|
The assembly unanimously adopted a resolution proposed by ABU president
Katsuji Ebisawa that the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union and the
European Broadcasting Union work together to:
* Promote the provision and exchange of technical information related
to digital terrestrial broadcasting.
* Promote the exchange of programme content produced in digital
formats, and information to promote and assist in the production
of such content.
The European Broadcasting Union, which was represented at the meeting,
endorsed the resolution.
Ebisawa described the migration from analogue to digital television
as "an irreversible global trend" that, once in place in a proper
context, would bring various benefits.
Greater links with developmental organisations
To help members meet these challenges, the General Assembly discussed
for the first time a strategy of bringing added assistance to the
development of technological infrastructure for broadcasters by
engaging developmental organisations active in information and communication
technology initiatives in developing countries.
The union is increasing its relationships with multilateral institutions,
overseas development agencies, non-governmental organisations and
foundations in seeking funds for technology transfer, training and
capacity building.
During the general assembly, the ABU also announced new projects
with the United Nations and International Labour Organisation for
training, content creation and message dissemination on issues relating
to poverty, health, environment and employment.
Protecting broadcasters' spectrum
Before the general assembly, the ABU's technical committee, programme
committee and sports group met separately over several days.
In the technical committee, the question of spectrum protection
was a continuing focus. Ways to strengthen the relationship of broadcasters
with their national regulatory administration were explored, to
create the environment for broadcasters to be heard on their concerns
about the encroachment on spectrum allocated to broadcast services.
Digital radio development also had a high profile. With the launch
of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) this year in the short and medium
wave bands, there are opportunities for broadcasters to redefine
their radio services with the significant improvement in sound quality
and the availability of additional digital channel capacity for
ancillary services.
Together with DAB radio, the arrival of DRM contributes to the
first major revitalisation of radio in many decades.
Radio audio exchange a possibility
Radio continues to be an important medium for news, information,
education and entertainment, and the Programme Committee agreed
that radio should figure more largely in the ABU's list of activities.
The committee backed a plan to look into introducing an exchange
of audio material among member broadcasters. The ABU already operates
a daily television news exchange, Asiavision, and a daily exchange
of radio news scripts. An ABU working party will explore the possibility
of launching a website dedicated to the exchange of radio audio
material.
Fighting for members sports' rights
ABU Sport is to form a strategy group made up of some of its most
powerful members to professionalise its approach to the acquisition
of high demand sports events like the Olympics and the FIFA World
Cup.
The group, to be known as the 'ABU Sports Acquisition Group', will
focus on presenting federations and other property owners with compelling
arguments abut the benefits of dealing with the ABU.
"We have yielded up the commercial ground to sports marketing companies
and it has cost us dearly," the ABU's head of sport, John Barton,
told an ABU Sports Group meeting in Istanbul.
"It is time for us to conduct our negotiations with greater emphasis
on the range and depth of benefits within the ABU membership," Barton
said.
New Vice-President elected
The general assembly elected Mohammad Honardoost, vice-president,
communications & international affairs, Islamic Republic of Iran
Broadcasting, as a vice-president of the ABU for a three-year term.
The president is Katsuji Ebisawa of NHK-Japan and the other V-Ps
are KS Sarma of Prasar Bharati and Zainal Abidin Iberahim
of RTM-Malaysia
Administrative Council elections
KA-Kazakhstan and TDM-Macau were elected to the ABU administrative
council. PBI/DDI-India and TRT-Turkey were re-elected.
New Honorary Councillor
The ABU's former secretary-general, Hugh Leonard, who retired in
July, was elected an ABU honorary councillor.
Big turnout
The general assembly and associated meetings were held from 4 to
11 October. They attracted about 400 delegates from 77 organisations
around the world.
ABU Prizes 2003
Each year the ABU conducts contests among its members for radio
and television programmes. The results were announced on 9 October.
Doordarshan had one winner in the ABU Engineering Industry Award
category, won by Bimal Kumar De, former engineer-in-chief of DDI.
The winners in the various categories are:
Dennis Anthony Memorial Award
Joint winners:
Bangladesh Television (BTV)
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)
The prizes were for the overall excellence of their contributions
to the Asiavision news exchange during the year.
Television
ABU Prize for Information Programmes: Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK),
Japan
Entry Title: Abducted
HBF-ABU Prize for Entertainment Programmes: Mainichi Broadcasting
System (Member of NAB), Japan
Entry Title: Horyuji Sound Stage
ABU Prize for Children's Programmes: Korean Educational Broadcasting
System (EBS), Republic of Korea
Entry Title: Yeah Yeah Yeah with Pootie Toot
ABU Prize for Sports Programmes: China Central Television, People's
Republic of China
Entry Title: New Beijing Great Olympics
Radio Category
ABU Prize for Information Programmes Winner : Korean Educational
Broadcasting System (EBS), Republic of Korea
Entry Title: Learn from Sweden: The Great Place for a Working Mom
HBF- ABU for Entertainment Programmes Winner : Nippon Hoso Kyokai
(NHK), Japan
Entry Title: Fairy Tales of War: Mommy Who Became a Kite
ABU Prize for Children's Programmes Winner : China National Radio
(CNR), People's Republic of China
Entry Title: Listen, Write and Paint - The Bear and the Bee
ABU Prize for External Broadcast Programme Winner : China Radio
International (CRI), People's Republic of China
Title: The Growth of The Internet - To Reconnect What SARS Cut
Off
Engineering
ABU Engineering Excellence Award: Mr Taiji Nishizawa, former Director
General of the NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories
ABU Engineering Industry Award: Bimal Kumar De, former Engineer-in-Chief
of DDI.
Technical
ABU Technical Review Prizes - Best Article Winner: Mediacorp Radio
Singapore
Title Article: Beyond Radio in DAB: Awakening the Giant Within
ABU is a non-profit, non-government, professional association
of broadcasting organisations, formed in 1964 to facilitate the
development of broadcasting in the Asia-Pacific region and to organise
cooperative activities amongst its members. It currently has over
100 members in 52 countries, reaching a potential audience of about
3 billion people.
"Khabar" Agency, the leading national television and radio broadcaster
in the Republic of Kazakhstan, will host the 41st annual ABU General
Assembly in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2004.
Also Read:
Doordarshan
re-elected to Asia-Pacific broadcast panel
Prasar
Bharati CEO Sarma elected ABU vice-president
|
