Or how about a private USIA? "Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), along with a panel of foreign policy and communications experts, spoke at the Heritage Foundation about creating a new organization to facilitate international communication and diplomacy. Thornberry said that today’s post-Sept. 11 national security issues require government agencies to work together for solutions. In addition, he said that this communication is important for international diplomacy to solve global issues. Thornberry proposed the creation of a private organization much like the United States Information Agency (USIA) which was dissolved in 1999, to reach this goal." Talk Radio News Service, 22 July 2008. See also Heritage Foundation, 22 July 2008. All sorts of organizations can engage in international outreach for the good of the United States, but only the government can engage in public diplomacy. Posted: 23 Jul 2008 Permalink

Another John Hughes revive USIA op-ed. "What a new president and Congress should do is revive the best of ... past USIA programs, meld them with the newest technology, and create a new and even better USIA." John Hughes, Deseret News, 23 July 2008. Rewrite of Hughes' revive USIA op-ed in the Christian Science Monitor, 26 June 2008. Posted: 23 Jul 2008 Permalink

FBIS memories. Former editor of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service: "We did nothing very secret or anywhere near as glamorous as a James Bond escapade; all the programs – and the news agencies we watched – were out there, mostly in the short wave bands for anyone to access if they had the time, the equipment (a Zenith transoceanic radio worked very well) and the language skills needed to glean the information. In those Cold War days, listening to and translating news items into English from Radio Moscow and satellite states’ broadcasts from Prague, Warsaw, Budapest, Bucharest, East Berlin, Sofia, Beijing, Pyongyang, Havana and, yes, even Tirana, proved invaluable to the agency, the White House and the rest of the intelligence community. President Kennedy learned that the Soviet naval vessels were being turned around and would not attempt to cross the Cuban blockade from a news 'flash' on Radio Moscow in 1962." David Hubler, Washington Technology, 22 July 2008. Andy Sennitt comments: "The broadcasts from Prague, Warsaw, Budapest, Bucharest, East Berlin, Sofia and Tirana were actually listened to and translated by BBC monitors at Caversham. BBC Monitoring Service (as it then was) and FBIS had a cooperation agreement to minimise duplication of effort." Posted: 23 Jul 2008 Permalink

Worldspace, or 1worldspace, paid for "I am many; my world is 1." "1worldspace ... today unveiled '1worldspace' as its new corporate identity and brand, and launched a re-designed company website showcasing this new positioning. Developed by PIR Marketing to reflect the Company's mission and vision, the new 1worldspace brand and tagline--'I am many; my world is 1' -- celebrate the power of 1worldspace to bring together people from all over the world through the power of satellite communications and award-winning content." 1worldspace press release, 22 July 2008. See previous post about same subject. Posted: 23 Jul 2008 Permalink

House resolutions take aim at Middle Eastern television stations, and the satellites that relay them. H. Res. 1308, introduced by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) "(1) condemns the broadcast of incitement to violence against Americans and the United States by media based in the Middle East; (2) urges governments throughout the Middle East, American allies, and other responsible nations to officially and publically repudiate purveyors of incitement to violence against Americans and the United States; and (3) calls on the President to-- (A) designate al-Aqsa TV as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT); (B) designate as SDGTs satellite providers that knowingly and willingly contract with entities designated as SDGTs to broadcast their channels for providing financial, material, or technological support to terrorist entities." It also mentions Iran's Press TV and that it "is transmitted via the satellite providers ArabSat, NileSat, AsiaSat, HotBird, HispaSat, IntelSat, and Galaxy, and is viewable in North America, South America, the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa." via Thomas. "Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL), a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and a member of the Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee, praised the passage of House Resolution 1069, a resolution condemning Middle East media that incites violence against Americans and the United States and our ally Israel, in the House Foreign Affairs Committee." Rep. Wexler press release, 17 July 2008. Designating Arabsat and Nilesat as SDGTs could have remifications for Alhurra, distributed primarily by those two satellite services. Posted: 23 Jul 2008 Permalink

China: previously blocked websites accessible, for now. "Reports from Twitter pals around China are still coming in, but for at least many of us living here a huge litany of hitherto verboten sites are now accessible this morning. For me, at least, the list includes a number of controversial Chinese-language sites ordinarily off limits: Apple Daily, Boxun, Radio Free Asia’s simplified Chinese site even." Kaiser Kuo, Ogilvy China Digital Watch, 23 July 2008. Posted: 23 Jul 2008 Permalink

Victories all around in European elite survey. "According to the 2007 European Media and Marketing Survey (EMS) survey, which polls the main income earner in Europe's top 20% of homes by income, Sky News increased its daily reach to 5.3% from 5% in 2006. ... On a monthly reach basis, however, CNN International was most popular with EMS Regular viewers, reaching 33.4%, compared to EuroNews' monthly reach of 31.4%." Brand Republic, 23 July 2008. "The survey of affluent adults shows BBC World News to be the only major international news channel to have grown year-on-year in the three main viewing measures - daily, weekly and monthly reach." BBC World News press release, 23 July 2008. Posted: 23 Jul 2008 Permalink

BBC's tri-media election bus begins its tour. "BBC Global News today announces its US08 Election bus tour across America to report the build-up to the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, with coverage commencing on Wednesday, 10 September from LA. The initiative, which heads up extensive election programming, planned by the BBC’s international facing news division, will carry a tri-media team of journalists from BBC World Service radio and online (English Network and Language Services), BBC World News and BBC America television, including flagship news programme BBC World News America, and bbc.com/news." BBC World News press release, 22 July 2008. Posted: 23 Jul 2008 Permalink

BBC World Service: Quaecunque, subject to local restrictions. "When the Nigerian government stopped local stations rebroadcasting foreign news programmes in 2004, the World Service lost 1.5 million listeners. When the same rule was imposed in India, the losses were far higher – around 12 million between 1995 and 2002 – and signalled a ‘dramatic drop in overall radio listening’, according to the BBC. FM listeners are the denizens of large cities. If they have access to a good shortwave radio, they can always fall back on the traditions of the rural areas (this is what happened in Nigeria), where shortwave is still the way to pick up the service. It would be a high-risk strategy to move production away from Bush House to local stations, even if it meant saving millions of pounds in overheads and salaries by paying programme makers at local rates. What if national broadcasting regulators in Country X decided some of the content was undesirable? The answer, possibly, is that it could be fed to Bush House and repackaged for shortwave broadcast while being kept off the local FM outlet. But it wouldn’t be long before a local station producing controversial shows for transmission from outside the country (and back into it) came under pressure." Jeremy Harding, London Review of Books, 31 July 2008 issue. Posted: 23 Jul 2008 Permalink

Al Jazeera English adds another non-English speaking country. "Al Jazeera Satellite Network has unveiled a new contract with TSF On Sat that takes the channel to over 3.2 million households across Spain on the Hispasat satellite network. ... Al Jazeera English programming will be broadcast on TSF's satellite platform and on digital terrestrial television services in Northern Spain and Southern France (including Barcelona, the whole Pyrennes and touristic Costa Brava area); on cable in all Spanish and French major cities and on the station's Internet channel." Al Jazeera English, 23 July 2008. Posted: 23 Jul 2008 Permalink

Death of Charles Z Wick, USIA director under Reagan, founder of Worldnet. "Wick, 90, died of natural causes Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, according to his son, Douglas. Wick was the longest-serving director of the USIA, manning the post from March 1981 to January 1989. During that time, he is credited with modernizing the agency with computer networks and doubling its budget. In 1983, he began WORLDNET, the first live global satellite television network designed to link Washington with U.S. embassies and posts overseas." Contra Costa Times, 22 July 2008. See also AP, 22 July 2008. And Washington Post, 23 July 2008. "'Telling about America means telling people about America's foreign policy,' he told the Washington Post in 1986. 'Right now that policy is set by Ronald Reagan, and if we're going to tell the story accurately, we have to make clear what President Reagan believes in and what his policies stand for.'" Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2008. Posted: 23 Jul 2008 Permalink

Alhurra covers Obama visit to Iraq, while Iraqi media give it a miss. "During his brief visit to Iraq, Barack Obama has been greeted by busloads of Iraqi cameramen vying for shots of his arrivals and departures at meetings with government officials. But on government-sponsored Al Iraqiya television Monday, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee received second billing to Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's departure for Europe. Only Al Hurra, the U.S.-sponsored channel, led with the story." Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2008. See also Alhurra, 22 July 2008. Posted: 22 Jul 2008 Permalink

Washington Examiner comments about its reporter's payment from Alhurra. ProPublica reports about its response from Washington Examiner executive editor Stephen Smith about its journalist Bill Sammon receiving payment for an appearance on Alhurra. ProPublica, 21 July 2008. But what if a Washington Examiner reporter received a payment for an appearance on BBC, or the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, or the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, or Deutsche Welle, or Radio Netherlands, etc.? Can ProPublica demonstrate that these organizations are not autonomous because they are publicly funded? If not, can ProPublica tell us why Alhurra is government controlled, while the other broadcasting organizations are not? See previous post about same subject. Posted: 22 Jul 2008 Permalink

Public diplomacy by dint of fourth-grade textbooks. "The United States, of course, is not a Muslim nation, and Americans cannot by themselves orchestrate a meaningful Muslim response to Saudi extremism. But we do have a large Muslim population, we do have friends in the moderate Muslim world and we do have some money -- mostly wasted -- to spend on public diplomacy. We also have two presidential candidates who are arguing hard about the best way to combat terrorism, the best way to deploy guns and aid, the best uses of American military power. Here is a novel idea for both of them: Make sure that children in Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and in Islamic schools all around the world have decent fourth-grade textbooks. Help persuade the Muslim world to write and distribute them. It might save a lot of trouble a few years later on." Anne Applebaum, 22 July 2008. Posted: 22 Jul 2008 Permalink

America calling Iran, but not in Cold War fashion. "The U.S. debate about direct engagement is a relic of the cold war, when Russians had to trade illicit American jazz records and listen on earphones to Voice of America broadcasts in order to get Western ideas. In the digital age, thanks to cell phones, text messaging, Skype, YouTube and satellite TV broadcasts from the 'Tehrangeles' studios in Los Angeles, Iranians are well plugged in to American culture. Internet cafes are everywhere, and video conferencing puts American and Iranian students and faculty in routine conversation. As a university program director told me in Tehran, 'Dialogue takes place between Iranians and Americans whether anyone likes it or not.'" Brian T. Edwards, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2008. Posted: 22 Jul 2008 Permalink

A Canadian artist's response to Al-Jazeera access restrictions in Canada. "While at Carleton University in Ottawa recently, [London, Ontario-based artist Jamelie Hassan] discovered the university's art gallery shared a building with the School of Journalism. It was an 'a-ha' moment – Hassan had already created an installation piece using Arabic script, which she hopes will be exhibited at the gallery there. 'It resembles the script for Al-Jazeera [the all-news network based out of Qatar] but not really because it translates as 'shame on you' – shame in reference to the Canadian context.' Canadians are unable to access Al-Jazeera English – referred to as the CNN of the Arab world. There were so many restrictions put up by the CRTC, the network decided not to launch in this country." rabble.ca, 22 July 2008. "Al Jazeera: Was approved by the CRTC in 2004 as an optional cable and satellite offering, but on the condition that any carrier distributing it must edit out any instances of illegal hate speech. Cable companies declared that these restrictions would make it too expensive to carry Al Jazeera." Wikipedia CRTC entry. Posted: 22 Jul 2008 Permalink

BBC World will no longer sponsor this, or that? "The BBC has said it will no longer accept sponsorship of its events, such as Sports Personality of the Year and Proms in the Park, after a report found its editorial integrity was compromised by a commercial tie-in. ... The new policy applies to licence-fee-funded services and the BBC World Service, and is likely to cost the BBC around ￡1.5m (US$3m) a year." C21Media.net. 21 July 2008. Does this pertain more to BBC World News, more than BBC World Service? The former sponsored several events outside the UK. Posted: 22 Jul 2008 Permalink

North Korea was conspicuously absent. "In an event appropriately titled the 1st Japan-China-South Korea Editors' Seminar, 41 senior editors and journalists from Japan, China and South Korea, met in Seoul for the first of such a gathering. ... Jin Dong-guang, chief of Korean-language broadcasting at state-owned China Radio International (CRI), noted that due to growing competition with U.S. and European media, it was crucial for the three countries to strengthen their cooperation. 'Specifically,' reported Pressnet, 'Jin called for a system to share information among media in the three countries and to promote joint projects in newsgathering and content production, as well as in other fields.'" The Editors Weblog, 21 July 2008. Posted: 22 Jul 2008 Permalink

Memories of Ezra Pound, international broadcaster (updated). "Ezra Pound, the genius poet and cultural iconoc[l]ast who shocked and disturbed Americans with his pro-Fascist broadcasts during World War II, paid a very private visit to Rutherford 50 years ago, staying at the 9 Ridge Road residence of his life-long friend, William Carlos Williams. ... No American could have been more disturbed by Pound’s broadcast rantings, against everyone from Franklin Roosevelt to the Jews, than Florence 'Floss' Williams, who reported being 'happy and relieved' when the Pounds left her home that hot June day in 1958. Seventeen years earlier, Flossie had raced home on a July morning to tell her husband that a Rutherford bank employee had listened to one of Pound’s broadcasts – via shortwave radio connection to Radio Rome. Between his innocuous musings and superlatives for the dictator, Benito Mussolini, Pound interjected, 'As my friend Doc Williams of New Jersey would say...' Floss feared for her husband. And Williams just grew more incensed with his old college chum." South Bergenite (New Jersey), 2 July 2008. Update: Also listen also to "The Trial of Ezra Pound," a documentary investigation BBC Radio 3 Sunday Feature, 20 July 2008. The audio should be available through 26 July. Posted: 22 Jul 2008 Permalink

"No nonsense news" on CNN and CNN International. “'Fareed Zakaria GPS' (GPS stands for 'Global Public Square') ... is, in effect, an international version of 'Meet The Press,' with prominent newsmakers answering his tough, well-researched questions. ... In an era in which Americans are demanding — and thus getting — less international news, Zakaria’s 'GPS' is an auspicious event indeed. Only 'BBC World News' has been offering this kind of responsible global perspective and news to U.S. view." Bill Mann, Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, CA), 20 July 2008. Posted: 21 Jul 2008 Permalink

The Chinese Dream vies with the American Dream. "Beijing has tried to build up its own soft power by sharing its development expertise while stressing its commitment to multilateralism and peaceful integration (in contrast to Washington's neo-liberalism, unilateralism and imperial urge). And it has used a battery of public diplomacy techniques -- from international TV stations to cultural institutes -- to promote a 'Chinese Dream' as an alternative to the American Dream. The Olympics is the most dramatic ad for this new China." Mark Leonard, The Spectator, 16 July 2008. Posted: 21 Jul 2008 Permalink

Was that Her Majesty's Ambassador down at the diner? British officials are bypassing Washington and trying to influence American policy towards climate change by appealing to public opinion as embassies worldwide embrace 'public diplomacy'. ... 'There's a different gameplan in each of these 20 countries. This won't work everywhere, but it's the most appropriate way in America.'" The Telegraph, 20 July 2008. Posted: 21 Jul 2008 Permalink

Catching up on the news of religious international broadcasters. "HCJB Global is seeking a new president committed to the cause of Christ, with good communications, fundraising, and relational skills. Its three main goals for the future include engaging Sub-Saharan Africa with a combination of life-transforming media and healthcare, empowering radio stations around the world, and developing a mobilization center to equip Latin American missionaries to use media and healthcare in ministry." Mission Network News, 26 June 2008. Contrasts from earlier days of HCJB, which concentrated on shortwave.
     "The Internet is allowing something illegal into Portugal. And Trans World Radio is the organization getting it in there. John Summerville with TWR says, 'In Portugal, it is illegal to have a Christian radio station like we're accustomed to hearing in the U.S. If you have more than two hours of Christian broadcasting, then the government mandates a whole other set of rules for that radio station, and most radio stations aren't willing to go there.' However, Internet radio allows them to have a full-time Christian radio station without the rules." Mission Network News, 25 June 2008. Shortwave would have been used for that purpose in previous years.
     The Far East Broadcasting Company "is committing to distributing 20,000 radios to survivors (of China's May earthquake). Radios are a lifeline to emergency and health information and spiritual encouragement. More than 1,200 have already been given. Shortly after the disaster, FEBC began airing specially designed programs to help those in need. Programming included a disease prevention and control program hosted by an experienced medical doctor." Mission Network News, 23 June 2008. Shortwave radios? Would have to be. But how were these distributed in China? Posted: 21 Jul 2008 Permalink

Did CNN's African journalist of the year exercise "responsibility"? (updated) Ghana's president John Agyekum Kufuor "said when a delegation from the CNN and multi choice paid a courtesy call on him at the Castle, Osu, on Friday. 'Freedom of expression, yes, but this must be balanced with more responsibility.' Mr Tony Maddox, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of CNN, International, led the delegation. They are in Accra for the CNN-multi choice African Journalist of the Year 2008 Award Ceremony to be held at the Banquet Hall on Saturday.'" Ghana News Agency, 18 July 2008. Update: "A Zimbabwean journalist has won the prestigious CNN-sponsored African Journalist of the year competition for an uncompromising documentary examining his troubled country's struggle against HIV-AIDS.Hopewell Rugoh-Chin'ono's 'Pain in My Heart' garnered him top prize at this year's CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2008 Awards Ceremony after beating 1911 entries from a record 44 nations across the continent. ... CNN International's Managing Director Tony Maddox ... said the awards, now in their 13th year, had 'unearthed a wealth of voices from around Africa, each demonstrating a quality of journalism, and in some cases a resourcefulness and bravery in pursuing the story which has my deepest admiration.'" CNN, 21 July 2008. Posted: 21 Jul 2008 Permalink

SW Radio Africa: more frequencies than Harare can jam (updated). "Eight years ago, Jackson, a freelance journalist, launched an independent radio station in Harare; six days later, Mugabe shut it down. 'I realised independent radio just wasn't going to happen in Zimbabwe,' says Jackson. 'But the situation was deteriorating and it was extremely important that news got out.' Jackson came to Britain and, in December 2001, launched Short Wave Radio Africa. ... 'It's hard for people in the West to understand what it's like not to get any information,' Jackson says. ... The Zimbabwean government has jammed the station's main frequency almost constantly since 2005, forcing VT Communications, the British company that transmits content on the station's behalf, to find alternatives. 'The only way around this is to broadcast on more frequencies than the government can jam,' says Jackson." Metro.co.uk, 17 July 2008. OK, as long as the shortwave transmitters are available. Update: "Radio remains the best medium for communicating with people in Zimbabwe. People who don't have a television or a personal computer will generally either own a radio or have access to one – wind-up and solar-powered devices are popular. Shortwave is a powerful tool against dictators and despots – a signal can travel thousands of miles, so broadcasts can be transmitted into Zimbabwe from anywhere in the world." The Independemt, 21 July 2008. Posted: 21 Jul 2008 Permalink

Hey, if you'll buy the Nicky Butler Multigemstone Sterling Silver Square Ring on Home Shopping Network, you'll buy this: U.S. international broadcasting on U.S. cable. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) "is set to introduce a bill seeking to reorganize the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), a congressional aide told Inside the Pentagon on condition of anonymity. ... Under the proposed legislation, the BBG may begin to negotiate licenses with American cable television systems to broadcast its programs in the United States, he explained. The legislation also 'consolidates overlapping bureaucracies' and appoints a director of international broadcasting instead of leaving the task to the board itself, the congressional aide said." InsideDefense.com, 18 July 2008.
     Consolidating overlapping bureaucracies makes sense, but little else in this strange story which, alas, to access, you must give up your billing details. We might want to wait for a second source, in any case.
     This is the Ileana Ros-Lehtinenn who thinks that U.S. international broadcasting should be for the purpose of advocating administration policies, and she scoffs at the notion of providing the straight news that is the reason most people tune to international broadcasts. (See previous post.)
     And what U.S. international broadcasting would U.S. cable television systems take? VOA has a 24-hour English television channel, sort of, consisting largely of acquired programs, many of which VOA would not contractually be allowed to transmit within the United States.
     The domestic dissemination prohibition, just one part of the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948, is mainly a nuisance, because it's unenforceable and because it prevents U.S. shortwave listeners from receiving a VOA program schedule.
     But Ros-Lehtinen's legislation will put shivers up spines, reminding people of the thinking that led to the domestic dissemination exclusion in 1948. This attempt to eliminate it will probably enshrine it into perpetuity.
     If there is to be a rewrite of Smith-Mundt, it should once and for all disentangle U.S. public diplomacy and U.S. international broadcasting. The former explains and advocates U.S. policies, officially, on behalf of the U.S. Government, the only entity qualified to engage in U.S. public diplomacy. The latter provides the comprehensive, reliable, credible news that is lacking in its audience's home countries. To achieve the necessary credibility, U.S. international broadcasting must be independent. It must not be like Senators Smith and Mundt envisioned it.
     As for domestic dissemination, a Smith-Mundt rewrite should acknowledge the ability and the right of Americans to see what the U.S. public diplomacy and U.S. international broadcasting are transmitting to the world. But here, a distinction should be made between voluntary and involuntary means of doing this.
     If an American wants to go to a website, or write to the State Department to get a transcript, or purchase a video through the Government Printing Office, no problem. But if the U.S. government starts to promote its policies using channels on your cable system, or commercials inserted within your favorite television program, or on billboards visible during your morning commute, questions should be asked.
     It does happen: armed forces recruiting, Smokey Bear, your deposit insured by FDIC, etc. But administrations advocating their policy goals on your television, or on signs along the freeway? For a taste of that, visit Cuba. Oops, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen wouldn't like that very much. Posted: 19 Jul 2008 Permalink

RFA gets new equipment to help it compete with crosstown rival VOA. "Radio Free Asia will install Axia Audio consoles and IP-Audio networking equipment as part of news studios at its Washington facility. ... The manufacturer said the project will encompass 35 studios." Radio World, 18 July 2008. Meanwhile, a few blocks away at VOA headquarters, many studios are idle as VOA drops language services or shifts to television. RFA has the stringers and news agency subscriptions for very good coverage of East Asia. VOA has the capability to cover world news (also of interest to East Asian audiences) and U.S. news. VOA has the television capabilities that RFA is lacking. RFA has some good shortwave transmitter leases, while VOA has choice medium wave transmitters and access to relays in Thailand and the Philippines. The situation screams for a merger. Posted: 19 Jul 2008 Permalink

Nelson Poynter and VOA's early history. "During World War II [Nelson Poynter, founder of The Poynter Institute] held a number of government positions: He helped organize the Foreign Information Service, which started the Voice of America radio service, and in one of his last assignments worked for the Office of War Information's Bureau of Motion Pictures in Hollywood, Calif." Poynter Online, 17 July 2008. Posted: 19 Jul 2008 Permalink

Domestic DRM shortwave will be tested in Alaska (updated). The Federal Communications Commission issued an Experimental Radio Service license to Digital Aurora Radio Technologies of Delta Junction, Alaska, "to determine the impact of high latitude HF ionospheric propagation on digital audio modulation using the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) system; to determine the transmission power levels required to provide adequate signal for high reliability reception throughout Alaska; and to determine an antenna specification for delivery of the digital signal throughout Alaska." 26MHz.us, 15 July 2008. Update: "DRM could be used for military purposes in much the same way the British used the BBC’s shortwave services during World War II to transmit programming to occupied Europe and beam coded messages to agents operating behind enemy lines, radio analysts said. The company told FCC that its initial tests would be funded by and conducted for the Defense’s Joint Electromagnetic Technologies program, a classified operation whose mission is to develop technologies for use by special forces and intelligence units." Nextgov.com, 18 July 2008. Posted: 19 Jul 2008 Permalink

CNN's international news site (whatever that is) sees spike in demand for videos. "CNN's international news site has seen a 250% increase in traffic to its video reports in the past year, according to the company, reflecting an industry-wide surge in demand for video content. The US news broadcaster, which relaunched its international site in October last year, saw its biggest traffic spikes in May around its video reports of the cyclone in Myanmar and the earthquake in Sichuan. ... Max Raven, CNN International's senior vice-president of ad sales, said advertisers are interested in the geo-targeting possibilities of video online." The Guardian, 18 July 2008. Unsure if this refers to the website that pops up if you click "international" at the the top of www.cnn.com. Or the CNN International television website. Posted: 19 Jul 2008 Permalink

LiveStation users add channels -- with some reception difficulties. "LiveStation, a Microsoft-backed Web TV venture, has added several viewer-selected channels to its news-centered lineup. ... Viewers have added 247 channels thus far by pasting in the URL of the stream on the LiveStation Web site. ... Depending on your location, however, you might not have access to all those stations. A version tested by AppScout in New York City had access to Al Jazeera in English, France 24 in English and French, and Russia Today in English. I added a few channels via livestation.com on Friday morning with mixed results. I easily connected to Bloomberg, Sky News, all the C-SPAN channels, and BBC Parliament. I was not able to connect to CNN, the Discovery Channel, CNBC, or BBC News 24 and instead received a notice that said, 'Signal unavailable. LiveStation is trying to reconnect.'" AppScout, 18 July 2008. The 247 channels include both video and audio, among them VOA New Now, VOA Chinese radio, and VOA Chinese video (which didn't work for me -- requires appointment viewing?). Posted: 19 Jul 2008 Permalink

Israel uses YouTube and voice messages to send a message. "Israel's government has posted a video on the website, YouTube, explaining to the Arab world its position on the freed Lebanese militant, Samir Qantar. Qantar, convicted of murdering three people, had been Lebanon's longest-held prisoner in Israel until Wednesday. His release, part of an exchange for the remains of two Israeli soldiers, was greeted with jubilation in Lebanon. But the video says in Arabic that for the rest of the civilised world Qantar is 'the most despicable of murderers'. ... Ofir Gendelman, deputy director of the Arab press and public affairs division in the Israeli foreign ministry ... said the clip was part of a new Israeli initiative to target the Arab world directly through the internet. 'The age of waiting for an interview with an Arab station is over," he told Yedioth Ahronoth. 'The aim is to create a dialogue through the channel's talkback mechanism.' Hezbollah's television station, al-Manar, is reporting that the Israelis are also sending voice messages to mobile phones in Lebanon, promising Israeli retaliation for any Hezbollah attack. The Lebanese minister for telecommunications has said he has ordered his staff to take all necessary steps to stop such a 'flagrant violation' of his country's sovereignty." BBC News, 17 July 2008. These new media apparently replace shortwave, dropped (except for Farsi) by Israel earlier this year. See previous post. Posted: 19 Jul 2008 Permalink

Australian international broadcasters finally welcome in Fiji. "An Australian Broadcasting Corporation team that had visa applications to Fiji rejected arrived in country on Friday to film a program focussing on the Pacific. ABC director international relations Murray Green said they were gathering material for a new program called Pacific Pulse ... which airs on the Australian Network." Fiji Times, 14 July 2008. Actually, that's Australia Network, the international television channel of the ABC. See previous post about same subject. Posted: 19 Jul 2008 Permalink

Glassman's war of ideas. Undersecretary for public diplomacy James K. Glassman "said the 'war of ideas' - a repugnant term reminiscent of another, the 'clash of civilisations' - is as important as military action against the 'global war on terror. ... What Glassman [seems] to miss is that this divisive approach will not eliminate the unpopularity of the Bush administration - not America - in the region." George Hishmeh, Gulf News, 17 July 2008.
     "The war of ideas is really a battle of alternatives, alternative visions, and our goal is to divert recruits from the violent extremist vision. Our role is as a facilitator of choice. We help build networks and movements, put tools in the hands of young people to make their own choices, rather than dictating those choices. ... We’ve already done a major reorganization both at State and the interagency to help in this overall effort, and I’ve listed five focal points of our programs: Muslim society, especially involving young people at the grassroots; Middle East elites who involve themselves in ideology and religious doctrine; foreign fighters who have poured into Iraq and Afghanistan; private sector expertise; and Iran." Glassman remarks at the Washington Foreign Press Center, America.gov, 16 July 2008. See previous post about Glassman. Posted: 18 Jul 2008 Permalink

With Secretary Rice in attendance, Secretary Gates says "slick PR" is not the solution. "'The solution is not to be found in some slick PR campaign or by trying to out-propagandize Al Qaeda, but through the steady accumulation of actions and results that build trust and credibility over time,' [Defense Secretary Robert M.] Gates said. The remark seemed directed toward some of the Bush administration's public diplomacy efforts in the years after the Sept. 11 attacks." Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2008.
     "Countless people in foreign countries wandered into a United States Information Agency library, or heard from a visiting speaker and had their opinions about America transformed by learning about our history and culture and values. Others behind the Iron Curtain were inspired to resist by what they heard on Radio Free Europe and the Voice of America. In all, these non-military efforts – these tools of persuasion and inspiration – were indispensable to the outcome of the defining ideological struggle of the 20th century. I believe that they are just as indispensable in the 21st century – and maybe more so." Transcript of the Gates speech in Washington, Defense Department, 15 July 2008. RFE and VOA as "tools of persuasion and inspiration," leaving unsaid the main reason they were listened to: comprehensive, reliable news. Posted: 18 Jul 2008 Permalink

VOA website keeps down the downtime. Survey by web site monitoring service provider Pingdom shows that the Voice of America website (voanews.com) has among the least downtime of major news sites -- only 51 minutes from January through June 2008, i.e. 99.98% uptime. Web Host Industry Review, 16 July 2008. See also Pingdom blog, 15 July 2008. This machine-based measurement means that outside users could access the sites, but not necessarily that the sites' editors could always update the sites in a timely manner. Posted: 18 Jul 2008 Permalink

Some good news about Alhurra dribbles out. "For a three-year stint, beginning in 2004, [Anthony Ibrahim] had served as the color analyst for NBA broadcasts on the Arabic network Al-Hurra, a federally sponsored satellite channel that the Washington Post called the 'centerpiece of a U.S. government campaign to spread democracy in the Middle East.' Al-Hurra, which is based in Virginia and has been funded with $350 million of U.S. taxpayer money since '04, would use TNT video feeds of marquee NBA games, with Ibrahim serving, essentially, as its version of Doug Collins. That made Ibrahim a known voice to Iranian NBA fans such as [Arsalan] Kazemi." Luke Winn, SI.com, 15 July 2008. Arsalan Kazemi, the main topic of this story, is an Iranian prospect for U.S. college basketball teams. And, apparently, he understands Arabic.
     This SI.com story would be welcome positive coverage for Alhurra. For a look back at the recent reports about controversies at Alhurra, see Craig Hayden, USC Center on Public Diplomacy, 24 June 2008. Posted: 18 Jul 2008 Permalink

Senate committee restores funds for VOA, RFE/RL languages -- but not for Alhurra. For FY 2009, beginning 1 October 2008, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee "provides $693 million for the Broadcasting Board of Governors, an increase of $23 million above the FY08 enacted level and $6 million below the request. The bill provides funding for broadcasting in languages which the Administration proposed to eliminate in FY09, such as Russian, Kazak, Uzbek, Tibetan and the to the Balkans, where freedom of speech remains restricted and broadcasting is still necessary. The Committee does not provide funds for the expansion of Alhurra programming in Arabic." Senator Patrick Leahy press release, 17 July 2008. First fallout of the recent reports about Alhurra? None of the mentioned VOA and RFE/RL languages would have been eliminated, though they would have been reduced, such as dropping VOA Russian radio while keeping an internet presence. Will the House of Representatives go along with this restored money for U.S. international broadcasting? See previous post about same subject. Posted: 18 Jul 2008 Permalink

RFE/RL and BBC Romanian: closed too early? "The recent announcement that RFE/RL's Romanian Service would be shut down after nearly 60 years on the air has prompted a debate over the role of the media in the country. Many credit the broadcasts of RFE/RL -- as well as the BBC, which also will conclude its Romanian broadcasts on July 31 -- with contributing to the fall of communism. Some fear the closures could not come at a worse time and will strip Romania's media landscape of the last remaining sources of objective, independent news reporting at a time when corruption and political intrigue are on the rise." Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty News, 15 July 2008. See previous posts about closure of RFE/RL Romanian and of BBC Romanian. Posted: 18 Jul 2008 Permalink

Memorial to slain U.S. international broadcasters. "The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) dedicated its memorial to journalists slain in the line of duty, honoring ten fallen broadcasters and reporters [who have worked for U.S. international broadcasting]. ... The memorial, placed in the main corridor of the Wilbur J. Cohen building in Washington, D.C. [the VOA headquarters], honors Leonid Karas, Abdulrachmann Fatalibey, Georgi Markov, Iskandar Khatloni, Abdul-Hussein Khazal, Ricardo de Mello, Ogulsapar Muradova, Khamail Muhsin Khalaf, Nazar Abdulwahid Al-Radhi, and Alisher Saipov." BBG press release, 16 July 2008. See also biographies of the slain journalists and transcripts of remarks by BBG members. And RFE/RL News, 16 July 2008. Posted: 18 Jul 2008 Permalink

Another meeting of the supersecret BBG. The Broadcasting Board of Governors had another closed meeting on 16 July. Federal Register, 15 July 2008 (via Justia). Posted: 18 Jul 2008 Permalink

Al Jazeera English adds two non-English speaking countries -- via internet based media. "Al Jazeera English has added 5m potential new viewing homes in Poland, but not on TV. AJE has been added to Onet.pl, described as Poland’s biggest online portal, and will be the service’s first live streamed international news channel." Rapid TV News, 15 July 2008. "Al Jazeera English, the English-language service of the popular Arabic satellite news channel, made its debut yesterday in Taiwan. The channel is now available through Chunghwa Telecom’s Multimedia-on-Demand (MOD) service, an Internet TV service offered by the state-controlled telecommunications giant that to date has almost 500,000 subscribers nationwide." Media Channel, 17 July 2008. Posted: 17 Jul 2008 Permalink

Buzz might as well try to fetch the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West. "Buzz Technologies Inc has released an upgraded version of the TV software featuring over 5000 channels, in more than 100 languages... . Buzz Sat TV - Featuring Bloomberg, BBC News, CNN International, ESPN, Fashion TV, NASA and YouTube! With 378 million TV households and 152 million cable TV households at the end of 2007, China is the world's largest TV market. Its cable TV industry generated 3.4bn in revenue in 2007 and is expected to grow at over seven per cent year-on-year to be worth Euro 4.8bn by 2012." Buzz Technologies, 16 July 2008. This strange Buzz press release, like previous strange Buzz press releases, associates its product with the Chinese television market, but doesn't say how -- or even if -- it would penetrate the Chinese television market. Posted: 17 Jul 2008 Permalink

Radio soap in Rwanda teaches health issues. "Mugeni and Muhire are known throughout Rwanda as the stars of a radio soap opera, Urunana (hand in hand). The stories of Mugeni and Muhire and other characters are being used to educate Rwandans on a number of health issues including contraception, Malaria, HIV testing, nutrition and the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV. The programme airs twice a week on BBC World Service and Radio Rwanda and is listened to by approximately 74% of the nine million population." Jenny Holden, International Development Journalism Competition, The Guardian, 17 July 2008. See also The New Times (Kigali), 6 July 2008. Posted: 17 Jul 2008 Permalink

More BBC World Service (non-news) programming on the Indian FM dial. "BBC World Service today confirmed that its programmes will be available on Vivek 90.4 FM, the first community radio station in Chandigarh, India. ... Vivek 90.4 FM is a community radio initiative at Vivek High School, Chandigarh, and has been on air since March 2007. ... The BBC is offering Vivek 90.4 FM the following programmes:" "Discovery," "Culture Shock," "Top of the Pops," "The Ticket," "One Planet," "Health Fact Files," "Charlie Gillett's World of Music," and "Science in Action." BBC World Service press release, 17 July 2008. No BBCWS newss, however, as news is not allowed on private (non-All India Radio) Indian FM stations. For BBC World Service news, there is still shortwave, for the time being. BBC World News is allowed on Indian DTH satellite television and cable television systems. Posted: 17 Jul 2008 Permalink

The deals that are made in post-shortwave international broadcasting (updated). "A cross selection of British MPs have accused the BBC of jeopardizing its editorial independence by entering into a pre-censorship agreement with the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA). An Early Day Motion, raised by Respect leader George Galloway, said it was opposed to the outsourcing of BBC World Service jobs from the UK and was 'gravely concerned' at the arrangement the BBC entered into in a letter from its South Asian Business Development. The letter to PEMRA 'gives the Pakistan authority, an agency of a foreign state, prior clearance for all contents and programs transmitted on behalf of the World Service by local Pakistani stations," it said. The motion, supported by Liberal Democrat and Labor MPs, including Pakistan-born Mohammed Sarwar, pointed out that there was a commitment to editorial independence that is enshrined in the BBC's charter. But the arrangement with PEMRA 'jeopardizes that independence', it warned, while calling on the British government 'to withhold its approval for this and similar arrangements'." Pakistan Daily, 9 July 2008. See text of the early day motion. See previous post about the PEMRA controvery, and previous post about the same subject about BBCWS "offshoring" of jobs, separate issues addressed in the early day motion. -- Update: "'BBC World Service content, including what is re-broadcast by partners on FM frequencies, conforms only to BBC editorial values and guidelines,' said Foreign Office Minister Jim Murphy. 'BBC World Service has total editorial control over its programming whether that programming is broadcast directly by it on short wave or medium wave or via third party distribution arrangements,' Murphy said in a parliamentary reply published Tuesday." Mathaba News Network, 16 July 2008. Posted: 17 Jul 2008 Permalink

WorldSpace: when all else fails, rebrand (updated). WorldSpace seems now to be "1worldspace." The www.worldspace.com website now bounces over to www.1worldspace.com, a redesigned site with a new logo and slogan: "I am many. my world is 1." The regional websites (India, Europe, Middle East) are still just "Worldspace."
     "Worldspace might well still pull a survival rabbit out of its hat. It has done so before. But more than flourishes of press releases it needs magically to drum up cash – lots of it, if the business is to survive and achieve a few of its European goals." Chris Forrester, Rapid TV News, 14 July 2008. "Satellite radio’s moment as a widely used platform never arrived. Terrestrial radio broadcasters in Europe, exceptions being the UK and Denmark, have found little consumer interest in moving from the FM band. The offering needs to be quite special for people to buy a new kind of receiver." Michael Hedges, followthemedia.com, 16 July 2008. See previous post about same subject. Update: Judith Prior, Worldspace’s SVP/corporate communications, responds to recent reports by Rapid TV News. Rapid TV News, 16 July 2008. Posted: 17 Jul 2008 Permalink

Telesur was impersonated in rescue of FARC hostages. "Months in the planning, the Colombian operation was designed to mimic a Venezuelan humanitarian mission that picked up six hostages freed by the guerrillas in January and February. Two army agents posted as TV journalists for the Caracas station Telesur." Houston Chronicle, 17 July 2007.
     "Colombia's Marxist FARC rebels have rejected peace talks with the government of President Alvaro Uribe, according to a letter shown on Venezuelan state television yesterday. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known by their Spanish acronym FARC, instead demanded to meet with leftist Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, according to the letter broadcast on Telesur." AFP, 16 July 2008. Posted: 17 Jul 2008 Permalink

GAO investigates contracts for Radio/TV Marti relays via Florida stations. The International Broadcasting Bureau's "'approach for awarding the Radio Mambi and TV Azteca contracts did not reflect sound business practices,' the report by the Congress' Government Accountability Office concluded. It urged greater oversight by the IBB of the contracting process. The report found the noncompetitive agreements with local stations Radio Mambi and TV Azteca were generally completed by mid-October of 2006, but that the IBB, which also oversees the Voice of American and Radio Free Europe [sic], did not notify its legal and contracting department until more than a month later — two days before the contract was to be signed. In responding to a draft of the report, IBB officials said they decided against publicly seeking competitive offers because they did not believe they would get satisfactory responses from other potential providers." AP, 16 July 2008. IBB is not the parent agency of RFE/RL, although it provides engineering and adminstrative services to RFE/RL. -- "The 30-page report is the first in a series of GAO reports on the operations of Radio and TV Marti, which beam commentary, entertainment and news to Cuba under the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which is based in Miami. GAO released the report as part of an ongoing broader probe into the management and broadcasting practices of the controversial Radio and TV Marti services. GAO opened the probe in response to a formal request from Rep. William D. Delahunt, D-Mass., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on international organizations, human rights and oversight." Miami Herald, 15 July 2008. Full report available at GAO, 11 July 2008. Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Permalink

News agencies cite RFA on Uighur executions (updated: RFA corrects). New York Times uses Radio Free Asia as a news agency for its report about China's execution of two Uihers. New York Times, 12 July 2008. "China has executed two Uighurs and sentenced another 15 to jail for alleged terrorist links, the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia said in a report just days after Beijing warned of attacks aimed at the Olympics." Reuters, 12 July 2008. "China has executed two Uighurs and sentenced 15 others to prison in its Central Asian region of Xinjiang after a court convicted them of terrorism, US-based Radio Free Asia reported on Saturday." DPA, 12 July 2008. See also RFA, 11 July 2008. RFA is the only major international broadcaster with transmissions in the Uighur language.
     Update: "While most of the major news agencies remain rather conservative with reporting on the details, the RFA article claims that according to a woman who was at the public trial (allegedly, the community members were forced to attend), the sentenced and executed individuals were the scheming terrorists who were apprehended during the Akto daring raid of January 2007. The RFA articles as well as the bigger news companies name the two executed parties as Mukhtar Setiwaldi and Abduweli Imin. ... The two individuals who were singled out as ringleaders for the terrorism operation and summarily executed in November of 2007 were named Abduwali Yiming (阿不都外力·依明) and Muhataer Setiwalidi (穆合塔?·色提瓦力迪) - or, the Chinese transliterations of Abduweli Imin and Mukhtar Setiwaldi. ... My suspicions that the contradictions could be resolved by the possibility that RFA was simply wrong in its reporting turned out to be correct. The RFA article has now quietly updated its article to accommodate the discrepencies." The New Dominion, 14 July 2008. RFA "corrects and clarifies," RFA News, still dated 11 July 2008. Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Permalink

British psyop in Musa Qala, Afghanistan. "The town bazaar falls strangely silent as the soldiers move through. Trading comes to a halt and the townspeople retreat under the canopies of their open-fronted shops. The stares are mainly hard and hostile, but the soldiers manage to juggle their security operation with an amiable show, waving and calling 'salaam alaikum' (may peace be with you) and handing out sweets to some of the children. Some do wave and smile back. Judging the 'atmospherics' of the bazaar is a key purpose of the patrol. Today the hostility was judged to be about normal, with some signs of improvement. Communicating with the Musa Qala people is difficult. Most have no basic literacy. Musa Qala FM has been set up to deliver news on Army activities and anti-Taliban messages. It is basically a propaganda machine, [British Army Captain Christian] Howard said, but is also one of a few tools available to reach out to the townspeople." The Herald (Glasgow), 13 July 2008. Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Permalink

Will Pittsburgh's robots win young Arab hearts and minds? "Al Jazeera is coming to Pittsburgh. The Middle Eastern TV network plans to have a crew in Pittsburgh today and Tuesday shooting a piece on the large robotic sculptures that are part of Robot 250, a citywide exhibition. ... The TV crew is with the Al Jazeera Children's Channel." Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 14 July 2008. Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Permalink

EuroNews Arabic startup generates comment. Farsi next? "The political climate in the region and specifically the European role in the Middle East is what led to the launching of this channel, however it should have learned from the mistakes of others. The Europeans are trying to enter the Arab world through the media. It does not work." Fadi Abu Sa’ada, Palestine News Network, 14 July 2008.
     "Arabic programming will be the same as for the seven other languages, served by the same images. They will include a news edition every 30 minutes, magazines on society, culture, sport, business and its famous No Comment section. Euronews wants to keep to its line of international news channel and thinks its competitors will be CNN and BBC more than Al-Jazeera or al-Arabiya." Rapid TV News, 13 July 2008.
     European Union external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner says "the best way to improve the visibility of EU engagement is through a 'joint TV channel we pay for,' which she compared to CNN. She did not say whether Euronews was that channel, but expressed her satisfaction with the launch of the Arabic language service of Euronews. Services in Persian and Farsi [sic] are also under preparation, she added." EurActiv.com, 15 July 2008. See previous post about same subject. Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Permalink

Al Manar becomes more "regional." "Al Manar, which calls itself the 'Station of the Resistance,' began broadcasting in 1989. The Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah regards it as part of the 'psychological warfare' against Israel. But in addition to news and political programs, the channel broadcasts health and family programs, entertainment shows, educational programs for children and video clips glorifying the group's 'martyrs.' ... The U.S. State Department listed the station as a terrorist organization in 2004, when Al Manar was accused of anti-Semitism for airing a controversial series about the Jewish diaspora. It was banned in North America and other locations. But since 2005, Al Manar can be viewed anywhere in the world through its website, which is in Arabic and English, and where viewers from various regions post comments." Raed Rafei, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2008. Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Permalink

Loss of Radio Australia shortwave facility recalled as a "mistake." "Viewed from a Washington perch, the foreign policy performance of the Rudd Government in its first six months has been strong. ... To provide historical context, consider the early foreign policy performance of the Howard government, described by one sympathetic observer as 'nervous and uncertain'. In its first year, that government botched the race debate generated by Pauline Hanson, which caused many in our region to question our bona fides. ... Mistakes and distractions continued into the second year, with the downgrading of Radio Australia's coverage of South-East Asia." Michael Fullilove, Sydney Morning Herald, 14 July 2008. Refers to a site near Darwin, Radio Australia's largest shortwave facility until it was divested in 1997 by the Liberal-National coalition government of Prime Minister John Howard. It is now owned by religious broadcaster CVC. Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Permalink

Should BBC be funded like BBC World Service? Former BBC director general Greg Dyke calls for an end to the UK's television licence fee, "arguing that it will be harder to collect with the growth of internet television. He says a government grant would save up to ￡200 million a year spent collecting licence fees, which he described as a 'desperately unfair tax'. ... The standard argument against funding the BBC through general taxation is that it would potentially compromise the political independence of the BBC. However, the BBC World Service is funded by a government grant and is generally recognised for its editorial impartiality." informitv, 12 July 2008. Switzerland might make people who watch television via broadband or mobile device pay that country's television license fee. followthemedia.com, 15 July 2008. Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Permalink

BBC World and the Building 7 consipiracy theories. "One of the drawbacks of 24-hour rolling news is the over-reliance on presenters interviewing reporters in a fact vacuum. In The Conspiracy Files (BBC2) we learnt that the paranoid ravings of the 9/11 'Truth' movement are partly inspired by such an exchange between a BBC World presenter and the reporter Jane Standley. When word came through on that extraordinary September day that Tower 7 of the World Trade Centre had collapsed, the presenter in London asked Standley, in New York, 'What more can you tell us about the collapse?' Knowing nothing, she ad-libbed: 'Only what you already know.' In fact, the tower (not one of the Twin Towers) was still standing - despite concern for its stability - and didn't fall for another 27 minutes. So the Truthers concluded that the BBC was also part of the conspiracy to blow up the World Trade Centre, along with the American government, police, fire service and mass media. That's where you end up when speculation gets the edge on reporting: feeding the fantasies of the chronically deluded." Andrew Anthony, The Observer, 13 July 2008. See also BBC News, 4 July 2008. Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Permalink

On Chicago's FM dial: BBC's competition replaced by BBC. "'Global Overnight,' a nightly compilation of news from radio services around the world, is the latest casualty of programming changes at Chicago Public Radio WBEZ-FM (91.5). Replacing the four-hour block at midnight will be 'BBC World Service.'" Chicago Sun-Times, 15 July 2008. "Global Overnight" is a compilation of English-language programs of international radio stations, via World Radio Network. Per previous post, stations heard were Channel Africa, China Radio International, Israel Radio, Radio Canada International, Radio Polonia, and Voice of Russia. Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Permalink

Those foreign stations on Rwanda's FM dial. "Lawmakers in the lower chamber are demanding that government comes up with a plan to develop government media with the aim of countering the influence that foreign media is having locally, RNA reports. In a session Tuesday in which Information Minister Louise Mushikiwabo had been summoned, several lawmakers wondered why government media was not able to compete for local audience with broadcasters such the BBC and VOA. At the heart of their concerns was to have the minister explain why people in large parts of Rwanda were not accessing local TV and Radio signal but were able to listen to foreign stations." Rwanda News Agency, 15 July 2008. BBC, VOA, DW, and RFI have full-time FM channels in Rwanda. Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Permalink

New Chinese jamming equipment for Zimbabwe? "In order to boost its jamming operations against the UK based SW Radio Africa and Voice of America's Studio 7, the government recently received another shipment of the latest in radio wave jamming equipment from China. Landing records, shown to us at the Harare International Airport by port authorities, confirmed that the government received the equipment on May 17. The equipment was among several other items the Chinese delivered, including an assortment of sophisticated military surveillance hardware. Jamming of radio waves is accomplished by transmitting a strong signal on the same frequency as that used for broadcasting by the pirate radio stations. Both Studio 7 and SW Radio Africa have taken on to broadcasting on multiple frequencies in order to beat the jamming operation carried out by the CIO with the assistance of the Chinese attaches." Harare Tribune, 14 July 2008. Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Permalink

From shortwave to Blackberry. "The world definitely seems smaller. Until this trip I used to get my English language news by tuning my shortwave to the BBC World Service. Now, I am carrying a hand held Blackberry that allows me to access the Internet and its Web sites from almost anywhere." Rick Sallinger, KCNC-TV (Denver), 15 July 2008. The Blackberry is undeniably more convenient: 24-hour access to your favorite news source, and fewer reception problems. But on the day of the big crisis, shortwave will work. Will the Blackberry? Posted: 16 Jul 2008 Permalink

WorldSpace: no news is bad news? (updated) "Rapid TV News exists to report the news, but sometimes when nothing happens that can be newsworthy. Such is the case with Worldspace, which by July 9 should have repaid its bridging loan debt-holders more than $20m as part of a restructuring commitment issued on July 1. As at press time on July 10 no statement was forthcoming from the company." Rapid TV News, 10 July 2008. Update: "Sources within the company say senior staff have already forfeited at least two salary payments, and this coming Tuesday’s payroll will again evidently have problems.Another source says that CEO Noah Samara last week held an all-staff meeting, telling them: 'We just need funding and execution.' ... What are Worldspace’s assets? A couple of tired satellites and a partly-built ground-spare that needs cash spent on it to ready it for launch (and a launch/insurance bill to get it into orbit)." Rapid TV News, 13 July 2008. Posted: 14 Jul 2008 Permalink

Cliff May nominated to BBG. President Bush nominates Clifford D. May "to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2009, [replacing] Mark McKinnon." And withdraws its nomination of Mark McKinnon (see previous post) "for a term expiring August 13, 2009, vice Fayza Veronique Boulad Rodman, which was sent to the Senate on January 9, 2007." White House, 10 July 2008. "President George W. Bush has nominated Clifford D. May, president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to serve on the Broadcasting Board of Governors for the remainder of a three-year term expiring August 13, 2009. 'In this very challenging period of history, it is vital that the United States communicate with audiences abroad clearly and creatively,' said May. 'I will be honored and privileged if I can assist with this mission.'" FDD press release, 11 July 2008. See also May's "Notes and Comments" at the FDD website. "If [the BBG's] mission was not originally intended to be a purveyor of propaganda, the Bush administration has seen to it that that is what it has become. Now President Bush has made his latest attempt to further mire the agency in disgrace by nominating Clifford May to the Board. May is a former Republican National Committee communications director and the President of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, whose list of directors and advisors reads like a who's who of neocon warmongers. He is an advocate of torture abroad, the suspension of civil liberties at home, and always the supremacy of America by virtue of its military might." Daily Kos, 12 July 2008.
     May is one of the people recommended for BBG membership by Senator Tom Coburn in his 4 April 2008 letter to National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley. See previous post. May has experience as a journalist, but his recent work has been more in the line of polemics. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but the BBG's work is more in the line of journalism. If confirmed, May can try to compel U.S. international broadcasting to 1) report the news, or 2) send a message. It all depends on whether he wants U.S. international broadcasting 1) to have an audience, or 2) not. Posted: 12 Jul 2008 Permalink

RFE/RL Turkmen commentator freed from detention (updated). "RFE/RL commentator Sazak Durdymuradov has been released following two weeks of detention in Turkmenistan. The move came amid growing pressure on Turkmen authorities to release Durdymuradov from a remote psychiatric hospital known as the 'Turkmen Gulag.'" Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty News, 5 July 2008. "Sazak Durdymuradov, a frequent unpaid contributor to RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service, has said he intends to keep working for RFE/RL, despite enduring two harrowing weeks in detention because of his work." RFE/RL News, 8 July 2008. See previous post about same subject. Update: "A security officer warned him to 'go and tell the truth' about his treatment in detention, and not to 'slander' in his broadcasts, he said. Reports of Durdymuradov’s unlawful detention and alleged torture had outraged the international community, which called for his immediate release. CPJ attempted to interview Durdymuradov today, but was unable to get through to him." Committee to Protect Journalists, 11 July 2008. Posted: 12 Jul 2008 Permalink

Two recent tasks for U.S. public diplomacy. "'I think it is a public diplomacy issue or challenge for the United States not to give over the debate to Chavez, Morales and Fidel Castro, allowing them to shape the reason or motivation why the [new Fourth Fleet] created,' [General Barry McCaffrey] explained. 'When obviously it has nothing to do with that.'" VOA News, 11 July 2008. "On July 7th the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in an Address before the Arab Ambassadors stated that his Government was looking at the necessity of terminating foreign presence on Iraqi land and restoring full sovereignty. The U.S. public diplomacy machinery began operating in full swing after the statement was released and has emerged with a self justifying explanation: the remarks of the Iraqi Prime Minister are reflective of the confidence in the stability and democratic progress of Iraq facilitated through the efforts of the Coalition Forces." Madhavi Bhasin, San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center, 11 July 2008. Posted: 12 Jul 2008 Permalink

Free WSJ subs: good public diplomacy? "The visit of Warren Phillips, publisher and CEO of the Wall Street Journal, to Poland in 1960 illustrates how US Public Diplomacy, communicating directly with the people of other countries, could be practiced in a communist country. ... As customary for high-level visitors, Ambassador Jacob Beam gave a lunch for the WSJ’s Warren Phillips after which Beam and his senior staffers briefed Phillips on the political and economic situation in Poland. After the briefing, Phillips surprised us by asking 'Mr. Ambassador, what can the Wall Street Journal do for you?' Unprepared for such an offer, Beam turned to me, his Cultural Affairs Officer, and asked, 'Yale, what can the Wall Street Journal do for us?' Somehow, I came up with a novel idea. 'Mr. Phillips,' I said, 'Poland has 18 higher schools of economics, much like our business schools in the United States. Can you give each of them a six-month subscription to the Journal?' No problem, replied Phillips." Yale Richmond, Cultural Diplomacy News, 10 July 2008. This is back before "public diplomacy" was a term, at least in common use. And maybe not "public diplomacy," in any case, because presumably the content of the WSJ was independent of U.S. policy. Posted: 12 Jul 2008 Permalink

Election 2008: good public diplomacy? "The U.S. has spent billions on public diplomacy..., but marketing works best when in alignment with changed facts. George W. Bush has helped with improvements in Iraq, diplomatic progress in the Mideast and particularly North Korea. But nothing has moved the world opinion needle more than Barack Obama's rise. John McCain's emergence on the Republican side of the ledger helps. He's a man of proven courage and integrity, a former prisoner of war who often stood for his own principles over party dogma. The Economist magazine's cover rightly labeled the two candidates, 'America at Its Best.'" Frederick Kempe, Bloomberg, 1 July 2008. Posted: 12 Jul 2008 Permalink

Music USA. "Recent reports have added Eminem, the Bee Gees and Neil Diamond to the roster reluctantly referred to by David Gray as 'Guantanamo Greatest Hits'. But what is it that makes one song more likely than another to be played on a maximum volume loop at terrorist suspects?" BBC News, 10 July 2008. Posted: 12 Jul 2008 Permalink

UK minister on public diplomacy: "genuine engagement, not propaganda." "Jim Murphy, a UK foreign office minister ... has this week published a book looking in detail at how the UK can develop its public drive and help other states to do so. ... Mr Murphy refrains from criticising the US, but insists that when it comes to public diplomacy 'we need genuine engagement, not propaganda'. Second, Mr Murphy argues that governments must understand that 'an old-fashioned nation-branding approach to public diplomacy doesn’t change what foreigners think of your country'." Financial Times, 10 July 2008. See also BritainUSA, 10 July 2008. The entire "publication," a collection of essays, is available online at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website. Uncertain if it is also available in print. See previous post about same subject. Posted: 12 Jul 2008 Permalink

MD of DW-TV: DW not part of German public diplomacy. Christoph Lanz, "managing director of Deutsche Welle television since 2002, describes his mission as 'to show Germany to the rest of the world. My mission is not to show the Good Germany or the Bad Germany, my mission is to show Germany as it represents itself.' ... Mr. Lanz maintains that Deutsche Welle’s independent organisation means that it is not part of German 'public diplomacy'. 'There is no non-governmental public diplomacy. From my understanding, public diplomacy is always something to do with the government, otherwise it wouldn’t fulfill the purpose of diplomacy. There has to be a mission, there has to be a direction that someone decides on in order to make public diplomacy a successful tool.' He classifies Deutsche Welle rather as part of the 'non-governmental cultural diplomacy', 'because we’re reporting on cultural affairs' in the broadest sense." Cultural Diplomacy News, 11 July 2008. Mr. Lanz is correct in saying "there is no non-governmental public diplomacy." That is why the tendency expand the term "public diplomacy" to include non-governmental international outreach renders the term meaningless. Mr. Lanz is further correct that an international broadcasting entity cannot achieve the necessary credibility for success if it is considered a part of a country's public diplomacy effort, even if it is funded by the country's government. Posted: 12 Jul 2008 Permalink

EuroNews Arabic starts today. "Euronews television is launching an Arabic service today to tap into a larger audience, but faces competition from numerous Arabic-language news channels already established in Europe. ... Euronews initially launched an Arabic version in 1997, but it was cancelled two years later. The reasons behind the current expansion are not only to boost the number of viewers. 'For political reasons, nearly everyone in Brussels agreed it was important to have an information service that makes a link' between Europe and the Arab world." The Peninsula, 12 July 2008. "Euronews has recruited a dedicated team of 17 Arabic-speaking journalists for the launch of the Arabic language service on 12th July, 2008. ... With these two satellites in the Euronews stable, the channel is now available in 248 million households in 135 countries worldwide." Middle East Online, 12 July 2008. EuroNews interview with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal. EuroNews, 11 July 2008. Interview with Palestinian journalist Naela Khalil. EuroNews, 12 July 2008. In these two EuroNews stories, you can see how EuroNews works. There is no on-camera talent. Instead, there is one video stream, with separate audio streams in each of the channel's eight languages. Posted: 12 Jul 2008 Permalink

When using the internet might be as anonymous as listening to shortwave. "One of the internet’s best opportunity for users to remain anonymous is Tor, codeveloped by Roger Dingle. The product was not envisioned to be an anticensorship tool. Rather, Dingle’s group was originally funded by the U.S. Dept. of Defense and designed to allow users to travel the internet anonymously. It became popular with law enforcement officers setting up sting operations and corporate interests wishing to check out the competition without leaving tracks. However, a handful of news gathering organisations like Voice of America and Internews have also provided funding so that people to view their content from countries where it has been blocked." Global Voices, 10 July 2008. Posted: 12 Jul 2008 Permalink

Just when we thought the Aljazeera in Burlington story was over... (updated) "The Defenders Council of Vermont, a small group that led the fight against Burlington Telecom's continuing to air the 24-hour news channel Al-Jazeera English, will mount a petition drive to place a referendum question on the Burlington ballot in the November general election. ... 'Should Burlington Telecom enter into a contract with Al-Jazeera English, provided reasonable and agreeable terms can be reached by Burlington Telecom management?'" Burlington Free Press, 3 July 2008. See previous post about same subject. Update: "Al Jazeera also has proven to be a serious competitor to public broadcast service channels in the United States by providing in depth reports about different parts of the United States. One episode of a program called 'Inside U.S.A' talked about gentrification in Harlem New York bringing attention to the plight of African Americas who are being uprooted from their homes and stores to make space for more well to do tenants from New York. Another episode of a program called 'Every Woman' focused on the plight of U.S. ex-servicewomen fighting for health care bureaucracy, unemployment, and high housing costs." Jalal Ghazi, New America Media, 11 July 2008. AJE's "Every Woman" is not to be confused with the "Everywoman" formerly on BBC World Service. Posted: 12 Jul 2008 Permalink

Cuts will affect seven VOA language services. "The Voice of America plans to eliminate seven radio language services this year, reflecting the Bush administration's emphasis on outreach to the Muslim world. Among the cuts are the radio and TV broadcasts of the Russian service, along with radio broadcasts in Ukrainian, Serbian, Hindi, Macedonian, Bosnian and Georgian. ... Tish King, a spokeswoman for Voice of America, said ... Congress is on board with the cuts, which will be effective in September. Matthew Dennis, a spokesman for Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), chairwoman of the appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for the BBG, cautioned that the appropriations process for VOA funds hasn't been finalized." ProPublica, 9 July 2008. The mentioned VOA services, except Georgian, will continue with internet and/or television. Some VOA services previously slated for elimination or reduction are spared. I will post a complete and specific list as soon as I have it. See previous post about same subject. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

Shortwave remains relevant in Cameroon. "Cameroonian authorities have lifted a ban on three private broadcasters summarily closed in connection with their critical coverage in February, but police are withholding equipment seized from one station, according to local journalists and news reports. Equinoxe Television, sister radio station Radio Equinoxe, and Magic FM were authorized to return to air on July 4 by Communications Minister Jean Pierre Biyiti bi Essam. However, police continued to hold the broadcasting equipment of Magic FM, a popular station and partner of international U.S. broadcaster Voice of America in the capital, Yaounde, Editor-in-Chief Roger Kiyeck told CPJ." Committee to Protect Journalists, 8 July 2008. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

Slightly off topic, but we love the name. "Miami University will open the Voice of America Learning Center off Cox Road in January, but that might not be the end of its expansion into this fast-growing Butler County corridor. Miami owns 20 acres on the site, big enough to add as much as 8,000 square feet to the current 23,000, plus build up to four more buildings. While it has no current plans for new buildings, planners envision the possibility of a quadrangle between classroom structures, playing off the Georgian architecture at the main campus in Oxford. ... The center will conduct more than 75 classes per week. Those will include master’s level courses in education and undergraduate courses coordinated through Miami’s Hamilton and Middletown campuses. The university’s Corporate and Community Institute also will offer programs there. Miami’s Professional master’s in business administration program will open in West Chester in August 2009." Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 July 2008.
     "Voice of America Park in West Chester Twp. is scheduled to be the site of a free event that last year drew 3,500 spectators. The 2007 Concert at the Lake included the Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra and West Chester Symphony Orchestra in a concert that culminated with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and a pyrotechnic display by Rozzi's Famous Fireworks. Organizers of this year's concert said they hope it will follow the trend of other repeat events at the popular park. 'For that park, when you schedule something a second year in a row, the attendance typically doubles,' said HFSO conductor and CEO Paul John Stanbery." Hamilton (OH) Journal-News, 8 July 2008. This is the old VOA Bethany, Ohio, shortwave transmitting site, still a very active place, where event attendance doubles from year to year. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

Condoleezza Rice visits RFE/RL. "As a specialist on the old Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, I know that, for people behind the Iron Curtain, Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty were their virtual passports out of tyranny and into freedom." Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty press release, 8 July 2008 and links. -- Transcript of her remarks to RFE/RL. State Department, 8 July 2008. Transcript of Radio Farda interview with Secretary Rice. State Department, 8 July 2008. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

Are we losing influence overseas because we think we can "sway a country's behavior"? "We are steadily losing our influence overseas, especially our ability to sway a country's behavior through cultural (i.e. blue jeans) or ideological (i.e. Radio Free Europe) means." Lionel Beehner, USA Today blog, 9 July 2008. Another U.S. commentator who does not understand the concept of international broadcasting (and who misuses "i.e."). Radio Free Europe did not have an audience because it fired salvos of pro-U.S., anti-communist ideology to its target audiences. It had an audience because it provided a news service that was more comprehensive, objective, and balanced that the news the target audiences were getting from their state-controlled domestic media. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

RFA stories too good not to reproduce. "Influential North Koreans tried to bring McDonalds into the country, but the fast-food chain declined citing lack of profitability, Radio Free Asia reported Wednesday." Chosun.com, 10 July 2008. "Cambodia’s 'jungle girl,' who lived alone in the forest for 18 years after vanishing at age nine, has learned to dress herself, bathe, and laugh in the year-and-a-half since she returned to her family, but she remains unable to speak, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports." Salem-News.com, 9 July 2008. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

FARC at the receiving end of Colombian psyop. "'Hey, guerrillas!' says the booming voice in Spanish. 'This is Ingrid Betancourt. Those of you who can hear me, they respected the lives of your commanders and they'll respect yours if you demobilize.' The military operation is part of a psy-ops campaign to persuade the estimated 60 rebels who were guarding Betancourt, three American contractors and 11 other hostages to desert the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC -- the oldest and largest active insurgency in Latin America." Miami Herald, 8 July 2008. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

Karen Hughes hired by Hillary Clinton strategist. "Here's the latest eye-popping item in the Only-in-Downtown- Washington Department: Karen Hughes, the onetime indispensable communications aide to President Bush, has been hired by Mark J. Penn, the onetime indispensable aide to President Bill Clinton and, more recently, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). Hughes, former undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, will join Burson-Marsteller, the public relations firm, as global vice chair." Washington Post, 10 July 2008. "Hughes, 51, started Wednesday at the firm's small office on Brazos Street in downtown Austin." Austin American-Statesman, 10 July 2008. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

Look for your first issue of Problems of Terrorism. "James Glassman, a former journalist and media publisher who was giving his first public address since becoming the undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, acknowledged that opposition to America's foreign policy was one of the main reasons for the decline in America's image internationally. He also cited the government's failure to adequately explain those policies and the perception that the US doesn't listen to other nations' perspectives as driving the deterioration." Jerusalem Post, 8 July 2008. I thought Glassman's 30 June speech to the Council on Foreign Relations (previous post) was his first since becoming undersecretary for public diplomacy. In any case, the two speeches cover much the same ground. -- "We ourselves should not shrink from confidently opposing poisonous ideas -- even if they are rooted in a distorted and twisted interpretation of religious doctrine. To this end, we are working to develop the contemporary analogue to Problems of Communism, an important journal of the Cold War. The new journal will appear in both electronic and paper form and will also serve as a platform for conferences and discussions." Glassman to Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 8 July 2008. And like Problems of Communism, will Problems of Terrorism (probably won't be its actual title) be given Congressional approval for distribution within the United States? By the way, do listen to the audio file of the Q&A, which pops up after the audio of the speech. -- NB: James K. Glassman will be on CNN's Late Edition this Sunday, 13 July. National Journal The Hotline, 11 July 2008. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

Is Iran using Photoshop to compensate for something? "A photo on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Web site distributed Wednesday by Agence France-Presse showed four missiles launched simultaneously. That photo appeared on various Web sites Wednesday, including those of the New York Times and BBC News, and on the front pages of a number of newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. The Associated Press and Reuters distributed similar photos, but they showed only three missiles." Al Kamen, Washington Post, 11 July 2008. Citing Little Green Footballs, 10 July 2008. Press TV uses the four-missile version. Press TV, 10 July 2008. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

After Iranian missile tests, US and allies will fire back "intense public diplomacy campaign." Undersecretary of State William Burns "said the United States and the other nations are working on 'an intense public diplomacy campaign to explain what we're offering directly. ... We want the Iranian people to see clearly how serious we are about reconciliation and helping them to develop their full potential, but also who's responsible for Iran's isolation.'" Washington Post, 10 July 2008.
     Among RAND Corporation recommendations about U.S. strategy towards Iran: "-Pursue a more aggressive policy of public diplomacy by encouraging U.S. officials to provide interviews and commentary for Iranian media. -Tone down U.S. policy statements advocating regime change in Iran." RAND Corp. press release, 10 July 2008.
     "The State Department has refused to provide specific details on the nuances of [its Iran] democracy promotion project. The agency told lawmakers that the classified nature of the democracy promotion project serves to protect the identity of Iranian individuals and organizations that have received funding to promote a U.S. policy of regime change in Iran from being harassed or threatened by the Iranian government. Yet that is exactly what has happened to some Iranian dissidents—even those who have publicly denounced the program." The Public Record, 10 July 2008. Promoting democracy in secret seems incongruous. International broadcasting promotes democracy in Iran, without specifically promoting democracy, by reporting on the exercise of democracy in the free nations. It also covers contrasting political viewpoints inside Iran, which comes with the responsibility of determining which viewpoints are responsible and legitimate, and which are too radical for inclusion. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

Iranian television station has Azerbaijani audience. "Iran's state-run Sahar TV['s] efforts to broadcast to Azerbaijan in Azerbaijani often overpower domestic signals. They have even been said to reach as far as Baku, about 240 kilometers from the border. Much of Sahar's programming deals with religion, leading critics to suggest that the broadcasts are part of a wider effort to export the ideals of the Iranian Revolution. Some of those same detractors accuse Tehran of employing a 'soft power' assault to unduly influence the Azerbaijani public -- or even undermine indigenous culture or tradition." Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 9 July 2008. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

BBC World Service 2007/08 annual review: the competition may not enjoy reading it, but should. The global audience is down slightly, from 183 to 182 million, but up from 38 to 40 million in English. "The estimate for Africa and the Middle East was up three million to 86 million, with strong performances in Nigeria and Kenya. Asia Pacific audiences were down by 3.1 million to 79.1 million, a decline largely attributable to Bangladesh, where there had been a major and arguably unsustainable increase during the previous year's political unrest." Two more capital cities have BBC FM presence. BBCWS director Nigel Chapman's annual salary is ￡228,000. BBC World Service press release, 8 July 2008 and the report itself. The BBCWS annual report is, of course, recommended reading. Its lessons for competitors: 1) consolidation of international broadcasting resources under one brand, 2) a domestic broadcasting partner (the parent BBC), 3) credibility by way of journalistic independence, 4) audience and market research which is heeded and turned into action, and 5) an appropriate mix of media -- although BBCWS (due largely to Parliamentary authorizations) has been slow to move into television in languages other than English.
     From the 2007/08 annual review of the BBC Trust (the governing board of all BBC): "The Trust’s audiences and performance committee commissioned independent research into the BBC Afghanistan service, and into the English Language Core Service (ELCS) on radio. The Afghanistan service received overwhelmingly positive responses. It is the most trusted source of news, and one of the most popular radio services in the country. However, competition from other Afghan media, including television, is growing. The challenge is to remain distinctive and relevant at a time of great social, economic and political change. Our ELCS research was carried out in key markets among opinion formers– a priority audience for the World Service. We found that the ELCS is valued for distinctive journalism that complements other news sources. However our research revealed that while there is an appetite for ELCS news-related output there is low awareness of it. Management is working to address this problem." BBC Trust press release, 8 July 2008, and the report itself. I confess that I've never heard of "English Language Core Service." Is that the BBC World Service English we North Americans used to hear on our shortwave radios? See also this March 2008 study on BBCWS ELCS. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

BBC Worldwide: international broadcasting that you pay for. "BBC Worldwide has reported an 8.8% increase in year-on-year sales to ￡183.8m at its channels division, fuelled by improvements 'evenly spread' between UK and overseas markets. ... US revenues came predominantly from the BBC America. UK series such as Torchwood and Top Gear helped to double BBC America's ratings in the key 25 to 54 age group and add 7 million subscribers overall. ... Revenues from TV programmes to Europe were up 3.4% year on year to ￡116m and profits from the region grew 6.9% to ￡30.8m. Sales to the Americas were down to ￡69m from ￡78.2m the year before, but profits grew from ￡2.9m to ￡6.9m.
In the rest of the world, sales grew 6.9% year on year, with profit up 5.9% to ￡9m 'helped by the explosion of new video-on-demand customers'." The Guardian, 8 July 2008. See also BBC Worldwide press release, 8 July 2008. BBC Worldwide is the BBC's commercial subsidiary, with sales both the UK and abroad. It is not to be confused with BBC World Service or BBC World News, but BBC Worldwide does facilitate the international distribution of BBC programs and television channels, including BBC World News. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

BBC on the "danger of Obama-mania." "BBC World News America executive producer Rome Hartman said one of his show’s challenges is to make sure that the international attention being heaped on U.S. presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) does not influence his coverage. 'There is a danger of "Obama-mania," particularly overseas.'" Broadcasting & Cable, 8 July 2008. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

BBC America is BBC without the controversial bits. "Americans will soon get their first look at 'Skins,' a controversial British youth drama. First, however, some of the controversial bits will be trimmed off. 'The British shows are far edgier,' Garth Ancier, the head of the BBC America cable channel, told reporters Tuesday." Lansing State Journal, 9 July 2008.
     "You can always count on BBC America to class up the TV Critics Tour. Situated in between the flashy presentations of HBO and CNN and the numbing dumbness of the Game Show Network, the respected British broadcaster stands out as one of the few outposts of intelligence on the U.S. television landscape." Andrew Ryan, Globe and Mail, 8 July 2008. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

BBC World Service: broadcasting less radio drama, holding more radio drama workshops. "The British Council and BBC World Service will jointly host a workshop to bring the art of writing drama for radio, to a wide range of Arab writers. ... The workshop, in English, will focus on why radio can be the most accessible and powerful way of telling your story. ... The purpose of the workshop is ... to find new voices for radio within the Arab world, to bring Arab stories to a wider audience and to alert writers to a number of outlets available to them for their work." The Peninsula, 9 July 2008. Posted: 11 Jul 2008 Permalink

Al-Jazeera, the edgy-question news channel. "US officials know the importance of trying to shape America's image abroad. 'We will never say 'no' to their interview requests,' says David Foley, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. 'We see it as extremely important,' in part because it has an audience in the Middle East. Mr. Foley appears regularly on AJE and knows what to expect from their interviewers. 'They're much more personal and edgy in their questions' than American networks, he says, citing a recent exchange with AJE anchor Shihab Rattansi, who asked him: So, Mr. Foley, aren't you really impotent in the Middle East? 'That's not the sort of question you're going to get on CNN,' Foley says." Christian Science Monitor, 10 July 2008. Posted: 10 Jul 2008 Permalink

Al Jazeera English, all night in Fiji. "Customers of Fiji's newest television company, Mai TV will be able to see Arabic news service Al Jazeera International from tonight. Mai TV chief executive officer Richard Broadbridge said the company has secured free to air rights to Al Jazeera International to bring international news and current affairs. ... Al Jazeera International airs on Mai TV from 1030 p.m. to 11 a.m. daily [1030-2300 gmt], while German/English service Deutsche Welle will broadcast for only three hours daily." Fijilive website, via BBC Monitoring, via redOrbit, 9 July 2008. Posted: 10 Jul 2008 Permalink

Livestation now welcomes all channels. "Livestation viewers can now customise their watching experience by adding their own choice of channels. Livestation viewers can now add any TV, radio or even webcam streams to their Livestation account for easy access. ... 'For broadcasters, it will provide an excellent opportunity to assess viewer demand so that they can then respond as they see fit. We will then work with the broadcasters to maximise the new found opportunities.' ... Livestation channels currently include Al Jazeera, BBC World News, Bloomberg Television, EuroNews (English, French