In Lingua Franca

Greek Pressure and Pain - April 30, 2010
Pressure brings out the best and worst, often all at once. Long brewing economic issues have pushed the Greek government and its people to the edge. Greek media is both feeling that pressure and showing it.

Local Media Groans and Adapts - January 5, 2010
Local media gets short changed in almost every way. Advertisers and other funders ignore them. Politicians and measurement services can’t find them. Odd, though, audiences get excited about them.

Story-telling Space for Dark Nights - October 9, 2009
Great story-telling is and always will be media’s most important trait. While headlines just pass through, stories and their tellers endure. Like the languages that transmit them, good story-telling will always have that special warm spot.

Another Sponsor Pulls Ads From Fox News - October 5, 2009
Media buyers place their clients advertising where cost and audience delivery make the most sense. It’s cold accounting, quite efficient. Sponsors, however, must consider the programs where their spots are placed.

Radio Day celebrates the past, looks forward - May 11, 2009
In most every country a Radio Day is organized. Most are a mix of professional discussions, networking and social events. Very few are nationally recognized, complete with parades.

Baltic Tigers in Turmoil - January 19, 2009
Little more than a decade since joining the European Union and a rising tide of commercial growth Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – once referred to as the Baltic Tigers – are groaning. Media companies that launched or snapped up key radio and television channels to ride that tiger may have been ahead of the curve but a sharp drop in growth is causing a rethink. Shrinking economics threatens broader stability, old wounds kept open, clouding a once-bright present.

Diversity becomes hot media topic - November 24, 2008
All things financial have permeated airwaves and headlines for weeks, usually in funeral tones. Pirates, from bankers bungling to Somalis hijacking boats, have grabbed lots of attention. Bubbling to the surface, perhaps as relief from the nastiness, is a topic a bit more tangible. Diversity in society and media, societies mirror, is getting attention.

The Textures of African Broadcasting - November 1, 2007

The Biggest Problem For Television Is Its Viewers - October 8, 2007
Those who toil in television broadcasting, the producers, actors, technicians, do a magnificent job. We can tell because people watch, still watch, after being told over and over that television is rubbish. Television isn’t more or less terrible than it’s been since the blue glow invaded the worlds’ living rooms. Television is just – always – there.

Ukraine gets its MTV - August 30, 2007
Legendary music TV channel MTV has so many localized variants it’s difficult to keep up with them all. MTV Ukraine finally arrived on satellite and cable networks full-time this week…more than two years after the original launch announcement. The new official launch date is Monday, September 3rd.

American TV Still Most Viewed Worldwide - June 17, 2007
With thousands of television programs illuminating home screens around the world and more local production than ever, the American shows still pull those big audiences. Even critics gathered at the 47th Monte-Carlo TV Festival gave top awards to mostly Anglo-American productions.

English Language Radio Comes to Georgia - April 18, 2007
Georgia holds a rich and distinctive culture quite unique in the world. The geography is breath-taking. The people are warm, friendly and instinctively wise. The language is incomprehensible.

Crimea Media Tackles Languages - March 20, 2007
When the Soviet Union collapsed nations finding new independence found themselves with significant Russian-speaking minorities. Newfound pride in nationhood brought calls to elevate national languages and suppress Russian. From Estonia, Latvia and Estonia in the north to Ukraine to Georgia in the south native Russian speakers became marginalized.

The Real Terrible TV Launched in Russia - September 14, 2006

October 1st a new entertainment channel – The Real Terrible TV – will launch in Russia. Its founders say it's “an original format, nothing is similar in Russia or the world.”

Dramatic License: Between Docudrama and Reality - September 11, 2006

The Path to 9/11 docudrama produced for US network ABC panders to the political. It's what we call propaganda.

Russian Digital Radio Station Opens With Classical Music and a New Business Model - September 7, 2006
Given Russian music tradition one would think classical music would be all over the radio dials…even the new ones. Radio Classic Radio opened to the public September 1st , multi-platform, commercial-free.

Communicorp Spins Twist to Slovak in Prague - July 20, 2006
Don’t be confused. Communicorp’s Andrew Dower explains…

Movies Are the Big Casino in Central Europe - April 10, 2006

Secret Company Brings MTV to Ukraine - February 16, 2006
MTV Networks are joining the rush to bring new television channels to Ukraine with its’ signature channel MTV Ukraine.

Athens Station Shutdown Over “Offensive Language” - November 5, 2005
In a move rare by European standards, the Athens Television and Radio Council (ESR) ordered closed popular, alternative music station Best FM

The Fun of Being an International Radio Station in Athens - November 1, 2005
Olympic Games host cities always hope the huge investment will have lasting benefits. The 2004 Athens Olympic Games spawned a radio investment that continues to pay off.

Radio Skonto/Riga to Reprise "Phrase That Pays" - September 29, 2005
Riga, Latvia A/C radio station Radio Skonto launches a major audience promotion based on the reliable "phrase that pays" concept. Beginning October 3 station DJs will place phone calls to randomly selected telephone numbers ten times each day. When a phone call is answered with the phrase promoted on the air, the winner will receive a new automobile.

Baltic Weather / Latvia - September 28, 2005
Russian influence in both Latvia and Estonia should not be underestimated. Both countries have substantial Russian speaking communities that maintain strong attachment to the Russian language and centricity to Russia. Broadcasters in both countries, public and private, radio and TV, offer Russian language channels. And Russian cable TV channels are numerous.

Just in Case You Missed the Last 50 Eurovision Song Contests... - June 16, 2005
A total of 14 songs have been selected to take part in Congratulations, the special ESC 50th anniversary TV show organized on behalf of the EBU by Danmarks Radio (DR) in Copenhagen on Saturday 22 October 2005.

Despite a Near Unanimous Traditional Media Urging Oui, the French Voted A Big Non to the European Constitution Proving Print and Broadcast Are Not As Powerful As They Think They Are. Or, Put Another Way – The Internet Rules the Information Age - May 30, 2005
The traditional French media should hang its head in shame for its coverage these past few weeks of the European Union Constitution referendum. What we saw in France was a one-sided media blitz in favor of the Constitution that one would have expected from a third world country run by a tyrant trying to show elections are fair and free. It was not what one expects from one of the world’s great democracies.

Song For Ukraine, Ukraine For a Song - April 4, 2005
Ukraine President Viktor Yushenko drops visa requirements for Eurovision Song Contest visitors and contestants. Ukraine rap artist Greenjolly drops a few words.

Local Station has Budapest Talking - March 1, 2005
While the big national Hungarian radio networks play music local Budapest station Klubradio talks and has the city talking.

More Belarusian Music on Radio, More Belarusian Models on Billboards - January 31, 2005
The Belarussian Information Ministry warned radio broadcasters to comply with new music quota rules or their licenses would be lifted.

Film maker Van Gogh’s Murder Accents European Media Diversity - November 29, 2004
The EU and its member States regularly congratulate themselves for promoting ethnic and cultural diversity in media. Theo Van Gogh’s murder in an Amsterdam street sets a stark backdrop for a tableau vivant in which nobody waits in the wings.

Broadcasters Resist Calls for Music Quotas - October 10, 2004
German broadcasters are resisting music industry calls to impose quotes on radio stations.

Rough Start for Paris Radio in English - September 1, 2004
Two new English language radio stations are developing in Paris, both lured by the promise of new DAB licenses.

Italian News Agency Begins English Language Service - August 16, 2004
Recognizing that for an international audience to be able to read news about Italy that it had to be in English, ANSA, the Italian national news agency, has started to produce two English language services.

Europe's Radio - Southern Europe – new

Radio broadcasting in southern Europe ranges from highly developed to developing highly. Italian, Spanish and Portuguese radio is unique, creative and very popular. Radio in Croatia, Serbia and Greece has had ups and downs. The ftm Knowledge file includes Resources. 74 pages PDF (May 2012)

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Digital Transitions

Media's transition from analogue to digital has opened opportunities and unleashed challenges beyond the imagination. Media is connected and mobile yet fettered by old rules and new economics. Broadcasters and publishers borrow from the past while inventing whole new services. This ftm Knowledge file explores the changes. 88 pages PDF (March 2012)

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Media in Spain and Portugal

The Iberian Peninsula is home to media with vast international reach. Yet, at home the economic crisis has taken its toll. The ftm Knowledge file profiles Spanish and Portuguese public and private media as it struggles to cope. Includes Resources 61 pages PDF (March 2012)

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