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Everything is now a digital platform. Your refrigerator is a digital platform, easily communicating with grocery delivery services and, of course, the bank. Soon your cat will be a digital platform, the purpose for which we can hardly imagine. But the digital realm is all about imagination.
German online/streaming channel Bild TV is coming to an automobile, perhaps, near you. Through the Zync automobile entertainment technology Bild TV will be part of the in-board digital display in Mercedes Benz S-class and EQS electric automobiles by the end of the year. Bild TV is an adjunct of the German tabloid of the same name, published by Axel Springer. The mostly-news TV channel first appeared last summer after the Berlin-Brandenburg Media Authority (MABB) granted an operating license. It has not, observers note, set the world on fire. Perhaps a new platform will help. (See more about media in Germany here)
For two generations the common automobile has been the single most important platform for radio broadcasters. Automobile dealers long ago noted they couldn’t sell a car without a radio in it. The European Commission mandated European manufactures to provide DAB (now DAB+) digital radio receiving capabilities. Automobile sales in Europe has continued to fall since commuting consumers started driving less.
“With Bild TV, we want to accompany our users and viewers on all devices in their everyday lives," said Bild executive director for video Stephan Zech, quoted by media news portal Meedia (July 15). “The cooperation with Zync enables us to use the car as an innovative display channel." Apparently, noted German tech portal Teltarif (July 15), the video output will only be available when the automobile is stationary, meaning that 15 minutes of vehicle charging time can be captured. A Zync spokesperson added that video entertainment and gaming “in cars will soon be normal.” Of course, Bild TV carries advertising.
Secret trials are a painful reminder of the always fragile rule of law. They are often used to protect the prosecutors, denying recourse to the accused. Secret trials are also meant to instil fear.
A court in Belarus this week (July 13) convicted Belsat TV reporter Katsiaryna Andreyeva of treason. She has been sentenced to eight years in prison. In February last year she and co-worker Darya Chultsova were sentenced to two years in a penal colony, charged with “violating public order” by reporting on police in Minsk confronting people attending a memorial for Raman Bandarenka, beaten to death by security services.
The court hearing in Homel, southwest Belarus, was closed. The lawyer for Ms Andreyeva has been prevented from discussing any details. Grounds for the charge - “giving away state secrets” - have not been revealed. Ms Andreyeva intends to appeal, said a spokesperson for the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), quoted by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). (See more about media in Belarus here)
“Belarusian authorities are making it clear that they will be ruthless in continuing to take revenge on journalists who covered the 2020 protests demanding President Aleksandr Lukashenko resign,” said CPJ executive director Robert Mahoney, in a statement (July 13). “Authorities must not contest Andreyeva’s appeal and should release her immediately, along with all other jailed members of the press.” At least four other media workers detained in Belarus are facing trials, noted the BAJ and CPJ. (See more about press/media freedom here)
“It makes me so angry to see the regime take revenge on those who dare to resist,” wrote Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on social media, quoted by Latvian public broadcaster LSM (July 13). “Journalist Katsiaryna Andreeva just received 8 years in prison in a closed trial, she has already been held for over 19 months. She dared to show the truth about the regime's brutality to the world.” Ms Tsihanouskaya faced dictator Lukashenko in the widely disputed 2020 Belarusian presidential election, after which she was deported.
Protesters paid a visit to Sri Lanka state broadcaster TV Rupavahini today (July 13) and offered a few choice words for viewers, complete with sign language interpreter, reported Indian news portal News Laundry (July 13). They had earlier gathered outside the facility, prompting a significant police presence, demanding air-time to express their grievance. They were granted 15 minutes. Then the channel went dark, restored several hours later from a different location.
Civil unrest in the island nation of 22 million off the southern tip on India has mounted in recent days after simmering mostly peacefully for two months. Demonstrators claimed prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office and residence, photos about showing them enjoying the swimming pool. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa packed his family into a military jet and exited for the Maldives without resigning, reported CNN (July 13). Their ultimate destination is presumed to be Dubai. He had gone into hiding a few days earlier.
Sri Lanka has a large, diverse media expanse. State TV broadcaster SLRC operates four TV channels; the aforementioned TV Rupavahini, English-language Channel Eye and NTV as well as Tamil-language Nethra TV. Independent Television Network (ITN) - not related to the UK broadcaster - is also government owned. It, too, suspended broadcasting. State radio broadcaster SLBC operates several channels.
Sri Lanka has not, of late, been a paragon of press freedom, ranking 146 by the Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) 2022 Global Press Freedom Index, above the Philippines but below Columbia. Eight reporters working for NewsFirst, the country’s largest independent news outlet, were shown being beaten by police in Columbo, the financial capital, over the weekend. Earlier, a NewsFirst team was accosted by police while attempting to report on the demonstration at Mr. Wickremesinghe’s residence, which was set afire. A Sirasa TV crew reported being attacked by security services at the residence. Reporters from Indian channel NDTV reported being teargassed.
Major wars do not spare business sectors. Artillery shells and cruise missiles destroy infrastructures as well as lives. Military strategy applies force to subdue everything. Aggressors’ political strategy seeks to shred all that stood before.
An announcement went out from System Capital Management (SCM) yesterday (July 11) that all it will “exit the media business,” reported Media Detector (July 12). By midnight subsidiary Media Group Ukraine ceased operations, giving up “all broadcast and satellite television licenses of our channels and licenses of our print media in Ukraine in favor of the state,” said principal owner Rinat Akhmetov in a statement. He cited the new law on “deoligarchization.” (See more about media in Ukraine here)
Media observers and, indeed, government officials were caught by surprise. So, too, were the four thousand employees, now out of work. Media Group Ukraine operated ten mostly Russian-language television channels, a production house and a marketing company. The company was founded in 2010. Among other holdings, Mr. Akhmetov owned the Azovstal iron and steel works in Mariupol, the utter destruction of both watched by those following TV news, except in the Russian Federation. Mr. Akhmetov filed suit against the Russian Federation with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to recover losses. "Evil cannot go unpunished,” he said regarding the legal matter, quoted by RFE/RL (June 27). (See more about conflict zones here)
“A short six-month term provided for by the Law for the sale of media assets, coupled with the Russian military aggression against Ukraine make it impossible for SCM to sell its media business on market terms,” said Mr. Akhmetov, quoted by Financial Times (July 11). “We return only state property to the state, the broadcast licenses,” clarified SCM spokesperson Nataliya Yemchenko. “We do not transfer any other assets of the media group to the state - neither brands nor libraries. SCM does not know how the state will dispose of the licenses: maybe it will decide to issue them to someone, maybe it won’t.”
Under presidential decree in March, all of Ukraine’s TV broadcasters merged news programming and news operations. The Media Group Ukraine channels are distributing the Edyny Novyni joint news program and will continue to assist with its production through next week. The digital TV network operator Zeonbud, separately part of SCM holdings, was “subordinated” to state telecom RRT in March.
Coincident with the exit announcement, an agreement with Polish broadcaster/telecom Polsat was announced for distribution of nine of the Media Group Ukraine channels in Poland. Indeed, rumors have swirled for several weeks about the company relocating outright to Poland. Other distribution compacts have been reached in Germany, Hungary and Ireland.
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