Media News - Monday, July 07, 2008

Olympic Games 2008: Biggest media centre opens

Beijing Olympic organisers opened to journalists Sunday the Games media centre, the biggest in the history of the sporting movement, officials said. The Main Press Centre, near the Olympic Stadium, will be formally inaugurated by Liu Qi, head of the Beijing Olympic organising committee, on Tuesday, one month before the Games begin, centre director Li Jingbo said. Covering 62,000sq m on four levels, the press centre is the biggest in Olympic history and is expected to house up to 6,000 accredited journalists and photographers for the Aug 8-24 Games, Jingbo said. Besides the many work stations and conference rooms, the press centre includes restaurants, a gymnasium, a massage parlour and even a barber shop where journalists can get their hair cut for about CNY 50 (EUR 4,60). Although the press centre opens Tuesday, it will not operate 24 hours a day until July 25, Jingbo said. (AFP via the Star)

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Yediot Ahronot seeks end to monopoly status

'Yediot Ahronot Ltd.' has filed a request with the Israel Antitrust Authority to revoke its classification as a monopoly in the media sector, sources have informed ''Globes''. The request comes 13 years after the Hebrew daily paper was first classed as a monopoly in the Hebrew language dailies market. The group is apparently seeking the change because of the changes in the print media market, chief of which is the substantial increase in the circulation of the free sheet 'Israel Today', which has now been distributed for a year. A spokesperson for the Antitrust Authority said the application from 'Yediot Ahronot' had been received and was being considered. In 1995, the Antitrust Authority declared 'Yediot Ahronot' a monopoly in the Hebrew language dailies market. According to the figures released by the Antitrust Authority in its announcement, 'Yediot Ahronot' controlled more than 50% of the Hebrew language dailies market, 'Ma'ariv' held 25%, and 'Ha'aretz' held 10%. In recent years there have been changes in the market. Aside from the fact that 'Yediot Ahronot' remains the largest player in the market, the industry has seen the entry of 'Israel Today', a newspaper owned by US Jewish billionaire Sheldon Adelson. 'Israel Today' is distributed free from Sunday through Thursday and has a daily circulation of 255,000, a development which will undoubtedly have an impact on the daily print media market and the market share held by the various groups. (Globes via Newspaper Innovation)

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Hawaii journalists get shield law - inspired by Judith Miller?

Last Wednesday, Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle signed into effect a law granting Hawaii journalists limited protection from telling the police or the courts their sources for news stories. The law protects any reporter who works, or who has ever worked for a newspaper, magazine, news agency, radio station or television station. It covers online writers such as bloggers only if they hold a similar job to traditional journalists or regularly publish news in the public interest. Hawaii prosecutors agreed to the measure after carving out exemptions for defense of felony cases, civil actions involving defamation, public safety, source consent to disclosure, and when the person claiming the privilege has observed the alleged commission of a crime. No Hawaii journalists have been imprisoned for not naming their sources, but the bill's sponsor, State Rep. Blake Oshiro, said he wanted to enact a shield law before the situation arose, saying he was inspired by the federal case of former New York Times reporter Judith Miller. Miller was jailed for 85 days in 2005 for refusing to identify which Bush administration officials had talked to her about CIA operative Valerie Plame. (Editor and Publisher)

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Flat-screen TVs are contributing to global warming - report

It seems the rising popularity of flat screen TVs has not been good for the environment. A gas used in their manufacture, nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), is being blamed for damaging the atmosphere, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports. Almost half of the TV sets sold around the world so far this year have plasma or LCD flat screens. The gas, estimated to be 17,000 times as powerful as carbon dioxide, is said to be accelerating global warming. NF3 is not covered by the Kyoto protocol as it was produced in only tiny amounts when the treaty was signed in 1997. Levels of this gas in the atmosphere have not been measured, but scientists say it is a concern and are calling for it to be included in any future emissions cutting agreement. (Media Network Weblog)

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Al Jazeera gives role to ex-Guantanamo prisoner

A journalist recently released after six years detention in Guantanamo Bay has been appointed as Al Jazeera's news producer for liberties and human rights affairs, reports C21-Media.net. Through the newly created position, Sami Al Haj will take responsibility for the network's coverage of human rights and civil liberties issues. Mr Al Haj was detained on 15 December 2001 by Pakistani border authorities while on assignment for the Qatar-based network. He was transferred to American military custody and after six months, was placed in Guantanamo Bay and only released in May 2008. Mr Al Haj said: 'I hope to use my new position as a vehicle to show the world that human rights abuses still occur all over the globe.' (Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union)

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Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation ‘to be revamped’

Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) will be made a modern and efficient public broadcasting service, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sherry Rehman, has said. She made the remark during talks with PBC's Director General, Murtaza Solangi, reports Associated Press of Pakistan. Ms Rehman said PBC's deficits would be reduced and programming diversified to meet the challenges of the modern day information environment. The two agreed that Radio Pakistan should present news and events in as factual, accurate and impartial a manner as possible. Ms Murtaza added that radio programmes should reflect the aspirations of Pakistan and promote principles of democracy, a culture of freedom and tolerance. Ms Rehman directed the management of Radio Pakistan to ensure that all appointments were on merit and that the service be more professional to compete with private radio channels. (Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union)

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