News
Snippets March 2010
EUROPE
- EUROPEAN COMMISSION
The European Commission has called on Social Networking Companies to improve child safety policies. According to an EU Study, 50% of European teenagers give out personal information on the web – which can remain online forever and be seen by anybody. At the Safer Internet Day, held in February 2010, the Commission’s message to teenagers was, “Think before you post!“. It also welcomed actions to protect children using social networking websites taken by the 20 companies who signed the Safer Social Networking Principles in 2009.
Source: European Union - NORWAY
Kids and Media are partnering with Intuitive Media (UK) to offer safe social networks for children. They have launched a UK site www.kidsandmedia.co.uk, which has been listed on the UK Internet Watch Foundation’s list of useful sites. They will develop both a Dutch and Danish version this spring, and will launch a newsletter in the next few weeks. In April they will launch a US site.
Visit www.barnevakten.no and www.kidsandmedia.co.uk - UK
The BBC has confirmed plans to cut £100m (US$149m) from its annual overhead by cutting web budgets by 25%, foreign acquisitions by 20%, capping sports rights and closing Radio Stations 6 Music and the Asian Network. It has also pledged to put an extra £600m into its programming spending, ending years of expansion into new sectors by the corporation. BBC Online will be halved in size by 2013, with its £122m budget and staff levels cut by a quarter.
Source: BBC News & C21Media.net - BULGARIA
Central European Media Enterprises (CME) has acquired News Corporation’s Bulgarian free-to-air channel, pay cable networks and radio assets for US$400m. CME sealed a deal to buy free-TV channel BTV, the BTV Cinema and BTV Comedy cable channels and 74% of radio firm CJ OOD which operates a number of radio stations in Bulgaria. The deal is subject to the approval of the Bulgarian Commission for the protection of competition. CME recently sold its Ukrainian channels Studio 1+1 and Kino for US£300m.
Source: C21Media.net - EUROPEAN UNION
Wireless subscribers in the EU now have the ability to ask their Mobile Phone carrier to disconnect their service if they incur too many data charges. Phone providers must also inform subscribers when they have reached 80% of capacity. Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for Digital Agenda said, “Protection against data roaming bill shocks is a useful step towards building customers’ confidence to use mobile networks to surf the internet when travelling around Europe. Such confidence is essential if people and businesses are to use the internet to its full potential.”
Source: DailyTech - UK
UK Christian Charity, CARE, has launched a website, www.makethecrosscount2010.net/ to encourage churches to get involved in Christian policy issues in the run-up to the General Election, including organising Hustings meetings to meet with prospective MPs. CARE helps to bring Christian insight to issues and campaigns of public policy, including Family Policies, Child Protection, Bioethics, Human Rights and Religious Liberty. CARE is also active in the European Union, led by David Fieldsend in CARE’s Brussels office.
Visit www.care.org.uk
- ESTONIA
TWR is to upgrade its AM transmitter in Tartu, Estonia from 100 to 200 kilowatts. TWR Russia produces a 2 hour block of radio programmes which is aired daily in the evenings with a repeat in the morning, as well as 3 hours a week of direct transmissions, including Family, Health, Christian Life, Pastoral, Children and Youth Programmes.
Visit www.twr.org - GREECE
Radio Kanali 7 in Nicosia will broadcast “radio spots” by Ignatius Meimaris on the subject of “Relationships from a Christian Perspective“. Meimaris leads the Interbalkan Institute for Education and Economic Development in Greece, running Business Seminars and a Consultancy.
Email: ignatios_meimaris@post.harvard.edu - UK
According to Screen Digest, nearly 60% of TVs sold in the UK in 2012 will have a broadband connection, which will give an installed base of 8.8 million connected TV sets and make online video more accessible. Sky plan to turn on the broadband connection in the back of Sky+HD boxes this year. Print Media is also exploiting video online shows. The Daily Telegraph has an average print circulation of 700,000 but now has 30 million online users and journalists have been told to add video to their stories and to “put the story and interactivity into the video itself”. When Tony Blair was giving evidence at the Iraq Inquiry, the site streamed proceedings live with a “credibility meter” and live-chat facilities – and received more than 250,000 responses during the stream.
Source: Broadcastnow.co.uk
AFRICA
- SOUTH AFRICA
In 2009 CBN celebrated 50 years in ministry. 2,311 film events were held by CBN Africa - they aim to increase this number of events in 2010, and extend the number of venues used, to include showing live matches of FIFA World Cup Football. Ministry will take place at each event.
Contact: Keith Strugnell keith.strugnell@go-tell.org - SOUTH AFRICA
The Association of Christian Broadcasters has expressed concern about some aspects of the Draft Public Service Broadcasting Bill, which proposes radical changes to the broadcasting sector, including a new broadcasting tax to replace the licence fee. The Act also proposes a central Broadcasting Fund to be run by the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), which will give money to the SABC, community radio, to public programming and for signal distribution. ACB is concerned that a central Fund will increase bureaucracy and be less efficient. They are also proposing that the Minister of Communications should not be involved in operational issues at the SABC.
Contact: Dave Hotchkiss info@acb.org.za
ASIA
- PHILIPPINES
TWR-Philippines has launched “The Edge” Radio in Baguio City. This is an FM broadcasting joint venture with United Christian Broadcasters Initiatives for Asia. “The Edge” is aimed at young people in Baguio City and Benguet, and uses contemporary Christian music.
Visit www.twrphilippines.com - CHINA
| Official Country Name | People’s Republic of China |
| Region | East & South Asia |
| Population | 1,273,111,290 |
| Languages | Mandarin, Cantonese, Yue, Minbei, Minnan, Xiang, Gan, Hakka |
| Literacy Rate | 81.5% |
| Size | 9,596,960 sq. km |
| GDP | 1,079,948 (US$ millions) |
| Number of TV Stations | 3240 |
| Number of TV sets | 400,000,000 |
| TV Sets per 1,000 | 314,2 |
| Number of Radio Stations | 673 |
| Number of Radio receivers | 414,000,000 |
| Radio Receivers per 1,000 | 325.2 |
| Number of individuals with computers | 20,600,000 |
| Number of individuals with Internet access | 22,500,000 |
| Internet access per 1,000 | 17.7 |
AUSTRALIA
- CHRISTIAN MEDIA AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE
Mike Novak, President and CEO of EMF Broadcasting, will speak at the Christian Media Australia Conference, being held from 12-14 May at the Holiday Inn, Surfers Paradise, Queensland. Other speakers include Phil Cooke, Rick Dunham and Craig Rispin. The Early Bird discount ends 31st March 2010.
Visit www.christianmedia.org.au - NEW DIRECTOR FOR TWR AUSTRALIA
Garrison Pearse has been appointed as TWR’s new National Director, following Bob Simpson, who has held the role for the last five years. Simpson will continue to advise on strategic planning and developmental growth within the organisation.
Visit www.twr.org - RADIO SPECTRUM
The Australian Government aims to free up a block of free spectrum space when switching from analogue to digital and moving some digital TV services to new channels. The Digital Dividend Green Paper is available online at www.dbcde.gov.au/digitaldividend. The Government has yet to make its final decision on the size and location of the digital dividend.
Source: Christian Media Australia
GLOBAL
- CHALLENGE FOR CONTENT PRODUCERS
Ken Locker, Senior VP for Digital Media for Cookie Jar Entertainment, has argued that for children, “TV is the new radio“. Having conducted an informal survey of 6-18 year olds asking “Which would you give up first – your TV, computer or cell phone?” - it found that 77% would give up their TVs first, 12% their computers and 11% their cell phones. Teenagers expect their media to be portable and personalised, and want a “user-controlled” experience. Last year in the US, the average teenager sent and received 2,300 text messages per month. One of the biggest trends impacting the movement away from watching TV live and on a TV set, is the growth of online video. Adoption rates for online video viewing of TV programmes represent the highest in history of any form of media distribution.
Source: C21Media.net - GOOGLE
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Internet search provider Google is teaming up with Dish Network, America’s second largest satellite TV platform, to test a TV programming search service. The service would run on TV set-top boxes using parts of Google’s wireless operating system Android, and would allow users to search content from the satcaster, as well as websites such as YouTube, while personalising the line-up of programming. Google hopes to link the TV service to its TV ad-brokering business, allowing it to target ads to individual households based on viewing and TV search data.
Source: C21Media.net
LATIN AMERICA
- CHILE
Radio Trans Mundial (RTM) sustained severe damage to their offices in the recent earthquake in Chile. Staff were safe, but according to RTM-Chile National Director Sigisfredo Alvarado, the office “ended up in a heap of rubble. Part of the roof fell in, and the furniture came tumbling down, destroying other things in its path.” The extent of the damage and the cost of repair are still being assessed. RTM is distributing a series of radio programmes in Spanish entitled, “Growth through Hardship” based on the Biblica book, “When your Whole World Changes“.
Visit www.twr.org
MIDDLE EAST
- SAUDI ARABIA
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp has reached an agreement to buy a 9% stake in Rotana Media Group, the entertainment Company owned by the Saudi royal family, at a cost of US$70m. The company has an option to increase its stake to around 18% in the next 18 months. Rotana hosts Fox channels in Saudi Arabia via its television network (Rotana TV) and owns rights to more than 2,000 Arabic movies. It also owns a Film Production Company, a Magazine and a Record label.
Source: C21Media.net - EGYPT
SAT-7 had one of its popular television personalities, “Mr Know“, host of the SAT-7 KIDS programme “Why is That?” at their booth at the Cairo International Book Fair to sign autographs. The Fair is one of the largest of its kind anywhere in the world.
Visit www.sat7.org
NORTH AMERICA
- USA
From 1st March to April 25 2010, individuals from the USA and around the world can participate in the first-ever online video Bible. They can film themselves reading or quoting Scripture passages and then upload the videos to the new “I am not ashamed” campaign website, www.iamnotashamed.org The ad campaign launched both online and on television, with commercial spots on the Fox News Channel, FoxNews.com and MSNBC.com featuring participants quoting Bible verses, as well as a national campaign in print and on billboards.
Email: melany@alarryross.com - USA: The comedy play “Triple Espresso“, produced by Dennis Babcock of Minneapolis, is playing at the Lyceum Stage Theatre, Horton Plaza, San Diego from 16 March to 11 April 2010.
Visit www.tripleespresso.com - CANADA
A new daily talk show designed for women began airing on Crossroads Television System (CTS) on 1st March. “Full Circle Rewind” will air in a half hour format on weekdays at 3.00pm. Crossroads also produce “100 Huntley Street“, a Christian TV programme which has been running daily in Canada for nearly 50 years.
Email: news@crossroads.ca - NRB 2010 CONVENTION
A number of Members of the Global Media Partnership attended the NRB 2010 Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. They included Keith Strugnell, Association of Christian Broadcasters of South Africa; Hannu Haukka, Association of Christian Broadcasters in Russia; David Turrell, Christian Media Australia; Harvey Thomas, Fellowship of European Broadcasters; and Arnold Enns and Janet Luttrell, COICOM, Latin America, together with Gregg Harris, Lauren Libby and Wayne Pederson, Presidents of FEBC, TWR and HCJB respectively.
Visit www.nrb.org
DIARY DATES
- SLOVENIA: Book now for the FEB Conference, from 11-14 November 2010 at the City Hotel, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Terry Ascott, CEO of SAT-7 will speak on the subject, “How to reach people and cultures with new technology”. Bible Teacher will be David Shearman, Senior Minister at Nottingham Christian Centre, UK. You can book online or ask for a Registration Form.
- UK: The International Christian Resources Exhibition is at Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey from 11-14 May 2010.
Visit www.creonline.co.uk - ROMANIA: Alfa Omega TV is organising a “Prayer for Israel” Conference from 6-8 May 2010 in Timisoara, Romania, for Pastors and Leaders of all denominations from Romania and abroad.
Visit www.alfaomega.tv - LUXEMBOURG: The 9th SIGNIS International TV/Producer Seminar will take place at the Maison d/accueil des Soeurs Franciscaines in Luxembourg from 30 May to 2 June 2010.
Visit www.catholictv.tv - UK: The UK’s Church and Media Conference is from 7-9 June 2010 at the Hayes Conference Centre, Derbyshire, with Speakers including Roger Bolton, Elaine Storkey and Tony Campolo.
Visit www.churchesmediacouncil.org.uk/conference/
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