ASIA

New Zealand’s Minister for Broadcasting and Media Kris Faafoi has announced the government’s decision to create a new public media entity by merging RNZ and TVNZ.According to Faafoi, ensuring New Zealanders continue to have access to reliable, trusted, independent information and local content sits at the heart of the decision.“The public media sector is extremely important to New Zealanders in providing them with high quality, independent, timely and relevant media content,” Faafoi said.“But we know the media landscape is changing and the sector is having to adapt to increased competition, changing audience demands and ways of accessing media, falling revenue, and new and emerging digital platforms. We need public media which is responsive to these changes and can flourish.“RNZ and TVNZ are each trying to adjust to the challenges, but our current public media system, and the legislation it’s based on, is focused on radio and television.“New Zealanders are among some of the most adaptive audiences when it comes to accessing content in different ways; like their phones rather than television and radio, and from internet-based platforms. We must be sure our public media can adapt to those audience changes, as well as other challenges that media will face in the future.”“The new public media entity will be built on the best of both RNZ and TVNZ, which will initially become subsidiaries of the new organisation. It will continue to provide what existing audiences value, such as RNZ Concert, as well as better reaching those groups who aren’t currently well served; such as our various ethnic communities and cultures,” Faafoi saidGovernment funding decisions will be made as part of Budget processes, and the entity will be an Autonomous Crown Entity with complete editorial independence receiving commercial and Crown funding for operations and will:
Provide quality public media content to all New Zealanders, including groups who are currently under-served or under-represented
Use a range of platforms, including current radio and linear TV and those of third parties, to reach audiences when, where and how audiences choose
Operate under a charter, set out in legislation, and provide trustworthy news as a core service
Deliver on the Crown’s Te Tiriti obligations and provide Māori stories and perspectives
Carry advertising, while ensuring services which are currently commercial-free will remain so
Collaborate with and support the wider New Zealand media sector where appropriate.
An Establishment Board will be appointed next month to oversee the detailed design of the entity and the change process, with the aim of having it operational by July 1, 2023.The public will have a chance to give their views, including on the entity’s charter, through the select committee process when legislation is considered later this year.As of 2020, TVNZ had revenues of $340m and 390 staff, while RNZ had a staff strength of 310 with $50m revenues.While RNZ and TVNZ have welcomed the decision, some lobby groups have also voiced their concerns.RNZ Chairman, Jim Mather said: “The crucial building blocks of the entity give us confidence that the policy is a sound response to the challenges faced by New Zealand public media in a rapidly changing global media environment.”Mather said RNZ’s focus in 2022 would be to embrace new opportunities and prepare for the future ensuring a smooth transition for staff and audiences.TVNZ chief executive Simon Power in a statement said that “creating a public media entity for the digital age” was an exciting opportunity, and was pleased to have a decision.National Party broadcasting spokeswoman Melissa Lee said the merger was “a solution looking for a problem” that would reduce media plurality.Lee said that despite “millions” being spent on the plan it was still not clear what would be delivered. The country needed more media voices, not fewer, she said.“Merging RNZ and TVNZ into an unaccountable publicly-funded monolith will only harm their long-term value to the taxpaying public,” she told Stuff.Stuff chief executive Sinead Boucher said it expected to make a submission at the select committee stage.“As a commercially funded New Zealand-owned company, Stuff is keen to ensure that government intervention in the market does not undermine the commercial viability of our newsrooms and operations in every region across the country,” she said.Myles Thomas, chairman of lobby group Better Public Media, said it was seriously concerned that the merger might enable a future government to push RNZ towards a commercial model.Faafoi’s promise of “complete editorial independence is impossible when politicians control the entity’s funding through the annual budget”, he said. […]

Russia’s State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK), Channel One, and the Ostankino radio house announced that they were leaving the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), a statement by the broadcasters said on Saturday.“Channel One, VGTRK and the Ostankino radio house announce their exit from the European Broadcasting Union as a response measure to Russia being excluded from the participation in the Eurovision-2022 song contest which we view as an improper political sacrifice at the music forum which has always emphasized its non-political status,” the statement said.On February 25, the EBU made a decision that Russia wouldn’t participate in the Eurovision-2022 song contest which will be held in Turin.Earlier, Baltic broadcasters appealed to the EBU to suspend or cancel the membership of VGTRK and Channel One over the situation in Ukraine. They urged the EBU to adopt a firm stance and use all available means to support and protect the people of Ukraine and its independence.Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on Thursday morning that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people “who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.” The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.Russia’s Defense Ministry reported later on Thursday that Russian troops were not delivering strikes against Ukrainian cities. It emphasized that Ukrainian military infrastructure was being destroyed by precision weapons.Image: Ostankino Tower, Moscow. Wikimapia. […]

The World Broadcasting Unions (WBU), a coordinating body for broadcasting unions who represent broadcaster networks across the globe, has issued the following statement on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.“As the situation between Russia and Ukraine escalates, access to trusted, factual, and impartial information is more critical than ever.All media broadcasters and the World Broadcasting Unions’ members are focused on doing our job for the public in difficult circumstances and we will not hesitate to condemn any infringements or violations of press freedom. It is vital for journalists to be allowed to continue to operate both freely and safely, and report without hindrance. Supporting media freedom must be prioritized, not despite these challenging circumstances, but because of them.”  The statement comes as Kremlin clamps down on social media and threatening to muzzle outspoken independent news outlets. Independent radio station Ekho Moskvy was closed last week and TV Rain, an independent radio station suspended operations after receiving threats of closure from the authorities as Russian officials demand that the country’s media cover the Ukraine invasion in strict accordance with the official line.In further crackdown on dissenters and western social media, police in Moscow are stopping people in the streets to go through their phones and screening their text messages and phones.Media covering the invasion in Ukraine is not safe either, as a team of Sky News reporters narrowly escaped a violent ambush by Russian saboteurs near Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.Various media broadcasting organisations have responded by discontinuing their operations in Russia.Major broadcast software company Adthos has cut ties with Russia, where it has conducted much of its R&D over the years. Spotify has closed its Russia office indefinitely and also removed all content from state media RT and Sputnik from its platform in the European Union, the United States and other markets around the world, except for Russia. Similar steps have been taken by Facebook and Twitter. […]

Benztown and P1 Media Group will host a free webinar on Thursday for radio professionals around the globe, entitled “Coaching Talent From Good to Great.”The webinar is 20th in the companies’ “Global Radio Ideas” webinar series from top radio experts from around the world.The 40-minute webinar will be hosted by Andreas Sannemann, CEO, Benztown, and Ken Benson, Partner, P1 Media Group, and will feature radio talent coach Randy Lane, President, The Randy Lane Company.Randy has worked with many of the top radio talent and shows in multiple countries, including: Jimmy Kimmel, Ryan Seacrest, Kidd Kraddick, The Bert Show, Toucher and Rich, and Dave Ryan.Lane programmed the legendary WMC in Memphis, TN, and programmed the first major Modern AC station, Star 98.7 in Los Angeles, CA.He has been recognized with numerous industry awards including Billboard’s “Consultant of the Year” for Adult Contemporary and Top 40. He was also named “Consultant of the Year” at the Worldwide Radio Summit.He launched his consulting company in 1996 with a mission of “creating brand depth for radio stations by developing morning shows that generate ratings and revenue.”The webinar is Thursday, March 10, 2022, at 10:00am PST/1:00pm EST/7:00pm CET.Register at: https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/WebinarRandyLane […]

Amsterdam based Wedel Software which launched the Adthos brand last year, has suspended all operations in Russia where it had conducted much of its R&D for many years.Company founder, Raoul Wedel posted the following statement on social media a few days ago…Questioned about the impact this decision will have on the company and staff, Wedel replied, “We have had a part of our R&D in Russia for 8 years and actually before that in the Ukraine for 5 years. I have been in the region many times and have many friends an connections there.“The decision was on one hand heartbreaking, on the other hand I feel we have no choice, and people must unite against these war crimes. We have employees in Donetsk, Rostov on Don, Moscow and St. Petersburg. None of them supports this war, and they are just trying to provide for their families. “The decision will not affect our company in the short term, but we will need to regroup our R&D in the near future. Even if the war would end soon, the country will remain unstable and sanctioned as long as Putin is in power.“I hope this story will make more companies consider cutting all their ties with Russia,” said Wedel. […]

According to a report in Pajhwok Afghan News (paid subscription), four radio stations, including a state-run one in central Logar province, may shut down due to lack of income and government’s support.Shafiullah Afghanzai, head of Independent Journalists Union and manager of Zinat radio, told Pajhwok that the economic situation of journalists was worrisome.He said after the political changes in August, media lost their income sources and dozens of journalists became jobless.Head of Freelance Journalists Association, Matiullah Sarwar, said that the Taliban led government had no special policy so far to support media and journalists, leaving them with no idea about how to run their affairs.He said at least 50 journalists were working in these stations in Logar and 10 female journalists lost their jobs after the regime change.Munir Ahmad Azizi, a journalist, said he was forced to go to Iran via smuggling routes after the change in political system as he was not able to find a job after becoming unemployed.Rafiullah Samim, Director of Information and Cculture, told Pajhwok there was no doubt that problems existed.“Allah (swt) is kind, there would be a way to steer the media and journalists out of crisis,” he added. […]