PLEA FOR BALANCED BROADCASTING DEVELOPMENT
I&B MINISTER ADDRESSES AIBD CONFERENCE
The Minister of Information
& Broadcasting, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad has called for a
proper balance and synergisation between the commercialization
of broadcasting media and the concern for larger public issues.
He said, in the era of globalization taking place at a tremendous
pace and commercialization, the preservation of cultural identities,
heritage, age-old values and traditions should not be lost sight
of. In this context, the local and regional content becomes very
essential.
Shri Prasad was
inaugurating the 2nd General Conference and Associated
Meetings of the Asia-Pacific Institute of Broadcasting Development
here last evening. Shri Prasad said that the electronic media
is expanding in the Asia-Pacific region at a great speed, which
entails great responsibility on the broadcasting organizations.
Though there can be no compromise so far as the freedom of media
is concerned yet Shri Prasad said, the broadcasters also must
not forget that the consumer also has got the freedom of choice.
This choice should not be impaired in any manner. In order to
achieve this Shri Prasad said, the Government control or the regulator
is not the answer. The proper way in this regard would be ‘self-regulation’;
he said.
Shri Prasad also
pointed to the glaring "digital divide" in the developing
countries more so in the Asia-Pacific region and said that there
are sections of the society, which are saturated with information
while there are others, which are deprived of information. He
called upon the broadcasting organizations to take steps to remove
this imbalance. In this regard, he emphasized the role of Public
Service Broadcasters (PSBs) because the private broadcasters are
driven by commercial consideration. But he said, PSBs need to
focus on training, orientation, professionalization and human
resource development.
Shri Prasad regretted
that the fast commercialization has driven the projection of development
stories to the background. He said, development can also be displayed
in a creative manner. If globalization has to succeed and broadcasting
to progress as a powerful medium, then development has to be the
content. The media has to function as a vehicle of change.
Appreciating
the role of AIBD in co-coordinating the development of broadcast
media in the region, Shri Prasad said that it is focused on human
resource development and creating network with the Governments.
He pledged all support to AIBD in its endeavours.
Shri Prasad also
awarded three prizes for best Radio and TV programmes. The President
of the AIBD said on the occasion that the region has to take steps
to formulate policies and regulations to keep pace with the fast
developments in the broadcast field. Messages from the UN Secretary
General Koffi Annan and UNESCO Director General were also read
on the occasion.
About 75 delegates
from the countries in the Asia-Pacific Region and representatives
from several organizations like UNESCO, UN–ESCAP and Commonwealth
Broadcasting Association are attending. Besides, the affiliate
members like Russian State TV and Radio Broadcasting Company,
National TV and Radio Corporation of Kyrgizstan, Khabar Broadcasting
Agency of Kazakhstan, Prix Jeunesse International, Germany, Deutsche
Welle Radio Training Centre, Germany, Young Asia Television, Sri
Lanka, Radio France International and Trans TV, Indonesia are
also attending. Messages from the UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi
Annan and UNESCO Director General, Mr. Koichiro Matsura were also
read on the occasion.
The AIBD Board
Executive is holding its meetings since yesterday. The AIBD Sub-Group
on Radio would also hold discussions. The agenda on other meetings
includes the AIBD Strategic Plan, Strategic Approach in Broadcast
Management in the Asia-Pacific Region. Asia-Pacific Europe Partnership
Committee is also meeting during the Conference.
The Asia-pacific
Institute for Broadcasting Development with its headquarters at
Kuala Lumpur is a unique regional inter-governmental organization
servicing countries of the United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) in the field of
electronic media development. The AIBD is mandated to achieve
a vibrant and cohesive electronic media environment in the Asia-Pacific
region through policy and resource development. The Institute
seeks to fulfil this mandate by mobilizing the intellectual and
technological resources available within the national broadcasting
organizations of its member countries as well as regional and
international bodies through a well-established infrastructure
and networking mechanism which includes government agencies, non-governmental
organizations, institutions of high learning, the private sector
and individual professionals.
