Saturday, December 22, 2007

Holiday Tradition: BBC "Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols"

This annual tradition continues on the World Service as well as the domestic Radio 4 and Radio 3.

Tune in on Monday, Christmas Eve, as follows:

1500 UT - Radio 4 / World Service live webcast / Europe SW / US public radio webcast including WGBH / KXPR / Vermont Public Radio / WKAR 90.5

2130 UT - West Africa shortwave (try 15400, 6110 kHz in Eastern NA)

Also...

0100 UT Tuesday - Americas XM BBCWS

1400 UT Tuesday - BBC Radio 3

2300 UT Tuesday - Vermont Public Radio

Not sure about on-demand listening...


Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA

RNW Christmas Special: "Hear The World"

From the Media Network blog via DXLD:

This year, Radio Netherlands Worldwide brings you a special programme on Christmas Day, 25 December. Chris Chambers presents 'Hear The World', a concert from the famous Concertgebouw in Amsterdam marking the sixtieth anniversary of Radio Netherlands. You'll be able to hear some of the best musicians from around the world including the African percussionist Ali Keita and the mezzo-soprano Tania Kross from Curacao. There's also some homegrown talent as one of the Netherlands' most famous bands, Blof, sing some of their best-known songs.

On shortwave, 'Hear the World' airs as follows:

* 1000 UTC: East/Southeast Asia 12065, East Asia 9795, Far East 6040
* 1200 UTC: Eastern N America 11675
* 1400 UTC: South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595
* 1500 UTC: South Asia 9345, 12080, 15595
* 1800 UTC: Southern Africa 6020, East/Central Africa 11655, 12050
* 1900 UTC: East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 17810,
Central/Southern Africa 7120
* 2000 UTC: East Africa 11805, 12050, West Africa 11655, 17810,
Central/Southern Africa 7120
* 0000 UTC: Eastern N America 6165
* 0100 UTC: Central N America 6165
* 0500 UTC: Western N America 6165

The 0000 / 0100 / 0500 airings are most likely December 26, following UTC day convention.

--
Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA

International broadcasting / shortwave blog:
http://www.intlradio.blogspot.com

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

75th Anniversary Programming - BBC World Service

From my NASWA Journal December column:

December marks the 75th anniversary of the BBC’s efforts in international broadcasting; the Empire Service, later more humbly called the World Service, made its debut in 1932; there is a special season of programs celebrating the BBC and freedom of information. This special season is called Free To Speak.

The subjects below – in part analyzing how the BBC and other global news media gather, prioritize, edit, and report news, should be very interesting to those who are interested in how the BBC decides what to put on air.

Monday, December 10th and 17th, Making News: Allan Little examines the notion of impartial journalism, and explores how news is presented in a two-part series beginning Monday, December 10th. The series assesses newsmakers’ reflexes and ideas about news priorities on Monday 10 December. Allan Little conducts a comparative study of one particular day in three international television news channels - BBC World, Al Jazeera, and CNN – as they explain and justify their news agenda for the day. Making News shows up at the various editorial meetings to find out how the organizations create their priorities and shape the treatment of the day’s news. The program also hears from critics who blame modern rolling news culture, with its reliance on striking visual images and shock to win the holy grail of audience share. On Monday, December 17th, Allan Little explores the challenges to objectivity in a rapidly changing western media world and discusses the criticism the BBC has met for its sparing use of the word ‘terrorist’ to describe the perpetrators of atrocities. He also examines news channels that are fond of using the soap box to promote their political stance. European air times (including the live Webcast) are 0905, 1205, and 2005. African shortwave air times will likely include 0905, 1405, and 2105

Wednesdays, beginning December 12th: Press for Freedom is a four part series in which former Daily Mirror editor and leading media commentator Roy Greenslade explores how far reporting ‘the truth’ can be endangered by governments, corporations and the new wave of internet publishing. He looks at the dangers facing journalists in today’s world; their freedom to report and how it can be protected. The program focuses on Moscow, Zimbabwe, Kuala Lumpur, and the explosion of small independent citizen/reporter radio stations.

On January 2nd, Greenslade asks how free the press in Europe and America can claim to be. He asks Robert Thomson, editor of The Times, the flagship of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, how the tensions of ownership, advertising and the drive for circulation shape our media. And he ponders whether the upsurge in alternative media suggests that people no longer accept traditional media as free and independent. European air times (including the live Webcast) include 0905, 1205, and 2005; African shortwave air times include 0905, 1405 and 2105.

Saturday, December 15th: How Free the BBC? takes takes a candid look at the relationship between BBC World Service and its funders, the UK Government. Respected UK media commentator Ray Snoddy asks whether a broadcasting organization funded directly by £246 million a year grant-in-aid from the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office can remain editorially independent. The program features an extensive interview with Nigel Chapman, Director of BBC World Service, responding to the questions raised by Snoddy’s analysis. European air times (including the live Webcast) include Saturday, December 15th, at 0530 & 0830; African airtimes are likely the same.

Wednesday, December 19th: The Big Link Up celebrates the day of the BBC’s 75th birthday with all-day live remote broadcasts linking audiences around the world in a global debate on freedom of the media. The debate will echo the themes of programming in the BBC's World Service's Free to Speak season. Remote broadcast sites are planned to include East Asia from Mongolia to Australia; the Middle East, Europe and Africa, and The Americas from North through Central America to the South. Regional link-ups featuring panels of experts and audiences will interact with internet cafes; local radio stations; newsrooms and other meeting places around the globe.

Information on the 75th anniversary celebrations can be found here.