SNIPPETS
The Global Media Partnership

DECEMBER 2008

• BULGARIA: MARCH 19-22 2009 FEB CONFERENCE :
• Have you registered yet for the FEB Conference? Book your place before Christmas and have something to look forward to in the spring! An excellent platform of Speakers will be there, including Bible Teacher Paul Negrut, currently Pastor of Emanuel Baptist Church in Oradea, Romania and President of the Romanian Evangelical Alliance.
• The Conference price includes a meal at a typical Bulgarian Restaurant in the Vitosha mountains on the Friday night, and a City Tour of Sofia on Saturday afternoon. For more information contact FEB: feb@feb.org
• Register at www.feb.org/Registration%20Form%20Bulgaria.doc
• UK:
• Hugh Faupel has stepped down as editor of the world’s most-watched religious TV programme “Songs of Praise “. The new editor is Tommy Nagra, who was formerly the head of the BBC Asian Programmes Unit, and a channel executive at BBC2. Besides running “Songs of Praise” he will be charged with bringing new TV business to BBC Religion and Ethics.
• Source: Churches Media Council
• ROMANIA:
• Dr Ioan Ceuta, President of the Romanian Bible University, has announced the opening of a new Counselling Centre in Bucharest, Str. Rasaritului, Nr 59, Sect 6. The Centre will offer children and teenager counselling, premarital and marital counselling, addiction counselling, pastoral counselling and Business Leaders’ counselling.
• Visit www.consiliere.org.ro
• EUROPEAN UNION WEBSITE OVERWHELMED:
• On the first day of its launch, Europe’s digital library “Europeana” was overwhelmed by almost 15 million hits per hour. The interest was 3 times as strong as experts had predicted. Europeana Management doubled server capacity at noon in The Hague (Netherlands), but the European Commission had to take down the site temporarily to take pressure off it – they hope to have it back online in a more robust form by mid-December. This is seen as an encouraging sign that citizens in Europe and around the world have great interest in Europe’s digital library.
• Visit http://dev.europeana.eu
• UK CHANNEL 4 – MAJOR SERIES ON CHRISTIANITY:
• A series exploring alternative views on Christianity airs on Channel 4 this winter. The broadcaster described it as the most ambitious religious programming commission in its history. The series will feature 8 hour-long programmes which will examine the nature of Jesus’s Jewishness and Christianity’s fraught relationship with its Jewish origins. Former Cabinet Minister Michael Portillo investigates Christianity during the time of the Roman Empire, focusing on the part that the emperor Constantine played. Theologian Dr Robert Beckford will look at the impact Christianity has had on Britain, while Rageh Omaar fronts a documentary on Christianity’s relations with Islam.
• Source: Churches Media Council
• SPAIN – REPORT CRITICISES SPANISH GOVERNMENT:
• Attacks by politicians, the waning of religious influence and the probable amendment of the agreement with the Catholic Church are some of the situations over which the Catholic Report on Religious Liberty is critical of the Spanish Government. The report, presented in several European capitals, including Madrid, also criticised the new Catalan law on places of worship and the new school subject, Citizenship. It says relations between the State and the Roman institution were particularly bad in the run-up to the election in March, which included “harsh attacks on the (Catholic) Church by Socialist leaders.”
• Source: AC Press
• UK MPS PREVENT TV PRODUCT PLACEMENT:
• The UK Government has said it will not allow product placement in programmes to help relieve ITV’s financial problems. Earlier this year, Government Media Secretary Andy Burnham ruled out product placement as a means of boosting revenues. Tory Shadow Minister Ed Vaizey, however, is in favour of the proposals. “I do not think that if someone bought a KitKat and a Mars Bar in Coronation Street, the world would come to an end. We live in this bizarre world where people watching Desperate Housewives on Channel 4 see no end of product placement, from an Aston Martin downwards. But in British programmes no product placement is allowed.”
• Source: Broadcast
• GERMANY:
• The German Internet Radio Ministry of the Bible Broadcasting Network celebrates its 5th anniversary this year. The ministry has expanded to include an evangelistic Chat ministry and will shortly offer a free online Bible Institute.
• Visit www.bbnradio.org
• SPAIN:
• Spanish TV advertising is forecast to drop 11-12% in 2008. Commercial network Antena 3 saw its revenue plunge 12.9% in its 9-month results, and analysts are predicting that public broadcaster RTVE could be down 15% on last year. Established networks such as Telecinco, RTVE and Antena 3 are fast losing market share to new entrants such as Cuatro and La Sexta, as well as growing Digital Channels. By comparison, France TV advertising is thought to have dropped 3% this year. In 2009 both France and UK TV advertising will drop around 3%, according to Screen Digest. Germany and Italy are thought to be broadly flat.
• Source: C21Media.net
• UK:
• The BBC has cancelled its proposed series on The Bible, which had been planned for BBC TV in 2010. Intended as a landmark 8 hour broadcast, the series was to have been made by BBC Religion and Ethics and co-funded by a major American network. It was well into pre-production. It is understood that the decision to cancel was primarily financial not editorial. However, it comes as a significant disappointment to the BBC Religion and Ethics team.
• Source: Churches’ Media Council
• SPAIN – REFORMATION SERVICE ON BARCELONA TV:
• The Vice President of the Catalan assembly in Barcelona, Josep-Lluis Carod-Rovira, attended a service to commemorate the Protestant Reformation recently, which was broadcast on regional television. This was the culmination of a process which has lasted a quarter of a century - Catalan Evangelicals requested this 25 years ago. The service was led by Guillem Correa, General Secretary of the Catalan Evangelical Council. There were 260 people in the church, including representatives of other religious groups, and Carod-Rovira, to show that the regional government is fully supportive of religious liberty and pluralism.
• Source: AC Press
• UK:
• BBC proposals to launch a local online video service would have a significant negative impact on commercial providers, an independent Ofcom Market Impact Assessment (MIA) concludes. The service would provide local news, sports and weather in 60 areas across the UK, with an additional 5 Welsh language sites. The MIA considered the impact that the service would have on a range of commercial providers including:
  • local and regional newspapers and their associated web services
  • local and regional Radio and TV services and associated web services and
  • mobile TV services.
    Source: OFCOM
    
• BROADBAND PENETRATION INCREASING:
• According to a European Commission Report, Broadband penetration in Europe has grown to 21.7% in July 2008, from 18.2% in July 2007, with Denmark and the Netherlands as world leaders with 35%. 17 million fixed broadband lines were laid in a year and the gap between EU countries is narrowing. Mobile broadband is also taking off  with an average 6.9% penetration.
• Source: European Union Press Release
• ITALY:
• The Grizzly Adams film, “Friends for Life” has won the Adam Award for the Best Feature Film at the third annual Sabaoth International Film Festival. The goal of the Sabaoth Film Festival is to recognise  and encourage talented Christian filmmakers working worldwide in the fields of cinema, television, and animated films. Finalists in the full length motion picture category were entries from Argentina, Belize, the Philippines, the United States, Switzerland and Germany. “Friends for Life” was directed by Michael Spence and written by Joseph Meier and Charles E. Sellier. It was produced by Grizzly Adams Productions in association with Flynn-Daines Productions.
• Visit www.grizzlyadams.com
• UK:
• The BBC is looking at ways that it can work with Google, potentially positioning it as the most powerful media partnership in the world. Anna Mallet, controller of business strategy, BBC Operations Group, said: “We’re assessing how to optimise our strategic relationship with players like Google. They are an exciting, big media company - and there are all sorts of opportunities there.” Any partnership with Google is likely to spark fears among other media outlets who already claim that the BBC is threatening their economic model. A Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee is currently investigating the corporation’s “commercial activities” including the impact of non-commercial services such as the proposal for a local video news service.
• Source: Broadcast
• TURKEY:
• BBC Turkish has launched the Current Affairs programme “Dunya Gundemi” (World Agenda) on NTV, Turkey’s leading 24 hour news channel. The programme provides in-depth analysis of international news, focusing on issues that have global and regional impact. A 15-minute version of “Dunya Gundemi ” is broadcast at 10.30 local time on Wednesdays and Fridays, with a summary edition on Saturday evenings, and a Sunday morning programme which includes highlights as well as original interviews and reports.
• Source: www.bbcturkish.com
• UK:
• GRF Christian Radio in Scotland is celebrating 60 years of Broadcast Ministry. GRF, originally known as Gospel Radio Fellowship, makes programmes for broadcast on Radio stations in the UK and internationally. GRF Programmes aim to give audiences an experience to discover new dimensions of their faith, and are made by an inter-denominational team of volunteers working mainly in the evenings and at weekends. For over 40 years, GRF team members have also contributed on an individual basis to the scripting, production and presentation of programmes on Commercial Radio, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio Scotland and the BBC World Service.
• Visit www.grf.org.uk
• COUNTRY FACTS – RUSSIA

Official Country Name	Russian Federation
Region	Russia
Population	145,470,197
Language	Russian
Literacy Rate	98%
Size	17,075,200 sq km
GDP	251,106 (US$ millions)
Number of TV Stations	7,306
Number of TV sets	60,500,000
TV Sets per 1,000	415.9
Number of Radio Stations	953
Number of Radio receivers	61,500,000
Radio Receivers per 1,000	422.8
Number of individuals with computers	6,300,000
Number of individuals with Internet access	3,100,000
Internet access per 1,000	21.3

• UK:
• “Paperlesschristmas” is an Advent calendar containing a time-locked countdown of 24 videos. Commissioned by Jerusalem Productions Ltd, who have a 20 year track record in Television and Radio, “paperlesschristmas” is in its second year. The Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) is offering a CD-ROM version of “paperlesschristmas ” with all the features of the internet version plus links to extra material for schools and churches.
• Visit www.brf.org.uk/paperlesschristmas

AFRICA

• SOUTH AFRICA:
• After many hearings over three years, the Independent Broadcasting Authority (ICASA) has awarded Radio Pulpit a broadcasting licence. The licence began in November and has been awarded for one medium wave transmitter, AM 657 KHz, the footprint of which covers the greater Gauteng area of north and north-west South Africa, and large parts of neighbouring provinces. Dr Roelf Petersen, CEO of Radio Pulpit said, “We are delighted and thankful that ICASA has awarded Radio Pulpit a legitimate and legal status. It is a breakthrough for which we thank the Lord. Radio Pulpit now has a legal broadcasting platform from which we can broadcast the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
• Visit www.radiokansel.co.za
• SOUTH AFRICA:
• During 2008, the Prison Broadcasting Network (PBN) has been training offenders in Television Production. The programmes are packaged into half-hour programmes entitled NEW DAY. These programmes are focused entirely on moral rejuvenation and rehabilitation and produced for offenders, by offenders. As the first broadcast went on air after lock up, prisoners could only watch in their cells. The purpose was to steer prisoners to a new way of living – bringing hope, vision, direction and inspiration – in a way relevant to them.
• Source: Prison Broadcasting Network
• LIBERIA:
• International medical charity Mercy Ships reports that in Liberia this year, they have completed 137 orthopaedic procedures, 67 hernia operations, 1500 eye surgeries, plus 450 maxillofacial/plastic operations and 90 VVF surgeries. 6,000 Liberians have been treated by Mercy Ships’ dentists. The Africa Mercy has been in Liberia during this outreach and in 2009 she will be based in Benin.
• Source: Mercy Ships International

ASIA

• INDIA:
• Catholic bishops from the state of Orissa, on the east coast of India, have warned that Hindu extremists have a “master plan” to wipe out Christianity in the state. In a letter to the state’s Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, the Indian bishops conveyed their concerns about the mass “exodus of Christians” from Kandhamal District, according to the Catholic News Agency. “It is estimated that 10-15,000 Christians are now living outside the district,” the Bishops wrote in their letter to the Minister.  A factor hindering the peoples’ return is the reports of forced conversions. The bishops noted that details of forced conversions are taking place where Christians are pressured to choose to “accept Hindu Samskaras under oath and under pain of divine punishment“.
• Source: Christian Post
• BURMA:
• Following the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis in May, the BBC World Service Trust, in partnership with the BBC Burmese service, launched emergency radio “lifeline” support broadcasts in Burma. “The power of radio is immediate and wide-reaching as it offers a vital way of giving people access to information,” said Stephen King, Director, BBC World Service Trust. From the beginning of June, radio programmes and trails promoting basic health messages have been broadcast. These cover issues such as sanitation and where to access aid. Six 5-minute programmes are broadcast six days a week via the BBC Burmese service, which has an estimated 7 million actual listeners.
• Source: www.bbcworldservicetrust.org

AUSTRALIA

• GOVERNMENT AT ODDS ON DIGITAL:
• The Australia Commercial TV sector has called for a “last-resort safeguard” to stop the analogue signal being shut off until almost all viewers have a digital set, putting it in conflict with the federal Government. In most cases, more than 95% of households in a region should have free-to-air digital TV one month before their analogue signal was due to end. If not, the spokesman says, the switch-over should be automatically delayed by at least two months. The Free TV proposal is contained in its submission to the Senate Committee examining the Digital TV Switch-over Bill. The Government wants to have the bill passed into law before the end of the year. 12 submissions were received by the Senate Committee.
• Source: CMA Squawk
• FEARS OVER AUSTRALIA’S £55M PLAN TO CENSOR THE INTERNET:
• “Won’t somebody think of the children?” is a mantra being used by the Australian Government to increase control over what Australians can see, watch and do – in the name of protecting the nation’s youth. And a scheme that opponents claim mounts to censorship is coming closer: the Government has said that it wants to start live trials of ISP-level content filtering before Christmas. The plan was put together by Stephen Conroy, the minister for broadband, communications and the digital economy, with the aim of protecting children from pornography and violent websites and the banning outright of illegal material. Australians will be unable to opt out of the scheme. Senator Conroy told the Australian media: “Labor makes no apologies to those that argue that any regulation of the internet is goind down the Chinese road. If people equate freedom of speech with watching child pornography, then the Government is going to disagree.”
• Source: The Guardian
• CODES OF PRACTICE:
• The Australian Communications and Media Authority has registered new Codes of Practice for Community Radio roadcasting services. The codes have been amended and strengthened to assist the Community Radio sector in better understanding their obligations and corporate governance requirements. Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman said, “Licensees will now be required to have written corporate governance policies and procedures that support their management, financial and technical operations, as well as documentation that substantiates their efforts to encourage community participation. These are all signs of a rapidly maturing sector.”
• Source: CMA Squawk
• PAPUA NEW GUINEA
• A year after applying, HCJB’s Papua New Guinea Partner, Wantok Radio Light (WRL) has received permission to use the Papua New Guinea Telecom satellite distribution system. This is much less expensive than the present provider and means that the network can expand more quickly to more locations – since telecom has numerous towers across the country.
• Email: communication@hcjb.org
• PHILLIP RANDALL ELECTED TO CBAA BOARD:
• General Manager of FM 103.2, Phillip Randall, was elected to the Board of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia at the AGM, during the CBAA National Conference in Alice Springs. Phillip has been actively involved in digital radio developments and has represented NSW in digital radio forums. He will serve a 2 year term on the Board. He brings to the CBAA many years of experience in managing large stations and serving on the Board of Christian Media Australia.
• Source: CMA Squawk

MIDDLE EAST

• SAT-7:
• SAT-7 broadcasts a Christian satellite Television service to the Middle East and North Africa on 3 channels – SAT-7 ARABIC, SAT-KIDS and SAT-7 PARS. The round-the-clock broadcasts provide SAT-7’s audiences with an opportunity to hear the Christian message in their own languages, without foreign cultural or political bias. The twelve year-old ministry seeks to complement all regional public education and information channels with a balanced Christian worldview reflecting Biblical perspectives on human life and society.
• Visit www.sat7.org
• ARABIC BIBLE SCHOOL ON TV:
• The first episode of Arab Vision’s “Bible School on TV” premiered on a Christian satellite station last month. The series is produced in co-operation with a local Arab church. It uses a classroom setting, with an experienced Bible teacher going through the fundamental doctrines of Christianity with his students. Viewers are responding from all over the Arab world. One from Algeria says, “I accepted Christ through your broadcasts. I congratulate you on this new programme because it is very helpful, especially for us in North Africa.” A viewer from Saudi Arabia wrote, “God bless you for this programme. It helps us a lot because there are not churches for us.” A lady from the United Arab Emirates simply says, “May God help you to continue these programmes.” “Bible School on TV” is broadcast every Sunday, with additional repeat broadcasts on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• Source: Arab Vision
• SAT-7 KIDS:
• SAT-7 KIDS, the only Arabic Christian Satellite TV Channel dedicated exclusively to the children of the Middle East and North Africa, celebrates its first anniversary on December 10th, 2008. Over the next few weeks, children in the region can watch Arabic cartoons (such as VeggieTales “The Toy who stole Christmas” and “Hermie & Friends”), films including “The Miracle Maker” and many locally produced specials including SAT-7 KIDS first “live” telecast.
• Visit www.sat7.org

GLOBAL

• NEW CEO FOR PARACLETE MISSION GROUP:
• Paraclete Mission Group has announced the appointment of Glen Volkhardt as CEO of the organisation, effective January 1st 2009. Volkhardt came to Paraclete after a 29 year career with HCJB Global, of Colorado Springs. He will replace Don Parrott who is stepping down to become the CEO of The Finishers Project.  “Paraclete’s ministry model is perfect for the parts of the world where the church has experienced recent growth,” says Volkhardt. “Many of the historic ‘mission fields’ now have mature Christian leadership and no longer need traditional missionaries. But many are looking for practical help, and that’s what we offer.” Paraclete takes its name from the Greek word for “advocate” or one that comes alongside to help. It has been using the come-along-side model to enhance Kingdom effectiveness in the global missions community. Paraclete Associates are all senior missionaries serving as consultants and servants to mission agencies, churches and Christian organisations worldwide.
• Visit www.paraclete.net
• SIGNIS WORLD CONGRESS:
• SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communication, announced that the next SIGNIS World Congress will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from October 17-21, 2009, with the theme “Media for a Culture of Peace: Children’s Rights, Tomorrow’s Promise“. The Congress will gather communication professionals from all over the world to encourage communicators to make children’s rights a priority in their work.
• Email: info@signis.net
• PROJECT HANNAH:
• Ten years ago, a Trans World Radio Missionary was deeply concerned about the many women trapped in spiritual, cultural and physical bondage. Her response was “Project Hannah” which today broadcasts in 48 different languages on 550 stations around the world. From India to Cambodia, from South America to Angola, Project Hannah programmes encourage women in the direst of circumstances, and help to heal many broken hearts.
• Source: TWR Snapshots

NORTH AMERICA

• USA:
• National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) have announced the 2009 Award Winners including:-
• • Radio Station of the Year: Large Market – WMBI/Moody Radio Chicago -
  • which is part of the Moody Bible Institue of Chicago, Illinois, founded by evangelist Dwight Moody in 1886. Moody Radio owns 36 radio stations and an online ministry featuring internet radio streams and podcasts.
  • Radio Station of the Year: Medium Market – WCSG is a non-commercial, listener-supported radio station owned by Cornerstone University of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It serves the West Michigan area with Christian music and content designed to encourage and engage more listeners toward a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
  • Radio Station of the Year: Small Market – KJIL reaches Southwest Kansas, Oklahoma Panhandle, Northwest Oklahoma, North Texas Panhandle and Eastern Colorado. The station carries 21 hours of contemporary Christian music and 3 hours of teaching and information programmes each day.
  • Source: NRB

DIARY DATES

• FEB CONFERENCE 2009:
• THE FEB CONFERENCE is in SOFIA, BULGARIA at the PARK HOTEL VITOSHA from MARCH 19 - 22 2009.
• Visit www.feb.org
• ACB CONFERENCE 2009:
• The Association of Christian Broadcasters in southern Africa hold their Conference from 10 - 12 March 2009, at the Willow Park Conference Centre, Johannesburg.
• Visit www.acb.org.za