Suspension of Japan’s Radio Nikkei 2nd broadcast during the week

In order to deal with the electric power shortage caused by nuclear power plant accident, Radio Nikkei 2nd broadcast has stopped its weekday transmission from March 24 through May.   At present, they air from 23:00 through 09:00 UTC only on Saturday and Sunday on 3945, 6115 and 9760 kHz.  Radio Nikkei’s first broadcast is aired from 22:25 through 15:00UTC on weekdays, and from 21:55 through 12:00 or 13:00UTC on Weekends.  The first broadcast frequencies are 3925, 6055 and 9595 kHz. 

(Source : Toshi Ohtake of Japan Short Wave Club)

Japan’s Ootakadoya-yama LF Standard Time Transmission station stopped

Ootakadoya-yama LF Standard Time and Frequency Transmission Station on 40kHz stopped disseminating LF waves at 19:46 Japan Standard Time, or 10:46 UTC on March 12. The Japanese government issued an evacuation order for those who lived near Fukushima  Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was damaged by earthquake and tsunami on March 11. Ootakadoya-yama is located within the designated 20 kilometers area from the power plant, so the staff left the facility to evacuate to safe places. The station resumed its operation on April 21, but due to the lighting strike on April 25, it  stopped again. It is not certain when the station will resume its operation.

Another Standard Time and Frequency Transmission Station on Hagane-yama in Fukuoka prefecture in the western Japan is conducting normal operation on 60 kHz.

(Source :  Mr. Toshi Ohtake of Japan Short Wave Club)

Radio Prague Monthly Quiz (May)

This month we would like to know the name of the Austrian poet and writer born in 1821 in the south Moravian town of Mikulov who developed a system of tactile signing for deaf-blind people named after him.
 
Please send us his name by the end of May and one of you will win a small Radio Prague gift. All your reception reports, comments and questions are welcome at the usual address English@radio.cz or Radio Prague 12099 Prague. Mailbox will be back in two weeks time, on May 21st. Until then, take care.

(Source : Radio Prague)

Live from Slussen - It's Radio Sweden!

Today's broadcast is from Slussen, in the heart of Stockholm. It's where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic, where the Old Town island meets the southern Stockholm island of Södermalm. It’s an important traffic node, bringing together road, bus, rail and underground transport. In this half hour from Radio Sweden we discuss the past and future of Slussen, the Sweet Spot Sweden campaign, meet the band the Stockholm Hamsters, and take a look back at some of the news of the week.

(Source : Radio Sweden)

Radio New Zealand promised more funding

New Zealand's Labour Party has said it would restore Radio New Zealand's funding to compensate for the government's budget freeze, the public service broadcaster reported.

Radio New Zealand's board chairperson Richard Griffen told a committee yesterday that the funding freeze has made it difficult, but the broadcaster can survive for the next two years on the same amount of money.

But the Labour Party said that public broadcasting is an important part of democracy.

Broadcasting spokesperson Claire Curran said talk of a developing a trust to raise funds for Concert FM shows the state broadcaster is struggling.

Ms Curran said the Labour Party would increase funding for Radio New Zealand by about NZ$1.5 million ($1.18 million).

The government said it expects Radio New Zealand to operate within its budget, which is in line with wider expectations across the state sector.

(Source : Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union/Media Network Weblog)

Welsh Internet station gets mediumwave outlet

An Internet radio station in Wales, in the UK, is hailing an unusual move into the world of mediumwave broadcasting a success after it crossed the digital divide into the world of analogue. In a world in which everything seems to be going digital, Celtica Radio has stepped in the opposite direction. Although it continues to make programmes available on its website, as of last week Celtica is also providing shows for the Mid-Wales-based Radio Hafren [on 756 kHz at 2300-0100 UTC].

• Read more from Digital Journal

(Source : Radio Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Thailand's MCOT enters agreement with KBS

Thailand's MCOT Public Company Limited today agreed to expand broadcasting operations with Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) to improve both companies' business performance and increase cooperation between both organisations.

The memorandum of understanding was signed by MCOT President Tanawat Wansom (right) and KBS President Kim In-Kyu (left).

It covers the exchange of television and radio programmes and related materials, TV production and personnel training as well as general matters of cooperation and management.

According to Mr Tanawat, MCOT, the leading Thai media firm, sees the importance of networking with its partners in order to develop its broadcasting business.

MCOT is a Bangkok-based media company that operates television, radio and other electronic media. KBS is South Korea's leading broadcaster and offers television and radio channels that include KBS World TV and KBS World Radio.

(Source : Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union

NUJ ballots on industrial action against BBC compulsory redundancies

Thousands of BBC journalists are being balloted for strike action in response to the threat of compulsory redundancies across the Corporation. Around 100 BBC journalists based in the World Service, BBC Monitoring, Online, and in Scotland and Wales are threatened with compulsory redundancy.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ), which represents the majority of journalists at the BBC, is to ballot members after the BBC refused to consider further moves to secure redeployment or find alternative opportunities for around 100 staff.

NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear said: “For months we have been negotiating with the BBC and have been able to resolve most cases by agreement. But the BBC’s refusal to consider workable alternatives for around 100 staff has left us with no choice but to ballot members for industrial action to defend jobs and services. There is no justification for these compulsory redundancies.”

The union begins the ballot this week.

(Source: NUJ website via Radio Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

DW will end radio in Persian, Russian, Indonesian, and close SW relays in Sri Lanka and Portugal

The May edition of Journalist magazine in Germany, via Nils Schiffhauer, via Kai Ludwig, reports that Deutsche Welle will close its Sines, Portugal, and Trincomalee, Sri Lanka shortwave transmitter sites (Trincomalee also medium wave). Radio programmes in Persian, Russian and Indonesian will be cancelled before the end of this year. It appears that the DW radio operations at Bonn will be hit particularly hard by cuts, with employees having to move to DW TV in Berlin.

(Source : kimandrewelliott.com)

DW Online voting starts for the ‘Klick!’ photo competition

The voting phase for the photo competition "Klick! – Your View of Human Rights and Globalization" has officially started. This competition was developed by DW with the help of Amnesty International as part of the upcoming Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum. Fans can vote for their favorites online until May 20 at www.facebook.com/dw.gmf.

All of the entries have been uploaded to an album on Facebook and users can mark their favorites by clicking the “like” button. They can also submit a vote for their favorites by sending an e-mail to klick@dw-world.de. On May 20, organizers will count votes to select the 30 finalists.

The competition called for professional and hobby photographers from around the world to submit photos that deal with human rights and globalization. The entries were also included in an interactive map at www.dw-world.de/klick.

The final 30 will be exhibited at the Global Media Forum in Bonn, where the approximately 1,500 Global Media Forum participants and guests will select three winners. These winners will receive an iPod Nano (8 GB), an iPod Shuffle (2 GB) and a USB stick (4 GB).

Amnesty International is a partner of the fourth Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum which will examine “Human Rights in a Globalized World – Challenges for the Media”.

Partners of the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum 2011 include the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the Friedrich-Naumann Foundation, the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation, the German Institute for Human Rights, Reporters Without Borders, GIZ, UN Water, the European Council on Foreign Relations, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the German Development Institute, CARE Germany-Luxemburg, the Development and Peace Foundation, the Bonn International Centre for Conversion (BICC), the Goethe-Institut, the German Journalists Association and many other organizations.

Six of this year’s partners have been included in the University of Pennsylvania’s list of 50 leading think tanks.

DW will also be awarding the winners of its international blog awards, The BOBs, at this year’s Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum. This is the contest’s seventh year and prizes will be awarded in six categories and 11 languages.

Co-host of the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum is the Foundation for International Dialogue of the Sparkasse in Bonn. The convention is also supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, European Funds for Regional Development, the Minister of Federal Affairs, Europe and the Media of North Rhine-Westphalia, the city of Bonn, DHL and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

(Source : Deutsche Welle)