Our weekly round-up of public service media news stories from around the world.
11 July – 17 July
Africa
Algerian media faces ‘hostile environment’
From WorldBulletin: Independent media outlets in Algeria are under increasing pressure, despite a guarantee of press freedom in the country’s newly approved constitution, journalists say.
AU chief Dlamini-Zuma urges media to popularise Agenda 2063
From The New Times: Calls for credible, responsible and responsive media took centre stage during the second day of the Africa Editor’s Forum at the ongoing African Union summit in Kigali last week.
Banning Social Media Is Quickly Becoming A Trend In Africa. So Who’s Next
From AFK Insider: In the last six months, at least six have blocked access to Whatsapp, Twitter or Facebook.
SABC to challenge ICASA ruling
From SABC: The broadcaster says it is unapologetic when it comes to the decision not to broadcast images from violent protests in South Africa.
Six of Tunisia’s Ten Leading Television Networks Under Political Ownership
From Tunisialive: Six of the ten Tunisian television channels analyzed by a group of international NGOs have been found to be either owned by politicians or active members of Tunisia’s leading political parties.
Social media blackout in Ethiopia
From Mail & Guardian Africa: The Ethiopian government has blocked all access to social media websites amid fears that the university entry exam process could be compromised.
South African public broadcaster accused of censorship
From the Financial Times: Decision to limit coverage of violent protests has led to fears for democracy
StarTimes, Eutelsat partner for DTT broadcasting in Africa
From Biztech Africa: New partnership for accelerated roll-out of digital services across Africa
Asia
Asia Pacific pay TV market to grow at a 6% annual rate
From Digital TV Europe: The Asia Pacific pay TV market will grow at a 5.8% average annual rate from 2016 to 2021, according to research by Media Partners Asia (MPA).
From Hong Kong Free Press
Media groups urge PM to review order
From The Nation: Thai media groups urge PM to review order that gives regulator absolute power to shutdown media.
Media outlets face further restrictions in Thailand
From PMA: Thai media face further restrictions as Prime Minister gives sweeping powers to broadcast and press regulators.
NHK-Japan to hold 8K Public Viewing for Rio Olympic Games
From ABU: NHK will hold 8K (Super Hi-Vision) public viewings in six venues in Japan, as well as on the ground in Rio de Janeiro in cooperation with the Brazilian broadcaster, TV Globo.
NHK World TV goes HD on Astra 19.2
From Broadband TV News
President committed to upholding press freedom: Presidential Office
From Focus Taiwan: Taiwanese President responds to criticism that the party has violated its own promise to remove political and military influence from the media.
PTV signed agreement with CCTV for Chinese content in Pakistan
From ABU: Pakistan Television Foundation has awarded Landing Rights Permission for CCTV News and CCTV-9 Documentary.
Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific
Changes needed to PNG Media codes of ethics
From Radio New Zealand: The president of Papua New Guinea’s media council said there was a need for the country’s media ethics codes to be revised.
Fairfax’s China propaganda sheet reveals Beijing’s ‘enormous restraint’
From The Guardian: Continuing coverage over the controversial decision to publish Chinese government backed supplement.
Nauru government slams Australian media ‘bias’ over elections
From Asia Pacific Report: Newly elected justice minister accuses Australian media of bias and destabilising government.
Pacific media at the centre of conference
From PMA: Pacific media will be one of the key issue to discuss at the World Journalism Education Congress in New Zealand.
Pacific needs more trained journalists
From Radio New Zealand: Media educators and trainers have come together to form a new regional body to address the decreasing number of journalists and educators in the Pacific.
Popular ABC broadcaster Jacquie Mackay celebrates 20 years on air in central Queensland
From ABC Online: ABC looks back at the career of long serving broadcaster
WJEC16: Media failing in reporting climate change, say educators
From Asia Pacific Report: Educators criticise media coverage of climate change after the COP21 conference last year.
Europe
BBC faces further reform as Hall plans for future
From Broadcast: The age of reform at the BBC is not over yet, according to director general Tony Hall, who used the publication of the corporation’s annual report to signpost further changes over the next 12 months.
BBC News channel and World News face 10% cuts after merger is ruled out
From The Guardian: Corporation to make significant cutbacks after deciding not to replace UK and international services with a single channel
Germany: Media Broadcasters add more Transmitter Sites
From RadioWorld: Germany’s digital radio network has grown, with service provider Media Broadcast announcing it added additional transmitter sites across the country.
ITV Sells Irish Channel That Will Remain in EU After Brexit
From Bloomberg: ITV Plc agreed to sell Dublin-based UTV Ireland to Virgin Media, parting with an operation it bought less than five months ago that lies across the coming border with the European Union.
Ofcom: TV viewing time down as ‘generation gap’ widens
From Digital TV Europe: The UK broadcast regulator’s ‘Public Service Broadcasting Annual Report 2016’ claims that people under 25 are watching around 25% less broadcast TV than in 2010, while the average viewing of those aged 55-64 has declined by 5%.
Protest Held Against ‘Purges’ on Croatian Broadcaster
From Balkan Insight: Several hundred people and journalists protested on Thursday against the wave of sackings and cancellation of shows on the public broadcaster Croatian Radio-Television, HRT, which they say were politically inspired
Relaunched ERT selects Globecast
From Broadband TV Now: State-owned Greek national broadcaster ERT – The Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation – has selected Globecast to deliver ERT World and five radio channels to the Greek diaspora across Europe.
Russia: journalists arbitrarily included in list of alleged terrorists
From RSF: Crimean journalists added to a list of 6000 alleged terrorists and extremists published by the Russian Federation.
Snooper’s charter could endanger journalists and sources, peers warn
From The Guardian: Investigatory powers bill could lead to video shot by reporters being accessed remotely by police or their phone microphones used as a bug, peers say
Latin America
Ecuador: Strengthening community media
From DW Akademie: By 2017 more than one thousand radio and television licenses are to have been distributed to Ecuador’s media outlets – a big step in democratizing its media sector.
Mexico’s Televisa says 2nd-qtr profit rises 6.6 pct
From Reuters: Mexico’s broadcaster Televisa, one of the world’s biggest producers of Spanish-language content, reported a 6.6 percent rise in its second-quarter profit.
New rise of community media in Brazil
From PMA: While the mainstream media devotes attention to the upcoming Olympics and the often unflattering portraits of favelas, community media in Brazil is rising to provide an alternative story.
Middle East
How Turkish media were raided during coup attempt
From the BBC: Coverage of the raid carried out on the state broadcaster in Turkey last week during the attempted coup.
In Turkey, a loud disagreement finds a common ground: Journalism is not a crime
From Index on Censorship: New social media campaign launched to defend the honour of journalists and encourage solidarity against growing political pressure.
Turkey coup drama bruises media organizations
From Middle East Online: Media rights activists say authorities should take note, treat media with more respect after their role in latest events.
North America
AM/FM Radio Still Leads Music Discovery in Canada
From eMarketer: While there’s considerable buzz around streaming music platforms and the future of music worldwide, in Canada, at least, radio still holds sway over the ears of internet users.
NBCUniversal Executive Is Denied Entry Into Russia
From The New York Times
PBS Programs Receive 26 Primetime Emmy® Award Nominations
From PBS: On July 14, 2016 the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy® Awards, for which PBS programs received 26 nominations.
Press freedom threats in the US prompt writers to sign petition
From The Guardian: With journalists under pressure in countries across the world, it is important for democratic countries to safeguard press freedom in their own backyards
TV subscribers dwindling, but prices rise, CRTC data shows
From CBC: Cord-cutting on the rise, but so are monthly bills for cable and satellite TV customers
If you have any suggestions for our weekly round-ups, please email PMA at editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
These stories are provided for interest and relevance to public service media issues, they do not necessarily reflect the views of the Public Media Alliance.
All headlines are sourced from their original story.
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