AFGHANISTAN: BBC News Uzbek revamps its TV offer for Afghanistan

BBC Media Centre: BBC News Uzbek has revamped its TV offer for Afghanistan. The Monday to Friday news bulletin, which is currently viewed by 1.8m Afghans every week, has been relaunched as a 15-minute programme. The new-look programme now has an even greater emphasis on Afghan and regional developments, and features technology, women’s issues, sports, and cultural-heritage slots.

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CAMBODIA: What is Hun Sen planning for Cambodia’s media?

The Asean Post: On 14 January, during his fourth annual meeting with the press, Cambodia’s Prime Minister, Hun Sen announced legal-aid support for the country’s journalists. The meeting was attended by nearly 6,000 members of the media and the press.

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CHINA: China’s media coverage more transparent, but restrained

Straits Times: Chinese state media, acknowledging that “government agencies cannot hide information even if they want to” in the age of social media, has sought to be more transparent in its reporting of the Wuhan virus as compared with the restricted coverage during the Sars outbreak of 2003.

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INDIA: India says internet is being restored to Kashmir, but no social media

Deutsche Welle: After a monthslong internet blackout, Indian authorities said that Kashmir residents can now go online under strictly controlled conditions. The users can visit only about 300 websites and cannot access social media.

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INDONESIA: Management shakeup raises questions about TVRI’s public broadcast role (Paywall)

The Jakarta Post: The abrupt dismissal of TVRI president director Helmy Yahya has once again put the spotlight on the public television broadcaster, which has been struggling to stay relevant since the television industry was liberalized in the 1990s. 

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INDONESIA & US: Global media decry Indonesia’s arrest of environmental journalist

Asia Pacific Report: International journalists and agencies have condemned the arrest of American environmental journalist Philip Jacobson, who has been detained in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, for allegedly misusing his residency permit.

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JAPAN: New NHK chief Maeda vows to push reforms of operations, fees and governance 

Japan Times: Terunobu Maeda, the new president of NHK, expressed on Monday his determination to push ahead with reforms of the public broadcaster. “The three-part reforms of operations, viewing fees and governance must be pursued ceaselessly,” Maeda, 75, said at his inaugural news conference.

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MALAYSIA: Govt’s role in proposed media council is to table a bill – MPI CEO

Malaysiakini: The government’s role with regard to the proposed Malaysian Media Council will be to table a bill on behalf of media industry players to set up the entity through an Act of Parliament, according to a veteran journalist.

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NEPAL: Proposed laws in Nepal would stifle press freedom

IPI: Lawmakers in Nepal should reconsider several proposed laws that would threaten media freedom in the country if passed in their current form, the International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists for press freedom said today. The four bills are the Advertisement Regulation Bill, the IT Bill, the Nepal Media Council Bill, and the Public Service Broadcasting Bill.

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PAKISTAN: Cash-starved PTV seeks increase in licence fee

DAWN: With no business plan of its own, the cash-starved Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) is seeking to pass on Rs20 billion additional cost of its operations to the country’s electricity consumers already overburdened by up to 40 per cent increase in their power tariff over the past 18 months.

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PHILIPPINES: Rappler challenges president’s ‘media powers’ in democracy fight back

Asia Pacific Report: Rappler, the innovative online publisher that has been at the media freedom frontline in the Philippines for the past three years, has challenged President Rodrigo Duterte by taking the executive to the Supreme Court.

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SOUTH KOREA: Korea ups monitoring of fake news on Wuhan coronavirus

The Korea Herald: The Korea Communications Commission is stepping up its efforts to monitor online posts concerning the new Wuhan coronavirus, to counter rapidly spreading falsehoods that could mislead the public. 

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THAILAND: Thai PBS to highlight crucial issues facing the country

Thai PBS World: Waste management, bread-and-butter issues and decentralization will top the programming agenda of the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) which enters its 13th year as Thailand’s leading public broadcaster.

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GENERAL: Asian authorities tackle fake news on coronavirus

NHK World: Authorities in Asia are struggling to deal with fake news and rumors about the coronavirus outbreak circulating on social media.

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GENERAL: Internet surveillance and censorship in ASEAN

ASEAN Post: An analysis of 65 countries has found that only 20 percent of the world’s internet users enjoy “free” access according to international watchdog organisation, Freedom House. The remaining 32 percent are “partly free” and 35 percent are “not free”, while 13 percent of users have yet to be assessed.

AUSTRALIA: ABC NEWS Channel in 2020. Celebrating 10 years as Australia’s No 1 source of continuous news

ABC: In 2020 ABC NEWS Channel celebrates a decade on air as Australia’s leading source of continuous broadcast television news. Launched on 22 July 2010, ABC NEWS Channel is the home of breaking television news and the hub for video creation, curation and distribution across the ABC’s digital and broadcast news platforms.

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AUSTRALIA: How ‘Murdochracy’ controls the climate debate in Australia 

Al Jazeera: Australia’s worst-ever bushfires have thrust climate change into the political spotlight, but one of the country’s most powerful media conglomerates continues to deny the links between extreme weather events and climate change: Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.

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NEW ZEALAND: Future uncertain for all five big news outlets

Newsroom: MediaRoom column: 2020 could see the biggest changes to our news media in more than a generation. Tim Murphy sets the scene.

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NEW ZEALAND: The future of content on our screens and airwaves (Listen)

RNZ: Kathryn talks to the outgoing head of New Zealand On Air, Jane Wrightson about her 12 years leading the allocation of around $100 million in funding to content creators across our screens and airwaves. She leaves the job this week to become Retirement Commissioner. What might the future hold as the government contemplates massive changes to the way publicly owned media organisations are structured?

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SAMOA: Samoan PM Tuilaepa attacks Observer over criticism of media ban

Asia Pacific Report: Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr Sa’ilele Malielegaoi has attacked the Samoa Observer, accusing the nation’s only daily newspaper of being “nosy,” spreading “lies” and employing “kids” whose writing, he says, are misleading the public.

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TONGA: Media watchdog calls for ‘transparency’ over Tonga suspensions

RNZ: The suspension of three workers from the Tonga Broadcasting Commission has sent a chilling message to journalists at the public broadcaster, a media watchdog says.

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REGIONAL: Celebrating 30 years of broadcasting in the Pacific

RNZ: January 27 marked the 30-year anniversary of RNZ Pacific, formerly called RNZ International. On 24 January 1990, Radio New Zealand International beamed into the Pacific, on a new 100 kilowatt transmitter.

ALBANIA: Venice Commission to Probe Albania’s Media Laws

Balkan Insight: Albania’s government is feeling the heat over its so-called anti-defamation laws after the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly said it had asked the Venice Commission to give an opinion.

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BELGIUM: “A strike was inevitable”: VRT unions strike against the resignation of CEO Paul Lembrechts and savings (Dutch)

VRT News: Today, the trade unions and part of the VRT staff strike, a strike that they felt was “inevitable”. They are unhappy about the way CEO Paul Lembrechts was fired last week and the planned savings from the Flemish government.

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BELGIUM: RTBF boss must repay €60,000 overpaid between 2014 and 2018

The Brussels Times: Jean-Paul Philippot, the administrator-general of the French-speaking public broadcaster, will have to repay some €60,000 he received in excess of his statutory salary between 2014 and 2018, the French Community government has decided.

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FRANCE: Codex aims to stop police violence against journalists

ECPMF: Words cannot deflect a blow from a police officer’s baton or soothe away the sting of tear gas. They cannot heal a wound from a Flash-Ball riot control missile. But perhaps they can start a process that will make those painful experiences disappear forever. At least, that was the aim of launching the Press Freedom Police Codex in Paris on 22 January 2020, amid an escalation of violence against journalists by the police in France.

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FRANCE: On the 52nd day of strike at Radio France, management ready to make concessions (French)

Le Monde: President Sibyle Veil agrees to change the status of the voluntary departure plan. The unions hope to significantly reduce its scope.

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GERMANY: Agenda 2020 of public law (German)

Horizont: In the Brandenburg state parliament, the AfD had a vote on the abolition of the public service broadcasting system last Wednesday (- and failed); in Leipzig, supporters of the extreme left portal “Linksunten.Indymedia” attacked   police officers and journalists (not only the MDR) at the weekend . Criticism of funding and mandate from ARD and ZDF is hailing everywhere. What directors are opposing.

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GERMANY: Deutschlandfunk is expanding its news offering on February 1 – traffic jams are no longer required (German)

Deutschlandradio: Deutschlandfunk is expanding its range of news on February 1, 2020. As of this day, the congestion reports will not be broadcast after the news programs …

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IRELAND: RTÉ’s multiple lobbying meetings with politicians

The Irish Times: Senior RTÉ representatives met politicians or top Government officials on 14 occasions in the final four months of 2019, a period in which the deficit-stricken broadcaster campaigned for higher public funding.

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MALTA: Murder in Malta: Daphne Caruana Galizia’s journalistic legacy (Watch)

Aljazeera: Despite her murderer’s best efforts, she would not be silenced.

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MONTENEGRO: ‘Big Brother’ Worries in Montenegro after Journalists Arrested

Balkan Insight: The January arrests of three journalists in Montenegro, part of a crackdown on what the government says is an orchestrated campaign of misinformation, has triggered warnings of state censorship in the European Union candidate country.

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SPAIN: Rosa María Mateo puts her position at the government’s disposal but plans to continue until Congress decides on RTVE (Spanish)

Info Libre: The Executive has asked Mateo to remain in office until a solid proposal is made to provide the company with a new address. “Public television cannot continue to be governed by provisional charges, because it generates instability and serious consequences for our daily work,” the Information Councils recall.

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SWITZERLAND: Swiss pubcaster to invest more in local productions through 2023 (Paywall)

Telecompaper: Swiss public broadcaster SRG SSR said that it has signed an agreement with the representatives of the Swiss film industry to invest CHF 32.5 million per year for the period 2020-2023 to support local audio-visual productions.

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Switzerland proposes reforms to popular streaming services

The Local: Swiss authorities have forecast regulations for the streaming industry which may have significant impacts for viewers and media sources generally in Switzerland.

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UK: ‘A giant’: what other countries make of the BBC and how their media compare 

The Guardian: As the BBC reels from the departure of its boss and renewed pressure over its funding model, what are the views of the corporation from abroad?

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UK: Baroness Morgan warns BBC over licence fee ‘concern’

BBC News: The culture secretary has warned the BBC it would be a mistake to think the future of the licence fee was not an issue of public concern.

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UK: BBC launches My World, a groundbreaking global show for young audiences

BBC Media Centre: BBC My World is a groundbreaking global show for young audiences, explaining the stories behind the news, and providing facts and information for them to make up their own minds about international issues.

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UKRAINE: Journalists’ union rejects new draft law on disinformation

EFJ: On January 20, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has unveiled a draft law on combating disinformation and regulating media activity.  According to the minister of Culture, Volodymyr Borodyansky, the text aims to respond to Russian disinformation. However, the journalistic community believes that this initiative is likely to be used as a tool for harassing Ukrainian journalists.

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REGIONAL: Independent Media In Central And Southeast Europe Under ‘assault’ (Report)

Balkan Insight: Reuters Institute report says ownership concentration and government hostility threaten the future of independent journalism throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

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REGIONAL: Journalism Matters: Video Campaign Launched in the Western Balkans

SEENPM: The central role that professional public service journalism should play in a democratic society is the focus of a new campaign by a group of SEENPM members coordinated by Mediacentar Sarajevo within the EU-funded project “Media for Citizens – Citizens for Media”.

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GENERAL: European press councils stand out as key players to face political interference, disinformation and confidence crisis in media

EFJ: Are press councils the last defences against the falling confidence in journalism? On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, the Belgian French press council (Conseil de déontologie journalistique – CDJ) organised a European forum in Brussels, on 21-22 January, to raise awareness about the role of press councils. The event addressed in particular, on a panel, the stakes of ethics dealing with political interference and pressure on journalists.

BRAZIL: Brazilian prosecutor should drop charges against Glenn Greenwald

CPJ: Federal Public Prosecutor Wellington Divino Marques de Oliveira filed a petition before the 10th Federal Court in Brasília, the capital, charging Greenwald with multiple crimes, including criminal association and invasion of an electronic device. In the same petition, the prosecutor charged six other individuals, all allegedly involved in efforts to hack devices and leak the communications of dozens of high-profile Brazilian targets, with the same crimes

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BRAZIL: Freedom of the press is strongly threatened (Spanish) 

M24: Interview with Jacques Mick, professor at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, about the accusation initiated by the prosecution against a journalist from The Intercept Brazil.

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BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: Fahie defends bill opposed by free-speech advocates

BVI BEACON: Despite media organisations abroad strongly opposing parts of a cybercrime bill that awaits Governor Gus Jaspert’s assent, Premier Andrew Fahie doubled down on his support for the legislation this week. 

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CHILE: After the financial bailout: TVN reschedules its debts and defines the future of its emblem building (Spanish)

La Tercera: Last Thursday was a day of contrasts on Chilean National Television (TVN) . After 11 hours, a group of social leaders entered the set of Good Morning to Everyone. Before the cameras and with banners, the protesters demanded a greater plurality in their programming and that they fulfill their public mission in the context of social protest.

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DOMINICA: Dominican journalist Marino Zapete to face criminal defamation trial for corruption report

CPJ: The Fourth Penal Chamber of the Court of First Instance of the National District, in Santo Domingo, the capital of Dominica, is scheduled to try Zapete, a former broadcast reporter with local television outlet Teleradio America, on criminal defamation charges based on his reporting on alleged corruption. 

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ECUADOR: Ecuadorean broadcast regulator revokes Pichincha Universal’s radio license 

CPJ: ARCOTEL, Ecuador’s broadcast regulator, issued a decision revoking the license of Pichincha Universal, a local government-run radio station, after the outlet allegedly aired content that constituted incitement. 

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ECUADOR: Ecuadorian journalists create directory of women experts to encourage diversity of sources in the press

Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: Journalists Isabela Ponce and María Sol Borja, from the Ecuadorian website GK, developed a digital platform called Voces Expertas, to bring together women experts with the aim of increasing the presence of women among journalistic sources in Latin America.

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HONDURAS: Honduras enduring press freedom crisis

IPI: With a population of just over nine million people, the small central American country of Honduras is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Over the last decade alone at least 40 have been murdered in connection with their work, according to International Press Institute (IPI) data, making it the second deadliest place to report from within the Western Hemisphere, and more dangerous than many warzones.

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PERU: Tribute paid to journalists killed in Peru (Spanish) 

Prensa Latina: The 37th anniversary of the massacre of eight national journalists and their guide was commemorated on January 28. The crime which has never been solved occurred when the journalists searched for information about the operations of the armed group Sendero Liminoso. 

IRAN: Iran State TV Suspends Controversial Programs After Complaints By Rouhani Admin

Radio Farda: In what pro-Rouhani Entekhab news website described as a “rare event in several decades” Iran’s state TV suspended three live talk shows known for their criticism of the Rouhani administration’s policies. ‌‌Meanwhile, Mashreghnews, a website close to Iranian intelligence organs reported that these programs, namely Jahanara, Soraya and Asraneh, will resume broadcasting but will no longer be live.

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IRAQ: Renewed violence against Iraq protesters as TV station suspended

France 24: Two Iraqis were killed and dozens wounded in protest-related violence on Tuesday, as authorities suspended a television station which has broadcast intensive coverage of the months-long movement demanding regime change.

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LEBANON: CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering protests in Lebanon

CPJ: Protests in Lebanon have become more violent in recent weeks, with approximately 500 protesters and members of the security forces injured, according to reports. Lebanese authorities have used water cannon, batons, rubber bullets and, on occasion, fired teargas directly at protesters, according to reports. CPJ has documented how journalists have been harassed, attacked and detained while covering protests, or had equipment broken.

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LEBANON: Lebanese authorities detain US freelancer Nicholas Frakes for 2 days

CPJ: On January 19, 2020, Lebanese security forces arrested Nicholas Frakes, a U.S. national and freelance reporter, while he was covering protests in downtown Beirut.

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LEBANON: ‘We will not be silenced’: Journalists are also victims of Lebanon’s security clampdown

The New Arab: Lebanese security forces have assaulted more than 20 journalists and media workers covering the protests in Beirut this month alone.

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QATAR: Change to “fake news” law poses new threat to Qatar’s journalists

RSF: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns Qatar’s decision to increase the maximum penalty for “false news” to five years in prison. This poses an additional threat to the country’s journalists, RSF says, calling on Qatar to comply with the international treaties it has signed.

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SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi crown prince’s alleged hacking of Bezos raises press freedom concerns

CPJ: The Committee to Protect Journalists joined U.N. human rights experts in calling for an investigation into the alleged hacking of The Washington Post owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The U.N. experts called the alleged hacking “an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post’s reporting on Saudi Arabia.”

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TURKEY: Turkish authorities cancel press passes for hundreds of journalists

CPJ: Turkish authorities should restore the recently cancelled press cards of hundreds of reporters, and establish a transparent and impartial process for obtaining press passes, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

CANADA: CBC making changes to four-host format of flagship news program ‘The National’

CFJC Today: The CBC is making changes to the four-host format of its flagship newscast “The National” in response to feedback from viewers. The public broadcaster said Wednesday that Adrienne Arsenault and Andrew Chang are the show’s two main hosts from Monday through Thursday.

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CANADA: Staking our ground: Preserving Canada’s news and culture in a digital world

CBC/Radio-Canada: At Canadian Club of Toronto, Catherine Tait, President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada took the stage with Arlene Dickinson (Dragon’s Den) to discuss her vision for Canada’s public broadcaster in the 21st century, and the importance to Canadians of a mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain. 

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CANADA: Writers, producers warn streaming content boom is squeezing out Canadian creators

CBC/Radio-Canada: This week, a government-appointed panel is set to release a long-awaited report on recommendations to modernize Canada’s broadcasting laws. Industry veterans are eager to see if it will recommend that Netflix, Amazon Prime and other foreign companies streaming programming to Canadians contribute a portion of their revenues directly to funding Canadian-made projects. 

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US: ‘A little bit of shock’: Colorado Public Radio’s latest expansion absorbs KRCC in the Springs 

Colorado Independent: Colorado College has turned over management and operation of its public radio station, KRCC-FM, to Colorado Public Radio as part of a broader plan to create a new “public media center” in downtown Colorado Springs. 

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US: Keith Woods Named NPR’s Chief Diversity Officer

NPR: NPR CEO John Lansing announced today that Keith Woods, currently Vice President of Newsroom Training and Diversity, has been promoted to the newly created position of Chief Diversity Officer.

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US: NPR reporter barred from Mike Pompeo trip after tense interview

BBC: The US state department has removed an NPR reporter from the press pool for Secretary Mike Pompeo’s upcoming foreign trip, days after a tense interview with another NPR journalist. The radio network said it was not given a reason behind Michele Kelemen’s ban. A press representative said the decision amounted to retaliation. The state department has not commented.

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US: ‘The World’ from PRX Announces ‘Every 30 Seconds,’ a Collaborative Public Media Reporting Project on the Latino Electorate

CPB: “The World,” the daily global news and analysis program from PRX, WGBH, and the BBC, today announced “Every 30 Seconds,” a collaborative public media reporting project tracing the young Latino electorate ahead of the 2020 national election. Funded by a $300,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, “Every 30 Seconds” will report on the issues, influences, concerns, and challenges driving decision-making and turnout among young Latino voters across the United States.

Bloomberg Media invests in climate reporting, launches new brand

Journalism.co.uk: Bloomberg is the latest publisher to turn up the heat on climate emergency reporting with its new editorial brand Bloomberg Green. It is joining media brands like The Economist which has dedicated an entire issue to the topic last year, while many other news outlets, such as BBC, the Guardian or the Independent have climate reporting sections.

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Coronavirus: Fact-checkers from 30 countries are fighting 3 waves of misinformation

Poynter: An army of at least 48 fact-checking organizations from 30 countries has been working since Friday to debunk false information about the 2019 novel coronavirus. So far misinformation regarding the launch of a miraculous vaccine has been the largest trend, followed closely by a huge amount of fake data about the source of the fatal illness. Conspiracy theories come in third.

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Government funding for journalism: necessary evil or just evil?

CJR: As advertising revenue continues to decline, virtually every publisher in North America has had to seek other sources of funding. Some have turned to venture capital, while others are experimenting with nonprofit status, crowdfunding, and even selling shares to readers. Now there’s another option: government funding. 

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IPI launches new video tutorials on online harassment

IPI: The International Press Institute (IPI) has launched two new video series providing support to journalists targeted by online harassment and attacks.

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More speakers announced for Radiodays Europe 2020

Asia Radio Today: The 11th edition of Radiodays Europe will take place from March 29 to 31, 2020, in Lisbon. Radiodays Europe was born in 2010 as a response to the needs of the European industry, public and private, to come together to discuss the new media challenges, across borders.

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Reporters Face New Threats From the Governments They Cover (Opinion)

The New York Times: When Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, was charged last year by the Trump administration in connection with the publication of secret United States government documents nearly a decade earlier, many journalists expressed deep concern about the dangerous precedent the case could set for investigative reporting in America. But few seemed to consider that the case might also serve as a model for other nations eager to clamp down on press freedom.

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Television Broadcasting Services Market Report 2019-2026 with Profiles of 100+ Companies CBS Interactive Inc., British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

NY Telecast 99: Latest Study on Industrial Growth of Television Broadcasting Services 2026 By-Data Bridge Market Research. The report aids in achieving an extreme sense of evolving industry movements before the competitors. The report also covers market overview, premium insights, key insights and company profiles in detail of the key market players.

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This year’s World Radio Day to celebrate diversity

Asia Radio Today: This year on World Radio Day (WRD), UNESCO calls on radio stations to uphold diversity, both in their newsroom and on the airwaves.