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AUSTRALIA: Jobs “jump” like kangaroos

Southern Cross Austereo owns 88 radio stations on the Australian continent
Southern Cross Austereo owns 88 radio stations on the Australian continent
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The economic crisis generated by the pandemic is also making itself felt in Australia: Southern Cross Austereo restructures and cuts 38 jobs. The company’s revenues fell by 18.2%. Details in the article on the ABC website.

News Corp, the conglomerate owned by Rupert Murdock, has reacted to operating losses by restructuring its own premises
News Corp, the conglomerate owned by Rupert Murdock, has reacted to operating losses by restructuring its daily newspapers.
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The move comes on top of others already announced: News Corp announced in May that 100 regional and local newspapers would close the print edition and continue as digital edition, and thirteen newspapers will merge with others.

Reduction of programmes, leave for big names and staff cutbacks: the recipe of Ten
Reduction of programmes, leave for big names and staff cutbacks: the recipe of Ten
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The Ten television network will produce the news in its Sydney and Melbourne offices, with a number of prestigious news signatures. Weather forecasts will no longer be made on a regional basis but will be unified into a single national bulletin. As far as jobs are concerned, the extent of the cuts has not yet been announced because negotiations with staff are ongoing.

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Guinea Bissau: Radio that wakes up the country is run by women only

Guinea Bissau: the radio that wakes up the country is run by women only
Guinea Bissau: Radio that wakes up the country is run by women only
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For two years an all female broadcaster is shaking the tree in this West African country that – according to a UN report – is one of the fifteen less developed countries in the world. The radio station aims to raise awareness on gender equality, formally granted by the constitution, but very difficult to apply in a Muslim and patriarchal society that still uses genital mutilation on young women. Born in Bafata, thanks to the efforts of Periodistas Solidarios – a NGO from Seville (Spain), it operates with equipment donated by Radio Nacional de España and Canal Sur Radio (Regional government of Andalusia’s official radio station); now the project is supported by UN. It could be a coincidence, but within a year the main broadcaster of the city (RCB, Radio Comunitaria de Bafata, 105.5 MHz) hired three women: previously the transmissions were all hosted by men. Radio broadcasting isn’t easy in Guinea Bissau, not only for social and political reasons: electricity is only supplied for a couple of hours during the night, so it’s necessary relying on photovoltaic panels or generators.

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INDIA: In Kashmir, military at the microphone

The studio of Radio Raabta is located inside a garrison
The studio of Radio Raabta is located inside a garrison
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The Indian army has opened a community broadcasting station in Anantnag, capital of the district of the same name in the federal state of Jammu and Kashmir. It operates on 90.8 MHz and is aimed at the population, with the intention of sending peace messages to young people to prevent them from joining Islamic independence groups. The region is at the centre of tensions between India (which controls two thirds of it) and Pakistan, but China also occupies a small portion of the territory. After Radio Raabta a second station will be opened in the Shopian district. More details in the ABP Live article.

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COLOMBIA: New announcement to open AM and FM radio stations

The Colombian Ministry of Information Technology and Communications (MinTIC) will authorize the opening of new commercial radio stations. Today, 664 stations operate in the 32 departments into which the country is divided, equally divided between AM (330) and FM (334)
The Colombian Ministry of Information Technology and Communications (MinTIC) will authorize the opening of new commercial radio stations. Today, 664 stations operate in the 32 departments into which the country is divided, equally divided between AM (330) and FM (334)
Source

Eleven years after the last authorizations, new medium wave (AM) and FM radio stations will be opened in the South American country. The intention, for the Minister of Telecommunications Karen Cecilia Abudinen Abuchaibe, is to “strengthen this means of communication, recognizing it as a tool that consolidates the spread of regional culture, social responsibility and facilitates the development of the regions”. The project is divided into several phases: after the submission of the application, expected by September 17, 2020, the availability of the channels will be verified and the project can be submitted. Then the assignment and the feasibility statement will follow. Details will be added to FMLIST and MWLIST as soon as the information becomes available.

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USA: Less constraints for US radios

Removing the constraints of duplication of programs "is preferable to a struggling station reducing programming or going off the air entirely" said Ajit Pai, chairman of the FCC
Removing the constraints of duplication of programs “is preferable to a struggling station reducing programming or going off the air entirely” said Ajit Pai, chairman of the FCC
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has lifted the ban on broadcasting the same programme (simulcast) on several FM and AM stations. The regulation was introduced in 1964 and has been updated several times (the last time in 1992) to take account of developments in a market where competition is increasingly fierce. It is estimated that in FM no broadcaster will be able to repeat the entire programming (until now the limit was 25%), but the greater flexibility should help to overcome the crisis, favouring format changes and facilitating the transition of medium wave channels to digital. Ultimately, it should be the service offered to listeners that gains. More details and official statements can be found here.

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USA: A black radio for black people

Black Information Network can be heard on the iHeartRadio app but the news is picked up by 91 hip hop, R&B and Gospel radio stations in all the States: Power 105.1 in New York, Real 92.3 in Los Angeles, WDAS and Power 99 in Philadelphia, WGCI and WVAZ in Chicago, WJLB in Detroit, The Beat in Houston and Miami, WQUE in New Orleans and KMEL in San Francisco
Black Information Network can be heard on the iHeartRadio app but the news is picked up by 91 hip hop, R&B and Gospel radio stations in all the States: Power 105.1 in New York, Real 92.3 in Los Angeles, WDAS and Power 99 in Philadelphia, WGCI and WVAZ in Chicago, WJLB in Detroit, The Beat in Houston and Miami, WQUE in New Orleans and KMEL in San Francisco
Source

In the wake of the racial protests following George Floyd’s death, the iHeartMedia group launched an all-news radio for the black community. BIN, which stands for Black Information Network, offers 24 hours of news seven days a week and according to the promoters is “an objective, accurate and trusted source of continual news coverage with a black voice and perspective”. The publisher has also carried out a study according to which 86% of black listeners believe that this service is necessary and that they will probably use it as an important source of news, while 83% think that it provides information that today cannot be received on the radio or TV. The broadcasts will have no advertising, but will be funded by a group of companies: Bank of America, CVS Health, GEICO, Lowe’s, McDonald’s USA, Sony, 23andMe and Verizon, “who share and support the mission of BIN”. This line-up suggests that the “black” have been identified as potential consumers.

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JAPAN: NHK closes some radio and TV channels

The Japanese public broadcaster will reduce satellite TV channels and mediumwave radio channels in order to cut costs
The Japanese public broadcaster will reduce satellite TV channels and mediumwave radio channels in order to cut costs
Source

The Japanese public broadcaster reduces the offer of radio and TV channels. Three satellite TV channels (BS1, BS Premium and BS4K) will be merged into one channel, and consideration is being given to closing down BS8K. With regard to radio, two medium wave channel should become one. The operation will reduce expenses by 120 billion yen (1.34 billion dollars). The broadcaster has not stated the timing of the closures, but the operation could be part of the three-year plan starting in 2021. NHK in 2019 increased revenues by 10% and is criticized by commercial stations because it collects not only the tax on television sets, but in addition generates revenues from advertising . Details in the Nikkei Asian Review article

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Mexico: Distance learning for 30 million students on 16 TV channels

The Minister of Education, Esteban Moctezuma Barragan, announced at a press conference that schools will start distance learning thanks to programmes broadcast on the radio and TV
The Minister of Education, Esteban Moctezuma Barragan, announced at a press conference that schools will start distance learning thanks to programmes broadcast on the radio and TV
Source

Schools started distance learning in Mexico, one of the countries that has been hardest hit by the pandemic (in fourth place for the number of contagions).  Since August 24th, 2020, 30 million pupils are able to follow programmes on air from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on 16 channels transmitted by four TV broadcasters: Televisa, TV Azteca, Grupo Imagen and Grupo Multimedios.  All those who do not have access to television will be able to follow the lessons on the radio and study from books.  Over 4,550 TV programmes (640 in indigenous languages) will be transmitted.  The programmes do not include entertainment , but follow the school syllabus and pupils will be tested on the contents.  Educational programmes do not have advertising.  Here is the article with details from the daily newspaper, El Universal.

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PHILIPPINE: ABS-CBN, goodbye frequencies

"It shall be the government who should be given the first option to utilize them" stated Rodrigo Duderte, the President of the Philippines
“It shall be the government who should be given the first option to utilize them” stated Rodrigo Duderte, the President of the Philippines
Source

The ABS-CBN frequencies, shut down on May 5th, 2020, will be used by a television station for distance learning lessons given that Manila is back in lockdown (27 million people are in quarantine) and Covid-19 is running rife in the rest of the country. It is not clear how this will be put into action and ABS-CBN has wisely offered the use of their infrastructure and educational programmes produced over the last twenty years. What is going to happen? This is the fourth episode of the soap opera…
Here are the previous events:
THE PHILIPPINES: IF THIS TV IS INCONVENIENT MAYBE I’LL SHUT IT DOWN… OR MAYBE NOT
THE PHILIPPINES: ABS-CBN SHUT DOWN ON MAY 5TH, 2020
THE PHILIPPINES: PARLIAMENT REFUSES TO RENEW LICENCE AND ABS-CBN APPEALS

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UK: Largest network of commercial radios launched

Bauer Media Audio reaches over twenty-six million daily listeners in Europe through radio, online services and podcasts. In seven countries - UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland and Slovakia - it owns leading brands including KISS, Mix Megapol, Absolute Radio, Radio Norge, Radio Expres, Radio Nova, Radio 100 and RMF

Bauer Media Audio reaches over twenty-six million daily listeners in Europe through radio, online services and podcasts. In seven countries – UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland and Slovakia – it owns leading brands including KISS, Mix Megapol, Absolute Radio, Radio Norge, Radio Expres, Radio Nova, Radio 100 and RMF
Source

From September 2020, 49 of the 56 stations acquired in 2019 by the Bauer Group will change their name to Greatest Hits Radio, making the network the most important in the UK. Only four stations will retain their names under the Hits Radio brand: Pulse 1 in Bradford, Signal 1 in Stoke, The Wave 96.4 in Swansea and Fire Radio in Bournemouth. Three others will remain autonomous (Lincs FM in Lincoln, Pirate FM in Cornwall and Sam FM in Bristol). All the digital-only radio stations acquired last year (from UKRD, Lincs, Wireless and Celador) will be closed down. The closure of the local offices has resulted in staff cuts and protests from listeners as they had to say goodbye to their favourite presenters. Here are the details of the operation.

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