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Joining the DAB+ multiplex serving Brussels and northern Belgium in November is the BBC World Service (BBC WS), said multiplex operator Norkring Belgium in a presser quoted by MediaMagazine.nl (October 12). Several Flemish broadcasters already operate on the commercial multiplex - Club FM, Family Radio, Radio FG, Radio Maria, Radio Stad, Top Radio and VBRO Radio.
Details from BBC WS will arrive with the formal launch, said spokesperson Suzie Schilling, in an email. The BBC WS English-language schedule is rebroadcast in part or fully in many countries, satellite and shortwave distribution generally targets Africa, Asia/Pacific, North America and the Middle East. In recent years the BBC WS broadcast footprint in Europe has diminished, but Brussels is home to the European Commission and a plethora of related NGOs and lobbyists plus NATO, all of which work primarily in English. (See more about the BBC here)
Online radio station Radio X had been expected to join the Brussels DAB+ multiplex. In September Norkring Belgium said that had been “postponed.” Radio X launched in November 2013 targeting English-speaking expats in Brussels, tourists and such.
Talk radio stations have developed, in recent years, an unenviable reputation as hubs for a set of angry listeners seeking companionship for their xenophobia, racism and conspiracy theories. These stations broadcast in nearly every country, at least until media regulators close them down for hate speech violations. Ironically, they pop up where press freedom and free speech laws are strongest.
Reykjavik talk radio station Utvarp Saga reported an act of vandalism this past weekend. An “unscrupulous person” hacked into the stations IT system and played havoc with an online poll, said news portal visir.is (October 12). Utvarp Saga regularly uses online polls to recite opinions of regular fans. This particular poll tested “trust” of Icelandic punk rocker Bubba Mortens.
Talk show hosts on Utvarp Saga have taken a distinctly negative positions toward immigrants and foreigners. In September the station produced an online poll on “trust of Muslims” as the country debated taking refugees from Syria and Iraq. When Iceland’s government offered to take 50 refugees, more than ten thousand of the country’s citizens came forward to offer aid for refugees, including housing.
Bubba Morthens, a music icon in Iceland, recently criticized Utyarp Saga for “shameful and stupid” on-air behavior, It is “pathetic,” Bubba posted to Facebook, that “adults, who one can only assume grew up experiencing love could flourish in the spiritual darkness that surrounds the studios of Utvarp Saga.” He’s forbidden the station from playing his tunes.
In radio audience estimates complied last January by Capacent Gallup, Utyarp Saga didn’t create a blip, perhaps explaining the populist leap. Top rated in daily reach was privately owned Bylgian (34.6%), a full service contemporary station, followed by public channel Ras 2 (32.5%), then Ras 1 (18.2%). FM 957, sister station of Bylgian, was 4th (4.3%) and K100.5 5th (3.3%).
Big German publisher Axel Springer sent a less-than-subtle message this week to readers of online portal bild.de: turn off ad blocking filters or pay the monthly subscription. If neither of those options are appealing, access denied. Axel Springer and other publishers along with broadcasters ProSiebenSat and RTL lost three successive court decisions earlier this year trying to have Ad Blocker Plus declared illegal.
Heretofore bild.de has been freely available online and via mobile devices, no traffic restrictive paywall. Monthly traffic in September was 309 million visits, according to IVW, quoted by meedia.de (October 13). Between 20% and 23% of those accessing bild.de are estimated to have enabled ad blocking filters. (See more about media in Germany here)
Adobe and PageFair - the former a major publishing software developer, the later a developer of software that disables ad blocking - reported worldwide losses for publishers from ad blocking at US$ 21.8 billion this year, rising to US$ 41.4 billion next year. Ad blocking is a problem for those with a business model built on serving up ads. Only a few years ago the problem, mostly for traditional publishers, was digital platforms making the traditional subscription model obsolete followed closely by ad buyers new found love for the data generated from digital platforms, ads on mobile platforms expected to eclipse all traditional media. (See more about digital advertising here)
When Apple enabled ad blocking applications in its recent iPhone and iPad operating system upgrade there were howls and wails, mostly from publishers, less so from the advertising people, not at all from mobile telecom operators. Any company that wants to stay in business accepts the demands of its most important customer. For Axel Springer that’s the advertising people.
For Apple that’s mobile telecoms, through which they sell, largely, iPhones and such. Mobile telecoms are, in turn, under pressure from their customers about data plan pricing and ads, like any other video, eat bandwidth. Apple and every other mobile device manufacturer also hears consumer complaints about battery drain; ads and video inhale power.
In many respects the Axel Springer position on ad blockers - “This content you folks like is expensive to produce” - continues a decade of complaints about “the culture of free.” The difference is acceptance of another business reality: folks annoyed with ads to the point of installing ad blockers or unwilling to massage that credit card for a subscription will always be there. And they’re called bad customers.
Being called out by news reporting for evil acts more often than not brings denials, lawsuits and the like. Bad guys can be quite sensitive. Media outlets and their employees are increasingly targeted for retribution.
This week the Afghan Taliban declared two television channels and their employees “legitimate military targets due to their disrespectful and hostile actions.” Tolo TV and 1TV, both privately owned broadcasters, reported Taliban fighters raping female students and other atrocities during the recent siege of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan. "No employee, anchor, office, news team and reporter of these TV channels holds any immunity,” said the Taliban statement, quoted by AFP (October 13), which also called the TV channels “satanic.” (See more about press/media freedom here)
"The Taliban statement of threat is in violation of international conventions, Islamic laws and human rights," said Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee director Najib Sharifi, quoted by dpa (October 12), not that the Taliban pays much attention to any of that. Tolo TV, owned by Dubai-based Moby Group, is considered one of the very few commercially viable media outlets, said Freedom House in its 2013 annual report, giving it “the greatest amount of independence in their reporting.”
Afghanistan has been at or near the bottom of every press/media freedom index for more than a decade though as the Taliban have been driven into remote corners improvement has been noted.
Television producers are busy, busy, busy. Last week’s Mipcom trade fair drew more sellers and far more buyers than last year, despite dismal weather in Cannes. Streaming platforms and pay digital channels are competing ruthlessly with traditional broadcasters for audience-winning shows. And “premium drama” continues to draw heat away from “shiny floor” unscripted shows.
Important to producers of these quality dramas, movies or series, is the stunning visual from unique locations. Also highly competitive are local, regional and national governments seeking to attract the next Game of Thrones or The Hobbit series production. Incentives offered can be substantial.
The Norwegian government, for example, is offering foreign TV and movie producers a 25% rebate on production costs, up to €5 million, beginning next year. “Norway has rich qualities for filming locations,” said Culture Minister Thorhild Widvey, quoted by Cineuropa (October 7), “in addition to a professional and competent film industry, we have a rich cultural history, and a unique natural and cultural landscape. With the incentive scheme, we want to strengthen Norway's competitive advantage.”
Norway and Sweden are competing for production location of The Snowman, NBCUniversal’s long anticipated adaptation of Norwegian author Jo Nesbo’s bestselling thriller. Sony Entertainment Pictures through Lakeshore Entertainment is shooting the new Underworld: Next Generation in Prague, Czech Republic. “Many territories offer filmmakers incentives in the form of tax credits,” said Czech Film Commissioner Ludmila Claussova, “but the Czech plan is different in that it actually gives producers cash grants once they finish their production.”
Global media rushed to cover the deadly terrorist bombing at a peace rally in Turkey’s capital Ankara this past weekend. Images from before and after the twin blasts appeared on television, web sites and social media in Turkey until media regulator RTÜK banned their broadcast to prevent creating “a feeling of panic” at the request of government authorities. Failure to comply, said the RTÜK, quoted by AP (October 11), could be punished by a “full blackout.”
Twitter and Facebook users in Turkey began reporting limited access shortly after the bombings. Turkish authorities have not indicated official restrictions. Internet service providers association ESP general secretary Bülent Kent indicated to haber7.com (October 12) an interest by prosecutors in limiting access to certain images but not an outright ban as had been imposed in April and July. Social media are a dynamic source of news and information in Turkey and the earlier bans on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube caused considerable public complaint. (See more about media in Turkey here)
The Ankara bombings came as November 1st general elections approach. (See more about elections and media here) Last week Todays Zamen editor in chief Bülent Kenes was arrested and hauled to jail charged with insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on social media. “Not a day passes without a prosecution, arrest, attack or obstruction of independent or opposition voices in turkey,” observed the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in a statement (October 9). Several television channels aligned, some say, with opposition interests were removed from the Digiturk platform last week. Turksat complied this week.
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