8th April 2010
Welcome to IBT’s April newsletter with an update on our work and relevant news from the broadcasting industry.
Next commissioner briefing for IBT members
The next in our series of briefings with commissioners will take place on Tuesday May 4th. Siobhan Sinnerton, the series producer of Unreported World will be talking about recent changes to the Channel 4 international current affairs strand which include an emphasis on more positive aspects of a story and an online focus on the role played by what they are calling ‘local heroes.’ Siobhan is keen to develop more links with NGOs. In June, she will be joining Channel 4 as Commissioning Editor of News and Current Affairs where she will continue to oversee Unreported World. These briefings are informal and designed to give IBT members practical tips on the best way of pitching ideas to broadcasters. They are free to all IBT members but places are limited so they need to be booked in advance. Please let me know if you’d like to attend.
Launch of new public service media campaign
The Citizens’ Campaign for Public Service Broadcasting (CCPSB) has launched a campaign to defend public service media and raise awareness amongst MPs and Prospective Parliamentary Candidates about the decline in funding for original content. The campaign is publishing a series of questions for parliamentary candidates, and urging voters to write to PPCs to encourage them to support the campaign’s election pledge. IBT is asking its members to support this action. For more information see www.publicservicebroadcasting.org.uk/psmcampaign
Blood and Oil gives international drama a boost
The BBC2 drama, Blood and Oil, which was shown at the end of last month, attracted a strong audience in a competitive peak time slot. Its success is likely to give a boost to contemporary tv drama dealing with international themes - something the recent BBC Strategy Review said the BBC would be doing more of in the future. We need to keep the pressure up on the BBC to deliver on this commitment. In recent years, IBT’s audience research has consistently shown that drama and feature films offer a wide range of audiences – not always reached by news and current affairs - the opportunity to engage with stories from developing countries. Channel 4 has announced that the team which made The Last King of Scotland will come together for a new feature film looking at people trafficking between Sudan and London. The film is likely to be released later this year.
Join the Radio 4 Audience Panel
A new audience panel has been launched for Radio 4 listeners. The aim is to draw on the knowledge and expertise of listeners to help inform and improve Radio 4’s journalism and its choice and range of stories. See www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/audience-panel
ESoDoc India is launched
A new initiative following on from the success of the Europe wide training school for film makers and NGOs has been launched in India. ESoDoc India will bring together Indian and European documentary makers and NGOs communications specialists interested in working together to develop documentary projects on social issues for broadcast in India or Europe, on television or online. For further details see www.esodoc.eu
World Poverty Day confirmed
Sunday April 18th has been confirmed as World Poverty Day, the day on which all the main political parties will use the media to address the issue of global poverty and their own policies to tackle it.
Digital Economy Bill
Despite containing some controversial measures, most of the Digital Economy Bill has been retained and has now passed through the Commons. It looks set to become law, giving Channel 4 a new, more internationalist remit – the result of a long period of campaigning and lobbying by IBT.
IBT AGM
The IBT AGM will take place at 4pm on Tuesday June 22nd at the Hub, King’s Cross (the same day as the One World Media Awards which will take place at nearby King’s Place). IBT is a membership-led organisation. All our trustees are elected at the AGM by IBT members so please come along and make your voice heard.
All the best
Mark