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In just a scant three months the Eurovision Song Contest will appear on screens large and small. National public broadcasters either have chosen or will soon select their contestants. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), trade association of European public broadcasters and ultimate arbiter of the annual display of native singing talent, is changing the way votes are tallied and announced.
No longer will the votes of viewers, regardless of screen size, be announced after each performance. Instead points from national expert juries, determined at previously held dress rehearsals, will be revealed first. At the end of the 3 and a half hour finals show viewer votes (including those via SMS and the special smartphone app) will be displayed. "There are more reasons than ever to vote in Eurovision,” said contest director Jon Ola Sand. (See EBU Eurovision presser here)
The new voting system, clearly designed by committee, should keep fans in their seats until the bitter end, lesser known acts having a chance. The 61st Eurovision Song Contest broadcast cycle will begin May 10th, finals on May 14th, originating at Stockholm’s Globe arena and locally produced by Swedish public broadcaster STV.
A reporter and camera operator with Moldovan TV channel Publika TV faced the rage of angry protesters this week. The disturbance broke out after members of anti-fascist, pro-Russian group Antifa, deemed extremists by many, were released from jail and assembled pro-Russian activists expressed ire at Publika TV employees, considered pro-European editorially. Moldova has been in a state of disarray for months following the mysterious disappearance in 2014 of an estimated US$1 billion from Moldovan banks that forced elections last November.
"It is unfortunate that some politicians…instigate violence against those doing their jobs,” said Publika TV news director Anatol Caslaru. “In this way we ask media organizations accredited in Chisinau to intervene and take action because this is not normal in a free society.” Unfortunately, violence against media workers in Moldova is far from rare. In January a news portal Today.md reporter was attacked by a pro-Russian activist. (See more about press/media freedom here)
Publika TV and sister radio station Publika FM are all-news channels, broadcasting in Romanian and Russian. Along with three general entertainment TV channels they are owned by General Media Group, the media business of Moldovan politician and real estate magnate Vladimir Plahotniuc. Two other Moldovan TV channels - CTC Moldova and Super TV - were recently acquired by ad agency Casa Media general director Dorin Pavelescu, confirmed media regulator Audiovisual Coordinating Council (CCA) (February 17). Mr. Plahotniuc principally owns Casa Media.
Pro-Russian politicians and activists in Moldova have blamed the missing billion on Mr. Plahotniuc. Prime Minister Vlad Filat, considered pro-European, was removed from office and sent to prison. After the elections a new parliament was formed in coalition with the Democratic Party, principally financed by Mr. Plahotniuc. Hence, pro-Russian factions are beside themselves.
Romanian publisher Adevarul Holding announced it is folding the print edition of newspaper Adevarul Moldova, reported Mediafax (February 15), citing financial restructuring.
As the Greek government prepares for licensing privately owned radio stations in the greater Athens region a warning has gone out to potential applicants. A coverage map of available FM frequencies is soon to be released. After that the application process will begin.
Minister of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks Christos Spirtzis “alerted owners of local radio stations not to fall victim of misinformation and exploitation by predators,” quoted by radiofono.gr (February 16). It has come to the Ministry’s attention that potential applicants, which would be anybody interested in a license, have been approached by persons or groups unnamed claiming to have inside information relevant to the process which might be shared, allegedly, for some sort of compensation as part of a required “market study.” Minister Spirtzis said “unequivocally in every direction” that the “scam artists” are selling false information. (See more about media in Greece here)
In fact, the Greek government has not finalized radio license application criteria. That will be coordinated with local and regional broadcaster’s associations “in the coming days,” said the Minister’s warning letter. To emphasize the evolving nature of the process, the Greek parliament may extend the licensing requirement to online broadcasters.
The KISS radio brand returned to Finland this past weekend, coinciding with St.Valentine’s Day. The “rhythmic” music station is available on FM and online. It replaces The Voice brand acquired by Bauer Media last year with the SBS Discovery Scandinavian radio operations.
Also last week Bauer Media added Kisstory to Kiss on Norway’s national DAB+ multiplex. KISS in Norway is a pop-dance music channel. The Kisstory format is, of course, music-driven - classic hip-hop - and targets Millennials nostalgic for the days when Jay-Z was cool. Sometime this year the Kiss Fresh brand will be introduced in Norway. Kisstory and Kiss Fresh, which focuses on absolutely new danceable tunes, have been successful for Bauer Media in the UK as digital-only radio channels. (See more about digital radio here)
Bauer Media also ditched The Voice DAB+ and online channel in Norway last year. SBS Discovery eliminated The Voice from FM in 2012, frequencies taken by Radio Rock and Radio 1. In Finland SBS Radio, as it was previously known, operated the KISS radio franchise from 1995 until 2007, when the brand name was dropped.
As a radio brand KISS has a wide and varied legacy. The brand name first appeared in San Antonio, Texas in 1946 as a show-tunes station traversing through several formats before becoming a mainstream rock station. But in the late 1970’s New York, Boston and Los Angeles stations embedded the brand name with dance music and the famous “Kiss lips” logo, though the stations have since gone through numerous changes. Berlin station Kiss FM fired up in 1993 with a dance-oriented music format, which continues.
Among commercial radio broadcasters Bauer Media has been more willing than most to venture into new (or borrowed) territory. Others are following. On the recently announced second DAB multiplex Bauer Media in a joint venture with UTV is bringing back the Virgin Radio brand to the UK. Virgin Radio was last heard in the UK between 1993 and 2008, disappearing in favor of Absolute Radio, currently owned, with several digital brand extensions, by Bauer Media.
Naturalist Charles Darwin enshrined the concept of natural selection - evolution - of the human species through which “unfavorable variations (in the gene pool) would tend to be preserved and unfavorable ones to perish.” The 207th anniversary of his birth was celebrated last week, February 12th. The selfie, as just everybody knows, is that digital self-portrait enhancing social media, narcissism or both.
Perhaps related, though probably not, a study was produced by Pricenomics, reported by primaonline.it (February 12), detailing deaths “caused” by selfies. Since 2014 there have been 49 worldwide. Most were attributed to falling from high places, like buildings (16), drowning (14) and being on a train track at the wrong moment (8). Those most at peril of death by selfie were between 14 and 32 years, that prime advertising target. (See more about mobile media here)
Over the last two decades, usually on a slow news day, a Darwin Award (darwinawards.com) “commemorates those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it.” Nominated in 2014 were two guys taking a selfie with an elephant, irritating the elephant. One barely credible source proclaimed death by selfie in 2015 leading shark attacks.
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