AIBD has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to provide consultancy and capacity building for MBC in its transition to Public Service Broadcasting. Under the MoU, AIBD assists MBC in organisational assessment, engineering audit, newsroom training and programme production.
The initial agreement was reached during the visit of the MBC delegation to AIBD Secretariat in April 2012 and the MoU was signed during the Asia Media Summit 2012 in Bangkok. The consultants commissioned by AIBD commenced work in the Maldives in mid-July.
The Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) is new. What was state media has now become an independent public service broadcaster accountable to the parliament, from where most of the funding comes. The MBC has one of the most robust pieces of public broadcasting legislation in the world. The MBC Act 2010 says what a public service broadcaster must do: unbiased news and information; resisting political, financial and economic influence; and serving the whole nation. The Act also says what a public service broadcaster must not do. It is not a service controlled by any part of the state or works under 'influence, supervision or control' of any government authority.
The MBC is now preparing a new Broadcasting Code to reflect these new responsibilities. The staff of about 360 are being trained in these new expectations.
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