The 61st Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) General Assembly commenced with a Programme Committee Meeting in Istanbul, led by Claire Gorman (ABC-Australia) and Inoue Tatsuhiko (NHK-Japan), and opened by the ABU Secretary-General.
Key discussions included a proposal to open the ABU TV Song Festival to radio members, enhancing inclusivity across platforms.
Currently, the ABU TV Song Festival is open to television broadcasters who are members of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. Since its first edition in 2012, over thirty broadcasters have participated in the event.
While radio members have not been able to participate in most editions of the ABU TV Song Festival, Nepalese radio station Radio Tulsipur had an entry in the virtual ABU TV Song Festival in 2020.
Earlier, between 2012 and 2019, the ABU organised the ABU Radio Song Festival which was open to radio broadcasters only. The event showcased unsigned music talent from across the Asia-Pacific region but was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Radio Song Festival saw twenty-eight countries participate across six editions, including participation from broadcasters in countries who have not participated in the ABU TV Song Festival.
This story first appeared on RadioInfo.asia