Posts from ‘February, 2011’

Derrick Chitala, a Zambian politician who President Banda believes intends to stand as MMD presidential candidate at the forthcoming party convention, has been refused an operating licence for his proposed pan African radio station. Mr Chitala was given a construction licence, but the operating licence has been blocked due to his political ambitions. The radio [...]

Text of report by London-based Zimbabwe independent SW Radio Africa on 18 February
[Report by Lance Guma: "Survey Reveals Increase in Internet Use in Zimbabwe"]
Twenty four per cent of adults living in urban centres are now using the internet, according to the latest Zimbabwe All Media Products and Services Survey (ZAMPS). The figure represents a 2 [...]

Bulgaria’s Focus Radio Network is to broadcast four news bulletins a day in English from Washington as of tomorrow (21 February). The bulletins for Bulgaria will be aired at 10:30 am, 2:30 pm, 6:30 pm and 10:30 pm local time and will be prepared by Voice of America (VOA). Broadcasting news bulletins in English is [...]

The National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester Township is in need of financial support, and a video has been produced to shed light on the Bethany Relay Station’s history and reasons for preservation.
“From defeating Hitler and Nazi Germany, to reaching behind the Iron Curtain in the Soviet Union, VOA carried the [...]

An Iraqi television channel that carried live footage of protests against the autonomous Kurdish region’s dominant political bloc was attacked early today, its owner said. “At 2:00 am in Sulaimaniyah, a group of masked men carrying weapons entered the building of our television channel,” said Tuana Othman, owner of the Nalia station. “They wounded the [...]

The UK’s Broadcast Minister Ed Vaizey has confirmed to a group of MPs that the FM waveband will not be switched off in 2015 and will remain as one of a number of multi platform transmission options for local commercial radio. He also confirmed that he was prepared to take a look at the recent [...]

The Dutch radio programme “Arbeidsvitaminen” (literally ‘work vitamins’), a weekday request show, is 65 years old today, 19 February. But because it’s broadcast Monday-Thursday, the show will celebrate its birthday on Monday, when there will be a special programme featuring some of its former presenters.
Throughout the week, the Top 65 most beautiful songs will be [...]

The Kyrgyz parliament today adopted a law on expanding the broadcast reach of its radio station, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reports. The “parliament radio” informs people about the unicameral body’s agenda, debates, and votes that it will hold. The radio broadcasts can currently only be heard by residents of Bishkek and the northern Chui Oblast near [...]

A new TV channel named “Asgabat” will be launched in Turkmenistan in October, Turkmen TV reported on 18 February.
A decree signed by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow to this effect says that the new TV channel will be launched “with the aim of skilful demonstration and propagation of successes and achievements which have been made and are [...]

An editorial on the China Daily website, the largest English portal in China, has welcomed the decision of the BBC and Voice of America (VOA) to end their radio broadcasts in Chinese. The editorial says “The cut[s] in the major Western media organizations’ Chinese language services will not have much of an impact on Chinese [...]

Taranga FM, a privately-owned local language radio station in Gambia which was shut down on 13 January, 2011, has reopened after the Gambian authorities issued a warning to the station’s management to stop reviewing what they described as “opposition” newspapers.
Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s sources reported that the station is now back on the [...]

The BBC is moving BBC America’s nightly newscast to the BBC World News channel, which will be given a stronger distribution push. BBC Worldwide America and BBC Global News announced the moves as part of an overall investment in multiplatform news in the United States. The US version of the BBC News website will also [...]

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on authorities today in Bahrain, Yemen and Libya to cease their attempts to prevent media from reporting on anti-government demonstrations. Bahraini authorities used live ammunition - including fire from a helicopter - against peaceful protesters and journalists, according to news reports. Pro-government thugs attacked at least two [...]

Alhurra TV, the US government-funded Arabic language satellite television news channel, said on Thursday that 25 percent of Egyptians in Cairo and Alexandria viewed its coverage of the 18-day uprising that forced President Hosni Mubarak from office on 11 February.
The finding is based on a poll conducted between 4 and 10 February by telephone. 500 [...]

The Tapei Times quotes an employee at the Voice of America (VOA) Chinese service as saying “There’s a lot of anger,” at plans to drastically cut its funding. Under a proposed restructuring plan, the US Broadcasting Board of Governors’ (BBG) budget submission for the VOA Mandarin service for the next fiscal year would include a [...]