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ftm Radio Page - October 9, 2009

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Caucasus radio service to start
Jamming potential looms

A new RFE/RL broadcast to Abkhazia and South Ossetia was announced early Wednesday (October 7). By mid-day Abkhaz authorities were fuming. Nobody called us, they said.

RFE/RL said a one hour news program under the Radio Liberty name would target Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the Russian language commencing November 2nd. The program will be produced at the Prague RFE/RL headquarters and feature correspondents in Georgia and Russia. A complimentary website will also be launched. RFE/RL correspondent Andrei Babitski, who irritated Russian authorities by covering Chechnya, will have a role in the program.

“The only thing you can say for sure in this case is the fact that the attempt to make pirate broadcasting on the territory of Abkhazia would be illegal with all the ensuing consequences,” said Abkhazia’s head of Information and Media Christian Bjaniya, quoted in Izvestia (October 7). “We will take tough measures, including technical, up to jamming. Such opportunities we have.”

Transmitter locations were not disclosed. Breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia remain claimed by Georgia, the short war notwithstanding. Official Russian radio channels moved into the ceded zones when the shooting died down. (JMH)

Radio association loses major member
“no longer reflective”

UTV Media GB has withdrawn from UK commercial radio industry body RadioCentre. The company cited “increasing concern” over policies “too heavily influenced by the interests of its largest member,” reported Mediaweek (October 7). The company exited RadioCentre effective September 30.

The “largest member” would be Global Radio, which became larger with the acquisitions of GCap and Chrysalis. “The governance of the RadioCentre is no longer reflective of the wider industry interests,” said UTV Media GB managing director Scott Taunton. UTV Media GB owns national radio channel TalkSport and local stations including Juice FM in Manchester and Radio Wave in Blackpool.

Consolidation takes an evil toll on industry associations. Big members – paying a bigger share of operating budgets – often seize the overall agenda, offending or even sidelining the interests of smaller members. One unfortunate result - seen in Sweden, for example – is the collapse of the trade body.

RadioCentre was formed in the 2006 merger of the UK Radio Advertising Bureau and Commercial Radio Companies Association. Global Radio acquired Chrysalis in 2007 and GCap the following year. (JMH)

Digital radio needs more money
€100 million or left behind

Digital radio has stalled in Germany. What’s needed, says Bavarian media regulator (BLM) head Wolf-Dieter Ring, is money, a €100 million, quoted in Horizont.net (October 6). Without that “seed money” Germany risks isolation in Europe…at least on the digital radio front.

“Digital dividend” money should be used “for private radio stations to meet the necessary investment in networks and solving the problem of the market,” he said. (More on digital radio here)

“It is not a question DAB - yes or no – in my view,” he added. “It's all about the question (whether) we want and can afford an introductory scenario, which goes on for 20 or 25 years… or we do it in five to ten years. Internet radio…is no alternative but a complement to DAB.”

Ring also does not expect as “realistic” FM shutoff until 2018 or 2020. (JMH)

EuroZoom Suspended
“creative concept” questioned

The EuroZoom program created by European Radio for Belarus (ERB) and broadcast on Minsk station Avtoradio has been suspended pending clarification by the Belarus Ministry of Information. EuroZoom, which only appeared June 1st, is part of the ERB project supported by the European Commission. The hour-long program contains news, information and music.

The Ministry of Information warned Avtoradio to “make attempts to restore the stated creative concept.” Avtoradio general manager Yuri Bazan suspended the program to avoid authorities wrath, reported BelaPlan (October 3). (JMH)

International broadcaster “outlawed”
Reporters ordered to stop working

Authorities in the autonomous Puntland region of Somalia ordered citizens to stop listening to Voice of America (VOA) broadcasts. Persons found tuning in to the VOA will be punished, said a statement from the Security Ministry (October 2). “The Puntland government outlawed the VOA and warn people from listening to the American Radio which broadcast this week a news story that was very critical to our security,” said the statement.

The Puntland government also ordered an end to local broadcasters carrying news from the Voice of America (VOA) Somalia service. Jointly Puntland’s Ministry of Security and Ministry of Information said broadcasters must immediately comply and accused the VOA Somali service of “blatant (participation) “…in the creation of instability in parts of Somalia, especially Puntland.”

A day earlier (October 1) three VOA Somali service journalists were ordered to stop working. Deputy Minister of Information Abdishakur Mire Adan and Security Minister General Abdullahi Samatar called VOA’s reporting from Puntland “negative.”

The infamous Somali pirates troll the Puntland coast. Somalia has been without an effective government since 1991. (More on the media challenges in Somalia here) (JMH)

 

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