EUROPE

• HARVEY THOMAS TO TAKE ON EUROPEAN LOBBYING ROLE:   
  FEB Chairman, Harvey Thomas is to take on the role of Lobbyist to the European Union on behalf of the Fellowship at the end of this year - 2008. The position is unpaid and part-time and Harvey will continue his professional work as an International PR Consultant.
  
  Harvey will represent the interests of Christian Broadcasters at the European Union. Issues of concern include Regulation of Advertising and Product Placement; Cultural and Religious Responsibilities in Public Service Broadcasting; Protection of Minors; Responsibility and Accountability on the Internet; Licensing opportunities for Digital and Analogue Spectra and the growing integration of Culture and Religion.
  
  Harvey is a Member of SEAP (the Society of European Affairs Professionals) and will work alongside FEB's retiring Lobbyist Ger de Ridder until December.
  
  
• BULGARIA:  Dr Paul Negrut will be the Bible Teacher at the FEB Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria from March 19-22 2009.  Nick Nedelchev and Gordon Showell-Rogers from the European Evangelical Alliance are among confirmed Speakers on the Theme "Media can bring a Christian Europe - Faith or Fantasy? " 
  Early Registration:  www.feb.org/Registration%20Form%20Bulgaria%20June%2008.doc
  
  
• EUROPEAN UNION plans for a "super-regulator" for Telecommunications received little support from Member States, although Ministers agree that much more co-operation between national Regulators is needed.  Commissioner Viviane Reding wants to see progress on the reform of Radio Spectrum management, and has proposed that 50% of the Analogue radio spectrum freed up by switching to Digital should be used for new Mobile and Wireless Services.  This is the "dream of broadband for all Europeans"  and would also allow space for commercial and public broadcasters to offer new TV services.
  
  
• UK TRAILS IN GLOBAL BROADBAND LEAGUE: Representatives from the UK Government, the regulator OFCOM and Industry have held a crisis summit on how to prevent the UK slipping down the global broadband league. The Government's independent advisory body, the Broadband Stakeholders Group (BSG), says that the long-term benefits to the UK economy of having the next generation of super-fast networks will outweigh the estimated £16 billion (US$32 billion) it will cost to introduce them. The Government says that Britain needs to invest in networks capable of delivering speeds of 50 to 100 megabits a second. The current average residential broadband speed is about five megabits a second.
  Source: Guardian UK
  
  
• THE EUROPEAN EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE is searching for a self-funded Director of Operations. This will be a key role within the management structure of the Organisation and offers the opportunity to influence and shape the EEA's work across Europe.
  Email to: eeaoffice@aol.com
  
  
• UK : UK Culture Secretary, Andy Burnham, is against adopting the part of Europe's new Audiovisual Media Services Directive legitimising TV product placement. He said, "There is a risk that product placement exacerbates this decline in trust and contaminates our programmes." He also emphasised the importance of high standards in broadcasting - "I'm thinking of guiding principles like impartiality and accuracy in TV and Radio news, the integrity of programme making and the 9pm watershed, protecting young people against harm and offence. Standards are what have kept British broadcasting valued, celebrated and trusted in the UK and around the world." OFCOM is holding a consultation this summer on whether the ban on product placement should be lifted.
  Source: C21 Media.net
  
  
• FRANCE: French audiovisual regulator CSA has awarded DVB-H personal mobile TV broadcast licences to 13 private channels, and has reserved 3 channels for public broadcasters France 2, France 3 and Arte. The regulator received 36 mobile TV licence applications.
  Source: Telecom.paper
  
  
• SPAIN : Mr Jose Maria Contreras has been appointed as Director General of the Department of Religious affairs in Spain. Contreras is a defender of freedom of speech and religion, believing that all religious groups should be treated equally and fairly by government. The Spanish Government recently rejected a proposal to remove the crucifix and the Bible from public swearing-in ceremonies. 
  Source: AC Press
  
  
• FRANCE: SEMER, a French international Mission, is organising the "Tour de France of the Bible" from 7-22 July, following the famous bike race from town to town to promote the Bible, accompanied by an international evangelistic team.
  Visit www.semer.info
  
  
• FINLAND: Family Channel, sister organisation to IRR/TV has been issued with a 3 month trial National TV Broadcasting Licence, covering 95% of Finland, beginning in August 2008.
  Contact Hannu.Haukka@irrtv.fi
  
  
• UK: The BBC has offered to help Independent Television (ITV) cut the costs of its public service broadcasting (PSB) commitments. This is seen as a bid to avoid having the BBC licence fee revenues trimmed to subsidise rivals. ITV need to cut £150 million (US$294 million) from its PSB costs for regulator-friendly programming such as news, regional programming and children's TV by 2012, when the analogue TV signal is switched off.
  Source: C21 Media.net
  
  
• SPAIN: Numbers of Evangelical Religious Education Pupils in the north-west region of Spain are growing. In 2000 there were only three Evangelical R.E. teachers. Today there are 34, teaching 831 pupils who have opted to take this subject. In the last two years, pupil numbers have risen by 33%. Religious education continues to be the focus of fierce debate in Spain. Currently parents may choose to send their children to classes in any of the recognised religions (including Evangelical Christianity), or to a non-confessional alternative. There has to be a minimum number of ten pupils who request classes, for a school to contract a teacher. If this number is not reached, pupils who requested Evangelical R.E. have to take the non-confessional alternative.
  Source: AC Press