the entrance to the Dolby Theatre.
With Reuters-TIMA broadcasting live for clients in Europe as well as Latin America, it was essential to ensure that the transmission route’s working as planned. The substantial US fibre network meant that Reuters-TIMA didn’t need to hire its own satellite truck to broadcast from the Oscars. Clients who used the services for run-up broadcasts included a broadcaster from the Middle East and Polish Television who, with the nomination (and subsequent win) of Polish drama Ida, was closely watching the race for Foreign Language Film.
Rain on the day of the Oscars required event organisers to construct a temporary rain cover running the length of the red carpet, which threatened to block broadcasters’ view of the arrivals, but on the day of the show, the cover was removed. During the Oscars pre-show, Reuters-TIMA broadcast transmissions for clients in the Middle East, Poland, Japan and Argentina with the Reuters Video News team editing Oscars footage and writing scripts for the news service.
“I couldn’t have hoped for a more successful launch of our new partnership. Clients from all over the world booked with us and everything went smoothly. It feels like the months of planning, hiring and buying are now beginning to pay off – despite the rain,” said Tim Santhouse, Reuters Global Head of Video Products.
Reuters’ Martin Veal kept a diary detailing the challenges of settging up and executing the Reuters-TIMA Oscar coverage. Read it here.
19 January 2015
Komla Dumor received a posthumous AIB Founders award last year
The BBC has today launched the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award in honour of presenter Komla Dumor, who passed away a year ago, aged 41.
Komla was an exceptional Ghanaian broadcaster who in his short life made an extraordinary impact – in Ghana, in Africa and across the world – on Joy FM and at the BBC. He worked tirelessly to bring a more sophisticated African narrative to the world. In June 2012, he was named the presenter of Focus on Africa, the BBC’s first-ever dedicated daily TV news programme in English for African audiences, broadcast on BBC World News. He also interviewed a number of high-profile guests including Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Kofi Annan, Tony Blair and Africa’s wealthiest businessman, Aliko Dangote. He anchored live coverage of major global events including the death of Nelson Mandela and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In 2013, the respected publication, New African, listed Dumor in its list of 100 most influential Africans.
Komla Dumor was the recipient of an AIB Founders award at the 2014 AIB Awards. The award was accepted by his widow, Kwansema Dumor at the AIB Awards ceremony in November of last year.
The BBC World News Komla Dumor Award is now open for applications and will be given to an outstanding individual living and working in Africa, who combines strong journalism skills and an exceptional talent in telling African stories, with the ambition and potential to become a star of the future.
The winner will be awarded the opportunity to gain skills and experience, working with teams across BBC News during a three month placement in London. They will have the chance to broadcast on TV, Radio and Online to the BBC’s audiences of 265 million across the world.
Solomon Mugera, BBC Africa Editor said: “Komla epitomised a new Africa; youthful, dynamic and enterprising. With his infectious enthusiasm, beaming smile and engaging personality he made the stories of a new Africa, good and bad, difficult to ignore. The BBC is committed to continuing Komla’s dedication to this continent with this award. We are searching for a rising star who displays exceptional talent, someone who embodies the spirit of Komla.”
Applications close on Monday 2nd February 2015 at 23.59GMT. For more information on how to apply, entry criteria, and terms and conditions visit bbc.com/komladumor.
The BBC World News Komla Dumor Award is supported by Standard Chartered.
19 November 2014
At the tenth annual AIBs held in London on 5 November, tribute was paid to BBC journalist and presenter Komla Dumor who died suddenly at the age of 41 in January 2014.
Komla’s widow, Kwansema, and BBC Director of World Service Group, Peter Horrocks, joined AIB chief executive Simon Spanswick who presented the special AIB Founders Award to Mrs Dumor.
Watch here.
AIBs 2014 – tribute to Komla Dumor from AIB London on Vimeo.
