Posts from ‘February, 2008’

The new version of the BBC’s Home Page at www.bbc.co.uk, which has been available in beta form for the past few months, will be officially launched in two days’ time, according to an announcement on the current Home Page.
iBeginShare.attachButton(’share-tool-8872361201′, {title: ‘New BBC Home Page launching in two days’, link: ‘http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/new-bbc-home-page-launching-in-two-days’, content: ‘http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/?ibegin_share_action=get_content&id=9623′});

Pakistan ordered local Internet service providers to block access to the popular YouTube website because of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad that have outraged many Muslims, an industry official said on Sunday. The cartoons, published in Danish newspapers in 2005 and again earlier this month, angered Muslims because of their depiction of the Prophet Mohammad.
“They [...]

The Hong Kong Broadcasting Authority is inviting the public to express views on Wave Media’s application for a sound-broadcasting licence. The application involves the operation of a Hong Kong-wide radio channel at 810 kHz in the mediumwave band, which is the only vacant channel covering the whole city. 
Wave Media plans to broadcast locally produced Chinese [...]

The Estonian Foreign Ministry is supporting consultations for Georgia’s national public radio-TV company (GTVR – Georgian TV and Radio) with 195,300 kroons (US$18,488). The sum is being allocated from the Foreign Ministry’s development and humanitarian aid budget.
According to Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, a democratic society with a market economy cannot function without free and balanced [...]

SES Astra and French pay-TV group CANAL+ have announced today that the digital terrestrial free-TV offer TNTSAT has significantly gained reach. Following its successful launch in 2007, and a marketing campaign led by Astra France, already 350,000 receivers have been sold to French households. TNTSAT is a service for French TV viewers offering the whole range [...]

Arirang TV will launch a seven-language subtitle service and English radio news service in Korea. Chang Myung-ho, the President and CEO of Arirang TV, announced the new services at a press conference on Friday. The station delivers news, cultural programs, educational shows and documentaries worldwide via satellite 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Starting [...]

It’s curious that, as every week seems to bring news of more cuts or closures in international shortwave broadcasting, the popular press seem to be turning their attention more and more to shortwave. The latest article I’ve seen is in the Palm Beach Post, whose technology writer Bill Husted opens with the words “Follow today’s [...]

In September 2007, the village tract leader of Kun Mong village tract in Kaeng Tawng sub-township of Murng-Nai township, Burma, was summoned to the base of LIB 569 and detained by the military authorities for regularly tuning to foreign news broadcasts on his shortwave radio.
On 19 September 2007, the commander of LIB 569, based about [...]

The Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS), the country’s national broadcaster, has launched an online radio service. BBS Radio introduced the Internet service on Thursday to mark the 28th birthday of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.The online service is available for 15 hours a day, from 0000-1500 UTC. It can be accessed via the BBS website: www.bbs.com.bt.
Launched [...]

Chad is now one of the few African countries without an effective independent press since a state of emergency was declared a week ago, with journalists fleeing abroad to escape arrest or falling silent in protest against censorship and “very serious” official threats, says press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).                
“The authorities cannot force the [...]

KFAR [660 kHz], the dominant local talk radio station in Fairbanks, Alaska, is off the air after a fire on Thursday morning crippled its transmitter. Bad weather has delayed the delivery of a replacement part, KFAR General Manager Perry Walley said. The part is expected to arrive on Monday and Walley hopes to be transmitting by [...]

Cameroon’s government summarily closed on Thursday a leading private television station on alleged regulatory violations, according to local journalists and news reports. The station in Douala was distinguished for its leading coverage of a national debate over a bid by President Paul Biya to scrap a constitutional clause that limits presidential terms.
Two police commanders backed [...]

Japan has launched a satellite aimed at providing high-speed Internet access across Asia, after a one-week delay. The experimental satellite is looking at how to ensure broadband-speed services across Asia, even when terrestrial infrastructure goes down. The Kizuna launched at 0855 UTC this morning from the Space Centre on the small island of Tanegashima off the southern [...]

What’s being heralded as the first Spanish FM radio outlet to air a 24-hour News format launches in Puerto Rico on Monday. WCMA-FM in San Juan on 96.5 MHz will change from a Spanish AC format to RED 96, Noticias FM. In addition to a local news, the station will feature regular news updates from correspondents [...]

Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic yesterday signed into law the Act on Reimbursement for the Public Service Provided by Slovak Television and Slovak Radio, introducing a new payments system for the broadcasting of public media that comes into effect in April.
Under the new law proposed by Culture Minister Marek Madaric, each household receiving electricity will pay fees [...]