Media News - Thursday, May 08, 2008
Excessive TV commercials land Spain in hot water
The European Commission has warned Spain to cut down on the amount of TV
advertising on Spanish screens or face being taken before the European
Court of Justice. In a letter of formal notice, the Commission's first
step before beginning legal proceedings, the EU executive argues that
Spain is in violation of the Television Without Frontiers Directive,
which seeks to harmonise broadcasting regulations across the 27-nation
bloc. Under the legislation, commercials must not take up more than 12
minutes of programming per hour, and must not be shown more frequently
than every 20 minutes. Through a loose interpretation of the rules,
Spanish television channels regularly show adverts for up to 17 minutes
per hour. They argue that teleshopping, infomercials and promotions
linked to programmes fall outside of the 12-minute limit. Both public
and private channels are at fault.
(El Pais via Expatica Spain)
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Al Jazeera TV says hit by Morocco broadcast ban
Moroccan authorities have banned Al Jazeera television from broadcasting a news programme focusing on north Africa from its studios in Morocco, the Qatar-based Arabic network said Tuesday. Authorities gave no reason for the ban against the nightly news broadcast, Al Jazeera said, adding that the programme would be aired from its main studios in the Qatari capital Doha. The popular news network, which also launched an English-language channel in late 2006, has often drawn the ire of Middle Eastern governments as well as the United States over its coverage of the war in Iraq and providing a platform for opposition and human rights groups. There was no immediate comment available from Moroccan authorities. (Reuters via Media Network Weblog)
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WiMAX promises to transform wireless Internet world
As US technology giants including Google place a multi-billion dollar bet on WiMAX, backers of the wireless data-streaming format say it will radically change mobile Internet use. A WiMAX network of the kind to be deployed across the United States by a joint venture dubbed Clearwire may render cable or phone line Internet obsolete and set the stage for free Google mobile telephones supported by advertising. ‘It is like mobile Internet in your pocket,’ said Scenna Pabesh, a spokeswoman for nonprofit WiMAX Forum, an industry group that promotes interoperability of networks and devices using the format. WiMAX is deployed in 110 countries and Wednesday's unveiling of Clearwire should ensure the United States joins those ranks, according to Pabesh. The Asian Pacific region leads in WiMAX adoption. South Korea is considered a ‘success model’ with 150,000 people, most of them in Seoul, subscribing to WiMAX mobile services, she said. WiMAX quickly moves large amounts of digital data such as video or picture files across kilometers, as compared to Wi-Fi connections available in cyber cafes or other ‘hot spots’ where signals reach a few hundred meters or less. While the Clearwire network is not expected to be deployed in the United State for several years, Wednesday's announcement is seen as a ‘bellwether’ by the industry, according to Pabesh. Clearwire is one of the largest WiMAX spectrum owners worldwide, with an emphasis on Europe, according to WiMAX Forum. The new firm will start with a combined USD 3.2bn of investment from Internet search giant Google, computer chip maker Intel, cable firms Comcast and Time Warner Cable and service provider Bright House Networks. (AFP)
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Cuban blogger given press award
A young Cuban dissident has been given a prestigious Spanish journalism award for using a blog to overcome the limits to free expression in her country. Yoani Sanchez has received the Ortega y Gasset Prize in digital journalism for her blog, called Generation Y. She is not attending the award ceremony in Madrid as the Cuban authorities have not given her an exit visa. Among the other winners is Mexican journalist Sanjuana Martinez for her reports on sexual abuse by the clergy. Ms Sanchez's blog is one of Cuba's most popular and gets more than one million hits a month. The prize is given each year by Spain's El Pais newspaper. (BBC News)
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Over 200 years of newspaper content made available as TimesOnline launches digital archive
TimesOnline has launched a beta version digital archive opening up over two hundred years-worth of newspaper content to web users. The archive, which was launched over the weekend, will feature content produced by The Times, Sunday Times and TimesOnline published since 1785. The amount of content in the beta section will be expanded before its official launch, which is expected in the next couple of months, Anne Spackman, editor-in-chief of TimesOnline, told Journalism.co.uk. The paper is using technology from search company FAST to help build the service and allow users to 'delve deeper' into the archived content. The archive will initially be free to users, Spackman added, though this would be reviewed over time with the possibility of some subscription packages being introduced. The archive will be managed by the site's editorial team lead by an archive editor. (Journalism.co.uk)
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Pope goes digital to better connect with youth
Pope Benedict will text message thousands of young Catholics on their mobile phones during World Youth Day in Sydney in July, hoping going digital will help him connect better with a younger audience. The Pope will text daily messages of inspiration and hope during the six-day Sydney event while digital prayer walls will be erected at event sites and the church will set up a Catholic social networking Web site akin to a Catholic Facebook. The Catholic Church said it decided to use technology to connect to the estimated 225,000 young Catholics expected to attend the World Youth Day (WYD) celebrations that start on July 15. Australian telecoms firm Telstra will provide voice, data, mobile, broadband and broadcast services for the event, as well as erect digital prayer walls at event sites. Telstra said it plans to connect 8,000 volunteers, 2,000 clergy, 3,000 media and an anticipated 225,000 pilgrims to more than 700 locations around Sydney. The Catholic church is the biggest in Australia with about 5 million members, compared to about 4 million Anglicans among the nation's 21 million people. (Reuters)
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