MEDIABLAB November 30
November 30th 2007 02:03
From MediaBlab news service compiled daily by Peter Olszewski for Dow Jones' Factiva
PBL MEDIA BUYS 50 PERCENT INTEREST IN AUSTRALIAN AND NZ EDITION OF OK! MAGAZINE
PBL Media through its publishing division ACP Magazines has acquired a 50 percent interest in the Australia and New Zealand edition of OK! magazine, from the UK publisher, Northern & Shell Plc.
OK! magazine was launched in Australia in August 2004 as a monthly publication and in October 2006 moved to weekly frequency. In the latest audited circulation report the magazine posted paid sales of 134,024 copies per week in Australia – an increase of 5.5 percent on the prior period to be one of the fastest growing mass selling magazines in Australia. The magazine also sells 15,000 copies per week in New Zealand.
The new joint venture company Northern & Shell Pacific Limited will publish the Australian version of OK!, which is also distributed in New Zealand.
The joint venture will be managed by Andrew Cowell, the current ceo and publisher of OK! magazine, who will report to the new board which will include: Martin Ellice, Robert Sanderson and Paul Ashford of Northern & Shell; and Ian Law, Scott Lorson and another PBL Media representative.
PMP COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF TIMES PRINTERS AUSTRALIA FROM TIMES PUBLISHING SINGAPORE
Listed printing and media services company PMP Ltd has completed the acquisition of Times Printers (Australia) Pty Ltd from Times Publishing Ltd of Singapore.
PMP announced its entry into a sale agreement in relation to this acquisition on September 21, 2007 and the commercial terms of the transaction at completion remain unchanged.
The purchase price of $A80 million was met by PMP issuing to Times Publishing 39 million new ordinary shares in PMP at an issue price of $1.65 with the balance of $15.5 million paid in cash. Those new shares represent 11.5 percent of the expanded capital of PMP.
The issue price of those shares was set on the date the transaction was signed and announced, being a 12 cent premium to the 15 day weighted average share price at that time.
Those 39 million shares are subject to a 6 month sale escrow, expiring on May 29, 2008. During the escrow period Times Publishing has agreed not to increase its shareholding in PMP above 14.9 percent .
PMP has also confirmed the appointment to the PMP board of Dato Ng Jui Sia. Dato Ng is a director and ceo of Times Publishing and will represent its substantial investment as a new significant shareholder of PMP.
WINNERS OF THE WALKLEY’S, AUSTRALIA’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS JOURNALISM AWARDS
The Australian newspaper’s Hedley Thomas has won the Gold Walkley, the most prestigious award in Australian journalism, for his series of stories that exposed the mistakes in the authorities' handling of the case of Gold Coast doctor Mohamed Haneef. His thorough documentation forced the Howard government and Australian Federal Police into embarrassing admissions, reinvigorating the debate about anti-terror laws and the public's right to know about such cases.
Thomas, a triple Walkley winner before last night, also won best print news report for his work on the Haneef story, and was a finalist in the social equity journalism and business journalism categories.
Here is the complete list of Walkley Award winners:
PRINT, ONLINE AND WIRE SERVICE JOURNALISM
PRINT NEWS REPORT
Hedley Thomas, The Australian, “Dr Haneef”
THREE HEADINGS
Hall Greenland, The Bulletin “Beyond reasonable drought”
NEWSPAPER FEATURE WRITING
James Button, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, “A Death in Zurich”
MAGAZINE FEATURE WRITING
Malcolm Knox, The Monthly, “Cruising”
ARTWORK
CARTOON
Cathy Wilcox, The Sydney Morning Herald, “Uncovered Meat”
ARTWORK
Sturt Krygsman, The Australian, “The Shakey Sheik”
PHOTOGRAPHY
NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY
Eddie Safarik, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, “Haneef Leaves the Watchhouse”
DAILY LIFE/FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY
Sponsored by Epson
Lisa Wiltse, The Sydney Morning Herald, “Little Voice Dhaka, Bangladesh”
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Craig Golding, The Sydney Morning Herald, “This Sporting Light”
PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY
Kate Geraghty, The Sydney Morning Herald, “John Elliott”
NIKON WALKLEY PHOTOGRAPHIC PRIZE WINNERS
SUBURBAN/REGIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Simone de Peak, The Herald, Newcastle, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Illawarra Mercury, “24 Hour Storm Havoc”
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
Stephen Dupont, The AFR Magazine, “Axe Me Biggie”
RADIO
RADIO NEWS REPORTING
Rafael Epstein, ABC Radio, “Mohamed Haneef”
RADIO CURRENT AFFAIRS REPORTING
Anne Barker, AM, PM and The World Today, “NT Intervention”
RADIO FEATURE, DOCUMENTARY OR BROADCAST SPECIAL
Eurydice Aroney and Sharon Davis, ABC Radio National, “The Search for Edna Lavilla”
TELEVISION
TELEVISION NEWS REPORTING
Brian Thomson, World News Australia, SBS TV, “Timor in Transition”
TELEVISION CURRENT AFFAIRS REPORTING (less than 20 minutes)
Frank McGuire and Adam Shand, Sunday, Nine Network, “Force Within a Force”
TELEVISION CURRENT AFFAIRS, FEATURE, DOCUMENTARY OR SPECIAL (more than 20 minutes)
Matthew Brown and Wayne Harley, Foreign Correspondent, ABC TV, “West Bank – Love and Betrayal”
TELEVISION NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS CAMERA
Andrew Taylor, Four Corners, ABC TV, “Forward Base Afghanistan”
ALL MEDIA
BEST USE OF MEDIA
ABC Radio Newcastle Team, ABC Radio Newcastle and www.abc.net.au, “Emergency Broadcast June 2007”
SOCIAL EQUITY JOURNALISM
Frank Moorhouse, Griffith Review, “The Writer in a Time of Terror”
COVERAGE OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION
Rowan Callick, The Australian, “Brave New China: Torn Between its Present and its Past”
COVERAGE OF INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS
Tony Koch, The Australian, “Bloody Disgrace: Saga is State’s Worst Injustice”
COVERAGE OF SUBURBAN OR REGIONAL AFFAIRS
Greg McFarland, Central Western Daily, “Cadia Wants Our Water”
SPORT FEATURE COVERAGE
Wendy Page, Australian Story, ABC TV, “Man of the Century”
SPORT NEWS REPORTING
Craig Hutchison, The Footy Show and Footy Classified, Nine Network, “Drugs in Football”
BUSINESS JOURNALISM
Anthony Klan, The Australian, “Fincorp Collapse”
INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM
Ginny Stein, Dateline, SBS TV, “Burma – Inside the Secret City”
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
Ginny Stein, Dateline, SBS TV, “Rwanda – Questions of Murder”
BROADCAST INTERVIEWING
Tony Jones, Lateline, ABC TV, “Tony Jones Interviews”
COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS, OPINION AND CRITIQUE
Tony Walker, The Australian Financial Review, “Interesting Times”
BEST NON-FICTION BOOK
Chris Masters, Allen & Unwin, “Jonestown”
GOLD WALKLEY
Hedley Thomas, The Australian
NIKON-WALKLEY PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Kate Geraghty, The Sydney Morning Herald, “John Elliott”
JOURNALISTIC LEADERSHIP
Eric Beecher
MOST OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO JOURNALISM
Gerard Noonan
REELTIME MEDIA APPOINTS NEW CEO IN ATTEMPT TO MOVE FROM THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION
Australia’s ailing ReelTime Media Ltd has appointed Andrew Wilshire as ceo and it will pay him $12,000 per month inclusive of all entitlements for ceo services plus bonus options.
The bonus options include a one-off payment of $25,000 on June 30 2008 subject to satisfactory performance, and options to acquire 10 million shares at 2.5c per share vesting at 833,333 per month; 10 million shares at 7.5c per share vesting at 833, 333 per month; and 5 million shares at 15c per share vesting at 416,666 per month.
Wilshire will also be issued with 5.7 million shares for nil consideration to be on successful completion of the issue of shares to Ezy DVD under the terms of the agreement with Ezy DVD.
Wilshire replaces former ceo John Karantzis who quit on November 14.
PRIME AND SKY TV GET 2010 and 2012 OLYMPIC BROADCAST RIGHTS FOR NEW ZEALAND
The International Olympic Committee has confirmed agreement with Sky Network Television’s free-to-air channel, Prime, the New Zealand broadcast rights for the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee selected free-to-air channel, Prime and Sky on their capacity to reach the broadest possible audience through a variety of broadcast platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription television and digital media, and the organisation’s commitment to promoting the Olympic Games and the values of the Olympic Movement.
Commenting on the agreement, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said, “We are delighted to be working with Prime and Sky who came to us with a complete package that will allow not only increased coverage of the Olympic Games, but also the promotion of Olympic
The deal will give New Zealand viewers unparalleled access to the 28 Summer Olympic sports, 24 hours each day during the competition, with a range of options for both free-to-air viewers on Prime, along with dedicated Sky digital channels.
This will be complemented by a range of other new media options, including live simulcast streaming of coverage in conjunction with our Mobile partner, Vodafone.
Extensive coverage will also be offered through the Sky website, including news updates and other Olympic related activities such as following the progress of the torch relay prior to the opening ceremony.
Further promotion will be undertaken through Prime and Sky news coverage and the company’s Skywatch and Sky Sport magazines.
WINE REVIEW SITE SNOOTH TO EMBARK ON MILLION DOLLAR UPGRADE
Snooth, the worlds most comprehensive wine review site, has received US$1 million in angel funding from the company’s initial backers, as well as a new group of international investors. This is the company’s second round, following an initial $300,000 raised in December 2006.
The new funds will be used to scale the development team, integrate the current backlog of merchants that have already partnered with Snooth, and add new retailers worldwide.
Launched in June 2007, Snooth is a highly interactive, social database of the world’s wine, offering both casual and expert wine drinkers the ability to search, obtain personalised recommendations, browse ratings and reviews, as well as seamlessly buy from a network of over 1,000 merchants.
Users have the ability to search by their own personal preferences (bold, peppery, fruity, etc), by a specific meal-pairing, price, or by region or producer. Snooth’s recommendation engine also provides customised selections based on stated preferences and user feedback. The more information a user gives on wines they enjoy, the more personalized and detailed the recommendations become.
Snooth has also been introducing new functionality, allowing for a deeper and more interactive user experience. For example, the “My Wines” feature allows users to build and manage their personal wine collection, maintain wish lists, track reviews and keep detailed notes about their personal impressions. The company has also debuted charts that illustrate how a specific wine’s rating changes over time and breaks down by level of popularity.
Snooth is the world’s most comprehensive wine database, featuring over 1.9 million reviews for over 300,000 wines. It offers both casual and aspiring wine drinkers personalized wine recommendations, ratings and reviews, as well as a wine information search tool that seamlessly connects users to the websites of over 1,000 merchants, wineries, and critics.
WALL STREET JOURNAL TO WIDEN ITS LAUNCH OF GLOSSY PURSUITS MAGAZINE TO TAKE IN EUROPE AND ASIA
The Wall Street Journal will expand the scope of its Pursuits, the glossy magazine it plans to introduce next September, by adding distribution in Europe and Asia, according to Advertising Age in the US.
It said that in addition to the 800,000 copies planned for Journal subscribers in the US, Pursuits is expected to be inserted in about 80,000 copies each of the Europe and Asia editions, for a total circulation of 960,000.
News Corp is set to complete its takeover of Dow Jones, and ceo Rupert Murdoch said earlier this year that one of his plans to improve the company was to introduce a glossy magazine to the Journal.
TIVO’S THIRD QUARTER REVENUE INCREASES ELEVEN PERCENT
Rafat Ali reports that DVR maker TiVo’s third quarter revenue was US$58.3 million, up 11 percent from last year's $52.5 million. Net losses narrowed to $8.2 million from $11.1 million a year ago.
The company cited expanded retail availability and new product launches for its top-line growth. TiVo-owned subscriptions totalled 1.7 million, compared to 1.6 million last year, as growth was mitigated by DirecTV, which no longer uses new TiVo boxes.
Cumulative subscribers stand at 4 million, down from 4.4 million.
For next quarter, the company is anticipating revenue of $58 million - $60 million and net losses of $9 million - $12 million.
LAUNCH OF WALES’ FIRST WELSH-LANGUAGE DAILY NEWSPAPER UNDER REVIEW
Plans to launch Wales's first daily Welsh-language newspaper next March are under review, according to BBC News.
Y Byd (The World), was to be launched on March 3, and owner Dyddiol Cyf said it was pushing ahead, but admitted it was looking at the timetable.
It said the move was prompted by a wider review of the Welsh language press by the heritage minister and the Welsh Language Board.
Ned Thomas, the chairman of Dyddiol Cyf, said he welcomed the support offered to Welsh language publications from the Welsh Assembly Government, and the review that is currently underway.
He added: "As the process of reviewing the Welsh language press continues, Dyddiol Cyf is waiting eagerly to hear what kind of support will be available to help fund a daily newspaper."
"The timetable given for this process means that the launch date for Y Byd is under review."
FAIRFAX TO FIGHT FOR AUSTRALIAN BUSH BROADBAND TO END DIGITAL DROUGHT
The Land newspaper reports that Fairfax Media's chief executive, David Kirk, says the company fill fight for bush broadband by working with rural and regional Australia to end the country's "second drought" - the broadband drought.
Speaking at a NSW Farm Writers Association lunch in Sydney, Kirk said high-speed broadband was "absolutely critical" to the future of regional and rural Australia.
He said his company "the largest media group in Australasia and publisher of The Land", would pursue the incoming government to provide fast internet access across the bush.
He said virtually no progress had been made on upgrading broadband in regional Australia since mid-2005.
"We can no longer afford to be resource rich but digitally dumb," he said.
Only 19 percent of non-metropolitan households had broadband access, he said.
Kirk also said the merger earlier this year of Fairfax Media and Rural Press Ltd was on track to exceed the original synergies and savings predicted from the deal.
UK’S TRINITY MIRROR BUYS GLOBESPAN MEDIA ONLINE PROPERTY BUSINESS
Thomson Financial reports that UK Newspaper group Trinity Mirror PLC said it has bought Globespan Media Ltd for an initial GBP900,000 and a deferred amount of up to GBP5 million wholly conditional on the achievement of specified operating profit targets over the next 30 months.
The company said it expects Globespan to generate revenues of at least GBP4 million in its first year of ownership.
Globespan will be integrated with Trinity Mirror's Smart Media Services, an online property business, the company added, and will strengthen its regional network of over 80 local property sites.
MALAYSIA’S DOMINANT MEDIA GROUP MEDIA PRIMA TO GENERATE INTERNET CONTENT
Malaysia's largest private media conglomerate, Media Prima, has unveiled big investment plans to generate internet content, a revenue diversification strategy aimed at getting a larger slice of the growing online advertising pie, according to Asia Times.
Asia Times said, “At the same time, some analysts view the company's plans as a veiled attempt to erode the present influence and reach of independent internet-based news providers. Media Prima is believed to be closely linked to the dominant ruling political party, the United Malays National Organisation.
The company is also highly profitable: in November, Media Prima announced "exceptional" financial results for the nine months ending in September, with profit before tax climbing 98 percent from a year earlier to US$30.2 million.
Asia Times said, “Those revenues are generated partially through its control of all four private free-to-air television networks - TV3, ntv7, 8TV and TV9 - through which it has seized 54 percent of Malaysia’s television audience, up from 47 percent last year. Its main competitors, satellite pay-TV group Astro and state-owned RTM, command 29 percent and 17 percent respectively, giving Media Prima large sway over the local television market’s advertisement pricing.”
Malaysia's mainstream television news - apart from al-Jazeera's news bulletins, which are relayed over Astro and sometimes includes news on Malaysia - in the main reflect favourably on United Malays National Organisation politicians and government policies, while opposition and dissident groups receive little if any coverage.
Media Prima also owns the New Straits Times group, which owns the country’s top-selling Malay-language newspaper, Harian Metro, and the English-language pro-government New Straits Times.
OUTCRY OVER FRENCH-VIETNAMESE JOURNALIST ARRESTED ON TERRORISM CHARGES IN HO CHI MINH CITY
The husband and sister of French journalist Nguyen Thi Thanh Van, her lawyer and the secretary general of Reporters Without Borders told a press conference of their anxiety about the plight of French journalist and activist who is in the hands of the Vietnamese government.
The 51-year-old, from Hay les Roses in the Paris region, was arrested with five others on November 17 while taking part in a meeting on the promotion of non-violence in Vietnam and detained in Ho Chi Minh City where she now reportedly faces terrorism charges.
She had gone to Vietnam to carry out interviews with dissidents and peasants.
"We are very worried about her health and we urge the French authorities to at least get the right to make a consular visit," her husband Nguyen Minh Ly, a French computer technician, said. "This situation is completely aberrant in which a French woman is being secretly held on the basis of absurd accusations."
Secretary general of Reporters Without Borders, Robert Menard, said at the press conference, "We urge the president, Nicolas Sarkozy, to meet us and the family and to throw all possible resources into freeing our colleague and compatriot," he said.
The journalist's sister Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, spoke about her character and motivation, saying, "She is a very peace-loving and humane person, who is passionate about justice, law and her country. The whole family is shocked by the accusations of terrorism. Our parents, who are over 80, are traumatised by her detention".
Her colleague, Bui Xuan Quang, described her as a "sensitive, intelligence and courageous woman." He said the terrorism accusations were based on "evidence which does not stand up to any examination", aimed at "sullying activists and journalists opposed to the regime."
Her family's lawyer, Serge Lewisch, said he feared the worst after terror charges were brought. "A consular visit is the very least that can be done, but France, which has good relations with Vietnam, has not obtained one," he said, adding that he was ready to got to Ho Chi Minh City himself.
Those present at the press conference showed the media copies of the tracts and stickers seized by police when they arrested Nguyen Thi Thanh Van and the five others in Ho Chi Minh City. One entitled, "Promote non-violence" recalls the struggle of Gandhi and other international figures to obtain democratic change through non-violence. The other was a simple sticker promoting station New Horizon for which she was working.
Since the start of the 1990s, she has contributed to media run by the Vietnamese community in exile, including Radio Chan Troi Moi (New Horizon) which broadcasts on medium wave to Vietnam.
CONDE NAST’S CONDENET IN CONTENT DEAL WITH YOUTUBE
Online Media Daily reports that CondeNet has entered a broad content distribution relationship with Google's YouTube.
CondeNet, the web unit of Conde Nast Publications, is launching YouTube channels for each of its niche sites, beginning with the food-focused Epicurious.com.
Channels for Style.com, Men.Style.com and Concierge.com are expected to launch over the next month, while the Wired.com channel is slated for early next year.
Online Media Daily said, “From TV networks to newspapers, publishers are furiously competing for audiences by syndicating their wares across the web. For many, YouTube represents a key distribution hub because of its immense reach as the web's top video sharing service.
“This trend is an about face for many publishers who not long ago resisted open distribution in favour of walled-off destination sites. According to Richard Glosser, executive director of emerging media at CondeNet, the benefits of syndication now far outweigh the risks.”
"The old instinct was to protect your copyright, but any reservation about letting content out is gone," Glosser told Online Media Daily. "Now, it's about getting exposed to new audiences, driving audiences back to our site, and generating more revenue."
SOUTH AFRICA’S MEDIA24 TO SCALE DOWN ITS MOTORING MAGAZINES
Bizcummunity.com reports that giant South African conglomerate Media24 will scale down its motoring magazines and will consolidate its remaining portfolio into a larger business unit, the Media24 Travel and Motoring Division
John Relihan, publisher of Media24 Family Magazines, said, “This means that we will cease to publish TopMotor and Max Power, while TopCar will continue to be published monthly and TopBike as an alternate monthly as from January 2008.
“The final issue of TopMotor will be the December issue, whereas Max Power will appear for the last time in January 2008.”
According to Relihan this business decision was based on Media24 concluding that not all sectors of an already fragmented motoring magazine market were as viable as projected initially when the magazines were launched.
NEW YORK TIMES TOUGHS IT OUT BY CUTTING STAFF AND FREEZING HIRING
Numerous reports coming out of the US state that The New York Times Company is planning to cut newsroom jobs at its flagship newspaper.
About a dozen "support positions" will be eliminated from the newsroom, along with "a number" of clerical admin jobs; next year, several admin management positions will be cut, a leaked internal memo says. None of these are reporting positions.
The memo from Bill Keller, executive editor for New York Times said, "As we approach 2008, it is clear that the newsroom is going to have to do even more to tighten spending, and to help the publisher and the Times Company meet the difficult financial challenges facing our industry. While we are committed to retaining our competitive muscle, we will be facing some tough choices about where to save."
The company also has a hiring freeze for the newsroom, which started "several weeks ago", and "except for those jobs that are critically important to our future ambitions, we intend to enforce it," the memo said.
CITIBANK DEAL SPARKS ANTI-ARAB OUTRAGE IN US MEDIA
The Arabian oil money deal with Citibank has shaken American media outlets and the New York Post, for example, headlined an article with “Bedouin Darkness Spreads With Oil Money.”
The Post published an article by Youssef Ibrahim which said, among other things, “The huge migration of money that has followed Western capitalist systems has brought progress and modernity in its wake. But Arabian oil money imported by Citibank and other titans of American industry deeply compromises our values and buys our silence.”
It went on to say, “Do American institutions want to snuggle up with Saudi Arabia and its Dark Age values? They had better think this one through as a tidal wave of money from Saudi Arabia — as well as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, — is crashing into these shores and buying up American assets.
“They should expect no free lunches. These failed governments are buying America’s silence and its implied acquiescence to the barbaric
IRISH SPORTS TV BROADCASTER CHALLENGES SKY SPORTS NEWS AND SNARES LIVE RIGHTS TO 2010 WORLD CUP SOCCER
Irish sports broadcaster Setanta Sports News, a rival to Sky Sports News and the first sports news channel to be launched in the UK in 15 years, stated broadcasting live yesterday.
Also during the week Setanta landed a coup in securing live rights to England’s away 2010 World Cup qualifying matches, and more than 80 other World Cup qualifiers, which will begin next autumn.
This ended Sky’s 15-year monopoly of live league soccer in England.
Programming for Setanta is to be produced by ITN, which already deliver news programs for ITV and Channel 4. The new channel’s three-year contract with ITN is worth GBP10 million per year.
The format will be “young and fairly chatty” with a heavy emphasis on Premiership football – though golf, which Setanta Sports shows extensively – tennis and horse racing will be part of the mix too.
Setanta recruited 60 staff in the past month.
MOGADISHU MAYOR BANS MEDIA COVERAGE OF SOMALIA INSURGENCY
The mayor of Mogadishu has banned Somali media from publishing interviews with insurgents or reporting on military operations and the city's refugee exodus.
Reuters reported that the measures announced by mayor and former warlord Mohamed Dheere put further pressure on journalists reeling from a string of assassinations, shutdowns, arrests, and threats from both sides during this year's Islamist-led insurgency in Somalia.
With most foreign journalists staying clear for security reasons, local reporters take huge risks to cover the daily violence, mainly in Mogadishu. Seven local reporters have died this year, most shot dead in targeted killings yet to be investigated.
The government accuses Somali journalists of fanning the insurgency by giving airtime to leaders and exaggerating their attacks.
PHOTO AGENCY TO GIVE FREE PICS TO BLOGGERS IN EXCHANGE FOR EMBEDDED ADVERTISING
Stock photography company Corbis is offering internet bloggers access to some of its images for their posts for free in exchange for showcasing advertising embedded into the Corbis and its digital rights partner, PicScout, will allow bloggers to access photos via a web link, now in a test phase, Corbis chief executive Gary Shenk told the Reuters Media Summit in New York on Tuesday.
The photos will either include an ad overlay on part of the image, or embedded advertising that pops up when a web user runs a cursor over the picture.
PicApp also offers bloggers the opportunity to earn ad revenue based on how many times Web users click on the images posted to their blogs.
BELGIUM FINED FOR CONTRAVENING GERMAN REPORTERS RIGHT TO KEEP HIS SOURCES SECRET
The European Court of Human Rights has fined Belgium for raiding the premises of a German reporter investigating financial irregularities within the European Union in a test case on confidential sources.
Globe and Mail reported that the court fined Belgium EUR 10,000 plus EUR 30,000 costs after ruling that the raids in 2002 on the home and office of Stern magazine reporter Hans Martin Tillack contravened his right as a reporter to keep his sources secret.
The judgment differs from an October 2006 ruling by the European Union's Court of First Instance in Luxembourg, which dismissed Tillack’s claim for damages, saying it had no reason to get involved.
Belgian police seized documents, two computers, four portable telephones and a filing cabinet in raids carried out after the EU's anti-fraud office OLAF filed a complaint against Tillack on suspicion of him paying an EU employee for information. The accusations have never been proved.
ADULT SERVICES BUSINESS INCREASING ABOVE EXPECTATIONS
MocoNews said that adult services will bring in nearly US$3.5 billion by 2010 according to Juniper Research. This is a slight increase from a year ago, when Juniper predicted that adult content would bring in $3.3 million by 20011.
Western Europe is predicted to remain the largest regional market for adult content with revenue rising from $775 million this year to $1.5 billion by 2012, and Eastern Europe and North American markets are also expected to increase.
New legislation in markets such as China and South Korea will probably depress growth in Asia.
INTEREST SHOWN IN SINGAPORE’S NEW MOBILE PHONE TV LICENCES
Two companies have expressed an interest in the mobile TV licenses Singapore’s Media Development Authority announced this week that it would issue for the second half of 2008, according to MocoNews.
RapidTVNews reported, “PGK Media says it wants to launch a ‘TV2Go’ service as soon as it receives a licence, supplying 10-15 channels. Innoxious Technologies says it will supply eight channels, targeting 15-35 year-olds.”
Singapore has a population of 4.5 million, but more than 100 percent mobile penetration, and there’s not much area to cover.
PBL MEDIA BUYS 50 PERCENT INTEREST IN AUSTRALIAN AND NZ EDITION OF OK! MAGAZINE
PBL Media through its publishing division ACP Magazines has acquired a 50 percent interest in the Australia and New Zealand edition of OK! magazine, from the UK publisher, Northern & Shell Plc.
OK! magazine was launched in Australia in August 2004 as a monthly publication and in October 2006 moved to weekly frequency. In the latest audited circulation report the magazine posted paid sales of 134,024 copies per week in Australia – an increase of 5.5 percent on the prior period to be one of the fastest growing mass selling magazines in Australia. The magazine also sells 15,000 copies per week in New Zealand.
The joint venture will be managed by Andrew Cowell, the current ceo and publisher of OK! magazine, who will report to the new board which will include: Martin Ellice, Robert Sanderson and Paul Ashford of Northern & Shell; and Ian Law, Scott Lorson and another PBL Media representative.
PMP COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF TIMES PRINTERS AUSTRALIA FROM TIMES PUBLISHING SINGAPORE
Listed printing and media services company PMP Ltd has completed the acquisition of Times Printers (Australia) Pty Ltd from Times Publishing Ltd of Singapore.
PMP announced its entry into a sale agreement in relation to this acquisition on September 21, 2007 and the commercial terms of the transaction at completion remain unchanged.
The purchase price of $A80 million was met by PMP issuing to Times Publishing 39 million new ordinary shares in PMP at an issue price of $1.65 with the balance of $15.5 million paid in cash. Those new shares represent 11.5 percent of the expanded capital of PMP.
Those 39 million shares are subject to a 6 month sale escrow, expiring on May 29, 2008. During the escrow period Times Publishing has agreed not to increase its shareholding in PMP above 14.9 percent .
PMP has also confirmed the appointment to the PMP board of Dato Ng Jui Sia. Dato Ng is a director and ceo of Times Publishing and will represent its substantial investment as a new significant shareholder of PMP.
WINNERS OF THE WALKLEY’S, AUSTRALIA’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS JOURNALISM AWARDS
The Australian newspaper’s Hedley Thomas has won the Gold Walkley, the most prestigious award in Australian journalism, for his series of stories that exposed the mistakes in the authorities' handling of the case of Gold Coast doctor Mohamed Haneef. His thorough documentation forced the Howard government and Australian Federal Police into embarrassing admissions, reinvigorating the debate about anti-terror laws and the public's right to know about such cases.
Thomas, a triple Walkley winner before last night, also won best print news report for his work on the Haneef story, and was a finalist in the social equity journalism and business journalism categories.
Here is the complete list of Walkley Award winners:
PRINT, ONLINE AND WIRE SERVICE JOURNALISM
PRINT NEWS REPORT
Hedley Thomas, The Australian, “Dr Haneef”
THREE HEADINGS
Hall Greenland, The Bulletin “Beyond reasonable drought”
NEWSPAPER FEATURE WRITING
James Button, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, “A Death in Zurich”
MAGAZINE FEATURE WRITING
Malcolm Knox, The Monthly, “Cruising”
ARTWORK
CARTOON
Cathy Wilcox, The Sydney Morning Herald, “Uncovered Meat”
ARTWORK
Sturt Krygsman, The Australian, “The Shakey Sheik”
PHOTOGRAPHY
NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY
Eddie Safarik, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, “Haneef Leaves the Watchhouse”
DAILY LIFE/FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY
Sponsored by Epson
Lisa Wiltse, The Sydney Morning Herald, “Little Voice Dhaka, Bangladesh”
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Craig Golding, The Sydney Morning Herald, “This Sporting Light”
PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY
Kate Geraghty, The Sydney Morning Herald, “John Elliott”
NIKON WALKLEY PHOTOGRAPHIC PRIZE WINNERS
SUBURBAN/REGIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Simone de Peak, The Herald, Newcastle, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Illawarra Mercury, “24 Hour Storm Havoc”
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
Stephen Dupont, The AFR Magazine, “Axe Me Biggie”
RADIO
RADIO NEWS REPORTING
Rafael Epstein, ABC Radio, “Mohamed Haneef”
RADIO CURRENT AFFAIRS REPORTING
Anne Barker, AM, PM and The World Today, “NT Intervention”
RADIO FEATURE, DOCUMENTARY OR BROADCAST SPECIAL
Eurydice Aroney and Sharon Davis, ABC Radio National, “The Search for Edna Lavilla”
TELEVISION
TELEVISION NEWS REPORTING
Brian Thomson, World News Australia, SBS TV, “Timor in Transition”
TELEVISION CURRENT AFFAIRS REPORTING (less than 20 minutes)
Frank McGuire and Adam Shand, Sunday, Nine Network, “Force Within a Force”
TELEVISION CURRENT AFFAIRS, FEATURE, DOCUMENTARY OR SPECIAL (more than 20 minutes)
Matthew Brown and Wayne Harley, Foreign Correspondent, ABC TV, “West Bank – Love and Betrayal”
TELEVISION NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS CAMERA
Andrew Taylor, Four Corners, ABC TV, “Forward Base Afghanistan”
ALL MEDIA
BEST USE OF MEDIA
ABC Radio Newcastle Team, ABC Radio Newcastle and www.abc.net.au, “Emergency Broadcast June 2007”
SOCIAL EQUITY JOURNALISM
Frank Moorhouse, Griffith Review, “The Writer in a Time of Terror”
COVERAGE OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION
Rowan Callick, The Australian, “Brave New China: Torn Between its Present and its Past”
COVERAGE OF INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS
Tony Koch, The Australian, “Bloody Disgrace: Saga is State’s Worst Injustice”
COVERAGE OF SUBURBAN OR REGIONAL AFFAIRS
Greg McFarland, Central Western Daily, “Cadia Wants Our Water”
SPORT FEATURE COVERAGE
Wendy Page, Australian Story, ABC TV, “Man of the Century”
SPORT NEWS REPORTING
Craig Hutchison, The Footy Show and Footy Classified, Nine Network, “Drugs in Football”
BUSINESS JOURNALISM
Anthony Klan, The Australian, “Fincorp Collapse”
INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM
Ginny Stein, Dateline, SBS TV, “Burma – Inside the Secret City”
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
Ginny Stein, Dateline, SBS TV, “Rwanda – Questions of Murder”
BROADCAST INTERVIEWING
Tony Jones, Lateline, ABC TV, “Tony Jones Interviews”
COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS, OPINION AND CRITIQUE
Tony Walker, The Australian Financial Review, “Interesting Times”
BEST NON-FICTION BOOK
Chris Masters, Allen & Unwin, “Jonestown”
GOLD WALKLEY
Hedley Thomas, The Australian
NIKON-WALKLEY PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Kate Geraghty, The Sydney Morning Herald, “John Elliott”
JOURNALISTIC LEADERSHIP
Eric Beecher
MOST OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO JOURNALISM
Gerard Noonan
REELTIME MEDIA APPOINTS NEW CEO IN ATTEMPT TO MOVE FROM THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION
Australia’s ailing ReelTime Media Ltd has appointed Andrew Wilshire as ceo and it will pay him $12,000 per month inclusive of all entitlements for ceo services plus bonus options.
The bonus options include a one-off payment of $25,000 on June 30 2008 subject to satisfactory performance, and options to acquire 10 million shares at 2.5c per share vesting at 833,333 per month; 10 million shares at 7.5c per share vesting at 833, 333 per month; and 5 million shares at 15c per share vesting at 416,666 per month.
Wilshire will also be issued with 5.7 million shares for nil consideration to be on successful completion of the issue of shares to Ezy DVD under the terms of the agreement with Ezy DVD.
Wilshire replaces former ceo John Karantzis who quit on November 14.
PRIME AND SKY TV GET 2010 and 2012 OLYMPIC BROADCAST RIGHTS FOR NEW ZEALAND
The International Olympic Committee has confirmed agreement with Sky Network Television’s free-to-air channel, Prime, the New Zealand broadcast rights for the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee selected free-to-air channel, Prime and Sky on their capacity to reach the broadest possible audience through a variety of broadcast platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription television and digital media, and the organisation’s commitment to promoting the Olympic Games and the values of the Olympic Movement.
Commenting on the agreement, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said, “We are delighted to be working with Prime and Sky who came to us with a complete package that will allow not only increased coverage of the Olympic Games, but also the promotion of Olympic
The deal will give New Zealand viewers unparalleled access to the 28 Summer Olympic sports, 24 hours each day during the competition, with a range of options for both free-to-air viewers on Prime, along with dedicated Sky digital channels.
This will be complemented by a range of other new media options, including live simulcast streaming of coverage in conjunction with our Mobile partner, Vodafone.
Extensive coverage will also be offered through the Sky website, including news updates and other Olympic related activities such as following the progress of the torch relay prior to the opening ceremony.
Further promotion will be undertaken through Prime and Sky news coverage and the company’s Skywatch and Sky Sport magazines.
WINE REVIEW SITE SNOOTH TO EMBARK ON MILLION DOLLAR UPGRADE
Snooth, the worlds most comprehensive wine review site, has received US$1 million in angel funding from the company’s initial backers, as well as a new group of international investors. This is the company’s second round, following an initial $300,000 raised in December 2006.
The new funds will be used to scale the development team, integrate the current backlog of merchants that have already partnered with Snooth, and add new retailers worldwide.
Launched in June 2007, Snooth is a highly interactive, social database of the world’s wine, offering both casual and expert wine drinkers the ability to search, obtain personalised recommendations, browse ratings and reviews, as well as seamlessly buy from a network of over 1,000 merchants.
Users have the ability to search by their own personal preferences (bold, peppery, fruity, etc), by a specific meal-pairing, price, or by region or producer. Snooth’s recommendation engine also provides customised selections based on stated preferences and user feedback. The more information a user gives on wines they enjoy, the more personalized and detailed the recommendations become.
Snooth has also been introducing new functionality, allowing for a deeper and more interactive user experience. For example, the “My Wines” feature allows users to build and manage their personal wine collection, maintain wish lists, track reviews and keep detailed notes about their personal impressions. The company has also debuted charts that illustrate how a specific wine’s rating changes over time and breaks down by level of popularity.
Snooth is the world’s most comprehensive wine database, featuring over 1.9 million reviews for over 300,000 wines. It offers both casual and aspiring wine drinkers personalized wine recommendations, ratings and reviews, as well as a wine information search tool that seamlessly connects users to the websites of over 1,000 merchants, wineries, and critics.
WALL STREET JOURNAL TO WIDEN ITS LAUNCH OF GLOSSY PURSUITS MAGAZINE TO TAKE IN EUROPE AND ASIA
The Wall Street Journal will expand the scope of its Pursuits, the glossy magazine it plans to introduce next September, by adding distribution in Europe and Asia, according to Advertising Age in the US.
It said that in addition to the 800,000 copies planned for Journal subscribers in the US, Pursuits is expected to be inserted in about 80,000 copies each of the Europe and Asia editions, for a total circulation of 960,000.
News Corp is set to complete its takeover of Dow Jones, and ceo Rupert Murdoch said earlier this year that one of his plans to improve the company was to introduce a glossy magazine to the Journal.
TIVO’S THIRD QUARTER REVENUE INCREASES ELEVEN PERCENT
Rafat Ali reports that DVR maker TiVo’s third quarter revenue was US$58.3 million, up 11 percent from last year's $52.5 million. Net losses narrowed to $8.2 million from $11.1 million a year ago.
The company cited expanded retail availability and new product launches for its top-line growth. TiVo-owned subscriptions totalled 1.7 million, compared to 1.6 million last year, as growth was mitigated by DirecTV, which no longer uses new TiVo boxes.
Cumulative subscribers stand at 4 million, down from 4.4 million.
For next quarter, the company is anticipating revenue of $58 million - $60 million and net losses of $9 million - $12 million.
LAUNCH OF WALES’ FIRST WELSH-LANGUAGE DAILY NEWSPAPER UNDER REVIEW
Plans to launch Wales's first daily Welsh-language newspaper next March are under review, according to BBC News.
Y Byd (The World), was to be launched on March 3, and owner Dyddiol Cyf said it was pushing ahead, but admitted it was looking at the timetable.
It said the move was prompted by a wider review of the Welsh language press by the heritage minister and the Welsh Language Board.
Ned Thomas, the chairman of Dyddiol Cyf, said he welcomed the support offered to Welsh language publications from the Welsh Assembly Government, and the review that is currently underway.
He added: "As the process of reviewing the Welsh language press continues, Dyddiol Cyf is waiting eagerly to hear what kind of support will be available to help fund a daily newspaper."
"The timetable given for this process means that the launch date for Y Byd is under review."
FAIRFAX TO FIGHT FOR AUSTRALIAN BUSH BROADBAND TO END DIGITAL DROUGHT
The Land newspaper reports that Fairfax Media's chief executive, David Kirk, says the company fill fight for bush broadband by working with rural and regional Australia to end the country's "second drought" - the broadband drought.
Speaking at a NSW Farm Writers Association lunch in Sydney, Kirk said high-speed broadband was "absolutely critical" to the future of regional and rural Australia.
He said his company "the largest media group in Australasia and publisher of The Land", would pursue the incoming government to provide fast internet access across the bush.
He said virtually no progress had been made on upgrading broadband in regional Australia since mid-2005.
"We can no longer afford to be resource rich but digitally dumb," he said.
Only 19 percent of non-metropolitan households had broadband access, he said.
Kirk also said the merger earlier this year of Fairfax Media and Rural Press Ltd was on track to exceed the original synergies and savings predicted from the deal.
UK’S TRINITY MIRROR BUYS GLOBESPAN MEDIA ONLINE PROPERTY BUSINESS
Thomson Financial reports that UK Newspaper group Trinity Mirror PLC said it has bought Globespan Media Ltd for an initial GBP900,000 and a deferred amount of up to GBP5 million wholly conditional on the achievement of specified operating profit targets over the next 30 months.
The company said it expects Globespan to generate revenues of at least GBP4 million in its first year of ownership.
Globespan will be integrated with Trinity Mirror's Smart Media Services, an online property business, the company added, and will strengthen its regional network of over 80 local property sites.
MALAYSIA’S DOMINANT MEDIA GROUP MEDIA PRIMA TO GENERATE INTERNET CONTENT
Malaysia's largest private media conglomerate, Media Prima, has unveiled big investment plans to generate internet content, a revenue diversification strategy aimed at getting a larger slice of the growing online advertising pie, according to Asia Times.
Asia Times said, “At the same time, some analysts view the company's plans as a veiled attempt to erode the present influence and reach of independent internet-based news providers. Media Prima is believed to be closely linked to the dominant ruling political party, the United Malays National Organisation.
The company is also highly profitable: in November, Media Prima announced "exceptional" financial results for the nine months ending in September, with profit before tax climbing 98 percent from a year earlier to US$30.2 million.
Asia Times said, “Those revenues are generated partially through its control of all four private free-to-air television networks - TV3, ntv7, 8TV and TV9 - through which it has seized 54 percent of Malaysia’s television audience, up from 47 percent last year. Its main competitors, satellite pay-TV group Astro and state-owned RTM, command 29 percent and 17 percent respectively, giving Media Prima large sway over the local television market’s advertisement pricing.”
Malaysia's mainstream television news - apart from al-Jazeera's news bulletins, which are relayed over Astro and sometimes includes news on Malaysia - in the main reflect favourably on United Malays National Organisation politicians and government policies, while opposition and dissident groups receive little if any coverage.
Media Prima also owns the New Straits Times group, which owns the country’s top-selling Malay-language newspaper, Harian Metro, and the English-language pro-government New Straits Times.
OUTCRY OVER FRENCH-VIETNAMESE JOURNALIST ARRESTED ON TERRORISM CHARGES IN HO CHI MINH CITY
The husband and sister of French journalist Nguyen Thi Thanh Van, her lawyer and the secretary general of Reporters Without Borders told a press conference of their anxiety about the plight of French journalist and activist who is in the hands of the Vietnamese government.
The 51-year-old, from Hay les Roses in the Paris region, was arrested with five others on November 17 while taking part in a meeting on the promotion of non-violence in Vietnam and detained in Ho Chi Minh City where she now reportedly faces terrorism charges.
She had gone to Vietnam to carry out interviews with dissidents and peasants.
"We are very worried about her health and we urge the French authorities to at least get the right to make a consular visit," her husband Nguyen Minh Ly, a French computer technician, said. "This situation is completely aberrant in which a French woman is being secretly held on the basis of absurd accusations."
Secretary general of Reporters Without Borders, Robert Menard, said at the press conference, "We urge the president, Nicolas Sarkozy, to meet us and the family and to throw all possible resources into freeing our colleague and compatriot," he said.
The journalist's sister Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, spoke about her character and motivation, saying, "She is a very peace-loving and humane person, who is passionate about justice, law and her country. The whole family is shocked by the accusations of terrorism. Our parents, who are over 80, are traumatised by her detention".
Her colleague, Bui Xuan Quang, described her as a "sensitive, intelligence and courageous woman." He said the terrorism accusations were based on "evidence which does not stand up to any examination", aimed at "sullying activists and journalists opposed to the regime."
Her family's lawyer, Serge Lewisch, said he feared the worst after terror charges were brought. "A consular visit is the very least that can be done, but France, which has good relations with Vietnam, has not obtained one," he said, adding that he was ready to got to Ho Chi Minh City himself.
Those present at the press conference showed the media copies of the tracts and stickers seized by police when they arrested Nguyen Thi Thanh Van and the five others in Ho Chi Minh City. One entitled, "Promote non-violence" recalls the struggle of Gandhi and other international figures to obtain democratic change through non-violence. The other was a simple sticker promoting station New Horizon for which she was working.
Since the start of the 1990s, she has contributed to media run by the Vietnamese community in exile, including Radio Chan Troi Moi (New Horizon) which broadcasts on medium wave to Vietnam.
CONDE NAST’S CONDENET IN CONTENT DEAL WITH YOUTUBE
Online Media Daily reports that CondeNet has entered a broad content distribution relationship with Google's YouTube.
CondeNet, the web unit of Conde Nast Publications, is launching YouTube channels for each of its niche sites, beginning with the food-focused Epicurious.com.
Channels for Style.com, Men.Style.com and Concierge.com are expected to launch over the next month, while the Wired.com channel is slated for early next year.
Online Media Daily said, “From TV networks to newspapers, publishers are furiously competing for audiences by syndicating their wares across the web. For many, YouTube represents a key distribution hub because of its immense reach as the web's top video sharing service.
“This trend is an about face for many publishers who not long ago resisted open distribution in favour of walled-off destination sites. According to Richard Glosser, executive director of emerging media at CondeNet, the benefits of syndication now far outweigh the risks.”
"The old instinct was to protect your copyright, but any reservation about letting content out is gone," Glosser told Online Media Daily. "Now, it's about getting exposed to new audiences, driving audiences back to our site, and generating more revenue."
SOUTH AFRICA’S MEDIA24 TO SCALE DOWN ITS MOTORING MAGAZINES
Bizcummunity.com reports that giant South African conglomerate Media24 will scale down its motoring magazines and will consolidate its remaining portfolio into a larger business unit, the Media24 Travel and Motoring Division
John Relihan, publisher of Media24 Family Magazines, said, “This means that we will cease to publish TopMotor and Max Power, while TopCar will continue to be published monthly and TopBike as an alternate monthly as from January 2008.
“The final issue of TopMotor will be the December issue, whereas Max Power will appear for the last time in January 2008.”
According to Relihan this business decision was based on Media24 concluding that not all sectors of an already fragmented motoring magazine market were as viable as projected initially when the magazines were launched.
NEW YORK TIMES TOUGHS IT OUT BY CUTTING STAFF AND FREEZING HIRING
Numerous reports coming out of the US state that The New York Times Company is planning to cut newsroom jobs at its flagship newspaper.
About a dozen "support positions" will be eliminated from the newsroom, along with "a number" of clerical admin jobs; next year, several admin management positions will be cut, a leaked internal memo says. None of these are reporting positions.
The memo from Bill Keller, executive editor for New York Times said, "As we approach 2008, it is clear that the newsroom is going to have to do even more to tighten spending, and to help the publisher and the Times Company meet the difficult financial challenges facing our industry. While we are committed to retaining our competitive muscle, we will be facing some tough choices about where to save."
The company also has a hiring freeze for the newsroom, which started "several weeks ago", and "except for those jobs that are critically important to our future ambitions, we intend to enforce it," the memo said.
CITIBANK DEAL SPARKS ANTI-ARAB OUTRAGE IN US MEDIA
The Arabian oil money deal with Citibank has shaken American media outlets and the New York Post, for example, headlined an article with “Bedouin Darkness Spreads With Oil Money.”
The Post published an article by Youssef Ibrahim which said, among other things, “The huge migration of money that has followed Western capitalist systems has brought progress and modernity in its wake. But Arabian oil money imported by Citibank and other titans of American industry deeply compromises our values and buys our silence.”
It went on to say, “Do American institutions want to snuggle up with Saudi Arabia and its Dark Age values? They had better think this one through as a tidal wave of money from Saudi Arabia — as well as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, — is crashing into these shores and buying up American assets.
“They should expect no free lunches. These failed governments are buying America’s silence and its implied acquiescence to the barbaric
IRISH SPORTS TV BROADCASTER CHALLENGES SKY SPORTS NEWS AND SNARES LIVE RIGHTS TO 2010 WORLD CUP SOCCER
Irish sports broadcaster Setanta Sports News, a rival to Sky Sports News and the first sports news channel to be launched in the UK in 15 years, stated broadcasting live yesterday.
Also during the week Setanta landed a coup in securing live rights to England’s away 2010 World Cup qualifying matches, and more than 80 other World Cup qualifiers, which will begin next autumn.
This ended Sky’s 15-year monopoly of live league soccer in England.
Programming for Setanta is to be produced by ITN, which already deliver news programs for ITV and Channel 4. The new channel’s three-year contract with ITN is worth GBP10 million per year.
The format will be “young and fairly chatty” with a heavy emphasis on Premiership football – though golf, which Setanta Sports shows extensively – tennis and horse racing will be part of the mix too.
Setanta recruited 60 staff in the past month.
MOGADISHU MAYOR BANS MEDIA COVERAGE OF SOMALIA INSURGENCY
The mayor of Mogadishu has banned Somali media from publishing interviews with insurgents or reporting on military operations and the city's refugee exodus.
Reuters reported that the measures announced by mayor and former warlord Mohamed Dheere put further pressure on journalists reeling from a string of assassinations, shutdowns, arrests, and threats from both sides during this year's Islamist-led insurgency in Somalia.
With most foreign journalists staying clear for security reasons, local reporters take huge risks to cover the daily violence, mainly in Mogadishu. Seven local reporters have died this year, most shot dead in targeted killings yet to be investigated.
The government accuses Somali journalists of fanning the insurgency by giving airtime to leaders and exaggerating their attacks.
PHOTO AGENCY TO GIVE FREE PICS TO BLOGGERS IN EXCHANGE FOR EMBEDDED ADVERTISING
Stock photography company Corbis is offering internet bloggers access to some of its images for their posts for free in exchange for showcasing advertising embedded into the Corbis and its digital rights partner, PicScout, will allow bloggers to access photos via a web link, now in a test phase, Corbis chief executive Gary Shenk told the Reuters Media Summit in New York on Tuesday.
The photos will either include an ad overlay on part of the image, or embedded advertising that pops up when a web user runs a cursor over the picture.
PicApp also offers bloggers the opportunity to earn ad revenue based on how many times Web users click on the images posted to their blogs.
BELGIUM FINED FOR CONTRAVENING GERMAN REPORTERS RIGHT TO KEEP HIS SOURCES SECRET
The European Court of Human Rights has fined Belgium for raiding the premises of a German reporter investigating financial irregularities within the European Union in a test case on confidential sources.
Globe and Mail reported that the court fined Belgium EUR 10,000 plus EUR 30,000 costs after ruling that the raids in 2002 on the home and office of Stern magazine reporter Hans Martin Tillack contravened his right as a reporter to keep his sources secret.
The judgment differs from an October 2006 ruling by the European Union's Court of First Instance in Luxembourg, which dismissed Tillack’s claim for damages, saying it had no reason to get involved.
Belgian police seized documents, two computers, four portable telephones and a filing cabinet in raids carried out after the EU's anti-fraud office OLAF filed a complaint against Tillack on suspicion of him paying an EU employee for information. The accusations have never been proved.
ADULT SERVICES BUSINESS INCREASING ABOVE EXPECTATIONS
MocoNews said that adult services will bring in nearly US$3.5 billion by 2010 according to Juniper Research. This is a slight increase from a year ago, when Juniper predicted that adult content would bring in $3.3 million by 20011.
Western Europe is predicted to remain the largest regional market for adult content with revenue rising from $775 million this year to $1.5 billion by 2012, and Eastern Europe and North American markets are also expected to increase.
New legislation in markets such as China and South Korea will probably depress growth in Asia.
INTEREST SHOWN IN SINGAPORE’S NEW MOBILE PHONE TV LICENCES
Two companies have expressed an interest in the mobile TV licenses Singapore’s Media Development Authority announced this week that it would issue for the second half of 2008, according to MocoNews.
RapidTVNews reported, “PGK Media says it wants to launch a ‘TV2Go’ service as soon as it receives a licence, supplying 10-15 channels. Innoxious Technologies says it will supply eight channels, targeting 15-35 year-olds.”
Singapore has a population of 4.5 million, but more than 100 percent mobile penetration, and there’s not much area to cover.
| 43 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
