21 January 2014
BBC World Service has further expanded its FM presence in Burma also known as Myanmar with the launch of its radio programming on Shwe FM network. From today, audiences of Shwe FM can tune in to the BBC Burmese English-learning programme, English at Work.
English at Work is a five-minute English-learning programme designed to teach phrases aimed to help succeed in business and avoid embarrassing mistakes with colleagues and clients. Produced by BBC Burmese in collaboration with BBC Learning English, this fun office-based drama will be broadcast by Shwe FM at 7.30pm local time on Tuesdays and repeated at 8am on Thursdays.
BBC Burmese Editor Tin Htar Swe says: “With the country opening up, many young people are keen to improve their language skills, and the demand to learn English is even greater than before. The BBC has a strong audience base in the country, and we are delighted to be able to deliver BBC Learning English lessons to our audience on Shwe FM and also thrilled to be expanding our reach through Shwe’s nationwide network.”
With stations across Myanmar, Shwe FM reaches 98% of the country. Nan Mauk Laun Saing, Chairlady of Shwe FM, adds: “Shwe FM always strives to serve the best for our listeners with variety of programmes. The partnership with the BBC will help us offer even better service to our listeners. Our mission is to inform and educate, and we are very happy that the country’s youth can now improve their English by tuning into BBC Learning English lessons on our network.”
BBC World Service is a mass broadcaster in Burma/Myanmar. BBC Burmese keeps its audiences informed about regional and international events via radio, online on bbcburmese.com and increasingly via Facebook and other social media.
13 December 2012
The visit by a media delegation from Myanmar to Germany, organized by DW Akademie, is part of Deutsche Welle’s ongoing support of media development in the country. The project is supported by the Federal Foreign Office.
Following decades of censorship, Myanmar is in the process of liberalizing its media institutions. Deutsche Welle is assisting this transformation via its international center for media development, DW Akademie. It is currently hosting a high-ranking delegation from Myanmar, including Ye Htut, deputy minister of the Myanmar Ministry of Information, seven representatives from the state-run Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) and the Director of the country’ first semi-private TV-station MRTV 4.
Aside from Deutsche Welle’s headquarters in Bonn and TV studios in Berlin, the schedule includes visits to the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Press Office, the German Federation of Journalists (DJV), the ARD network of public service broadcasters and regional broadcasters Berlin-Brandenburg Broadcasting (RBB) and Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR).
At the various stops, the visitors are taking part in discussions and lectures on the role of the media in society and politics. Experts from the field are contributing their insights into the challenges of media restructuring and how established theories can be applied to Myanmar today. Many have drawn from their experiences with the change in the German media landscape following the reunification of East and West Germany. The key question is whether the German public service broadcasting system could serve as a model for Myanmar.
Years of cooperation
DW Akademie started providing training projects for media organizations in Myanmar in 2007. In 2009, it became involved in the establishment of the Myanmar Media Development Center (MMDC) – set up by MRTV-4. The process, which took three years, was also supported by the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) and Germany’s Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
The MMDC opened in July 2012, with DW Akademie providing preliminary training for prospective TV professionals, followed by training for media producers in how to be trainers themselves. The graduates of the train-the-trainer workshop are to become teachers at the MMDC.
“A functional democracy needs a vital media landscape,” commented Gerda Meuer, Managing Director of DW Akademie. “This is why supporting the media transformation in Myanmar is the right thing to do. It’s very pleasing to see that our continuing work there is bearing fruit.”
DW Akademie is continuing its involvement at the MMDC, with more courses and workshops planned for 2013. It will also coordinate future international support for the basic and advanced training of media professionals in Myanmar and for the establishment of vocational institutes. A DW Akademie staff member has been stationed in Myanmar to work together with local partners. These efforts represent part of a sweeping plan for media development in the country.
Since February 2012, Deutsche Welle’s English-language TV channel DW has been available in Myanmar via direct-to-home provider Skynet – a nationwide network that offers telephone and Internet services in addition to television.
DW programming is also available on a number of other platforms in Myanmar, including the Forever Group’s pay TV network, which makes DW along with other international channels available to Myanmar audiences. Myawady TV (MWD), Myanmar’s second-largest TV station, as well as the popular state-run MRTV broadcast select DW programs and magazines such as Journal, Tomorrow Today and In Good Shape.
28 August 2012
Regional broadcaster, Channel NewsAsia has extended its distribution to Myanmar with its latest signing for carriage with Pay TV operator, Sky Net.
MediaCorp’s Channel NewsAsia signed an agreement in Yangon today with Shwe Than Lwin Media Co. Ltd, which owns Sky Net, a Direct-to-Home (DTH) and Multiplay Service (MPS) provider, with more than 40 local and international channels. The signing ceremony, held at the Chatrium Hotel, was attended by MediaCorp CEO, Mr Shaun Seow, Deputy CEO, Mr Chang Long Jong, Singapore’s Ambassador to Myanmar, His Excellency Mr Robert Chua and Shwe Than Lwin Media’s Chairman, Mr U Kyaw Win. Also in attendance were members of the diplomatic corp and government officials.
Channel NewsAsia’s Managing Director, Ms Debra Soon says, “With Myanmar opening its doors to the world, Channel NewsAsia is privileged to be able to share its unique offering of news and information programmes with the people in Myanmar. As we gear up to take Channel NewsAsia “live” 24 hours from January 2013, we would be reporting even more out of the region. Over the past decade, the channel has been documenting all that is significant in Asia. Being a voice in Myanmar is a step in the right direction. As we embark on the next phase of our growth, we are delighted to partner Sky Net for an important sector in Myanmar.”
Channel NewsAsia will be carried on Sky Net’s Channels 40 and 20 of its DTH and IPTV platforms respectively.
Channel NewsAsia is also available on Forever Group’s MRTV- 4 International platform in Myanmar.
