The International Broadcasting Trust is an educational and media charity working to promote high quality television coverage of the developing world. Our aim is to further awareness and understanding of the lives of the majority of the world´s people – and the issues which affect them.

Our work focuses on four main areas of activity:

• lobbying Government, regulators and broadcasters
• dialogue with the main public service broadcasters
• research on television coverage of the developing world
• developing a slate of innovative programme ideas

We have also begun to work internationally, to strengthen our links with broadcasters and regulators from around the world, especially in Africa. Since the Africa Commission recognised the strategic role that media can play as a tool for development, IBT has used its expertise in this area and its close links with mainstream development agencies to help act as a catalyst for change.

IBT was set up in 1982 by a consortium of over fifty aid and development agencies, educational bodies, churches and trades unions, as a unique partnership between non governmental organisations and broadcasters, educationalists and film makers.

IBT is also an independent television production company which has made more than 200 programmes for Channel 4, BBC and ITV, across a range of genres including documentary, drama and schools. We no longer makes programmes in house – instead, we develop tv projects in collaboration with other producers and broadcasters.

IBT´s sister organisation, the Third World and Environment Project (3WE) has lobbied broadcasters, regulators and Government to promote better television coverage of the developing world. In January 2007, IBT and 3WE merged. In future, all our campaigning work will be undertaken in the name of IBT.