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International Radio - will it become a 'theatre of war' again?


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Old 04-12-2016, 00:49
Colin_London
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With the world rapidly becoming unstable, I found myself adding a range of the remaining 'international broadcasters' onto my Internet Radio list tonight.

Although there are many different news gathering organisations out there, my feeling is that these 'external services' are probably the best way to hear first hand what the thinking of a particular government is (e.g. RCI for Chinas view on Trumps Taiwan call).

Whilst anyone listening to these stations must be mindful of their inherent bias and propaganda, does anyone else think they will now play a reprised role in providing the world with a direct understanding of other governments stance on international issues?

Living in London I am obviously aware of the amount countries like Russia and China have been putting into making their voices available (Sputnik Radio and RCI/Spectrum Sino on DAB for example). So they obviously think that radio is still worth investing in as an outlet (even if now via local broadcasts and the internet rather than Short Wave).

The following are the 'external services' (i.e. stations funded specifically to broadcast outside of their home country) I added tonight:

Deutsche Welle English
Sputnik English
ABC Radio Australia English
Voice of America Global Live English
NHK Radio Japan English
Radio Poland

*NB: The RCI direct streams on my WiFi radio don't seem to work, although Spectrum SINO and Spectrum 558 feeds obviously do (558 carries RCI in the evenings).
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Old 04-12-2016, 08:12
Les Wires
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I agree, and now International stations are using satellite TV to broadcast News in English there is even more likelihood that people will be watching and listening to a different perspective. Obviously inet radio/tv covers more stations but sattv is probably easier. Perhaps the 2 platforms could create a resurgence in international news broadcasting.
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Old 05-12-2016, 00:53
wns_195
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I think it is good to listen to international radio stations to get a different perspective.

I didn't know DW still had a 24-hour stream. Although Radio Poland has one, isn't just the same one or two hours on a loop?

The Voice of Vietnam appears to have expanded its English service recently.

I am not convinced about international radio having a greater role due to current world events. Consider the referendum on our EU membership. Radio France International, DW, Radio Sweden, Radio Poland, Radio Prague, Radio Bulgaria and Radio Romania International did not do anything to increase their reach enough for them to have influence on the population. Although their influence may have been limited, they could have given people a more internationalistic perspective than UK radio stations.

Now if you want to hear a country's external service and you are not aware whether that country has an external radio service you have to first try to find that out, then go on the website, and find the streams. Most people don't have an internet radio or know what one is. You can't just scan the dial for an international radio station.

I doubt it will happen, but I wish there was a DAB multiplex covering most of the country which broadcast various international radio stations.
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Old 05-12-2016, 09:08
Colin_London
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DW is a live stream, but only broadcasts 1 hour a day IIRC. The rest of the time it is the tuning signal! Wonder why they don't revert to a podcast like Radio Sweden.

I think governments realise that people aren't going to happen across their station as in the days people used to scour the short waves to supplement the meagre choice they had within their own countries. But a deterioration in the international climate will encourage some people to seek out their views directly.

China and Russia certainly seem to take their attempts at Soft Power more seriously than other countries but I have doubts about Sputnik, Sino, RT etc. purely for being vague about their editorial viewpoint. I think if they were more honest about their bias I wouldn't be as concerned. They might say that the BBC, for example, is also biased. But at least with the BBC their policies are up front and available for people to study.
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Old 05-12-2016, 09:50
lundavra
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The "Good Old Days" when Radio Moscow, Tirana etc had an endless stream of statistics on tractor production and how successful it was claimed the latest Five Year Plan was (even though people would actually quite likely be starving).
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Old 05-12-2016, 10:02
MikeBr
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There's a regularly maintained list of international radio stations live and on demand programming here.

http://www.w4uvh.net/hitlist.htm
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Old 05-12-2016, 10:03
Tee Hee
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I doubt it will happen, but I wish there was a DAB multiplex covering most of the country which broadcast various international radio stations.
Sorry, it can't happen - at the moment anyway.

Ofcom has to be able to enforce editorial responsibility and hold broadcasters to account under UK law. Therefore broadcasters have to be based in the UK.... with three exceptions!

The Audio Visual Media Services Directive (which is implemented in the Communication Act 2003) permits the following from outside the UK, by agreement with regulators in other countries:
television broadcasts (such as foreign TV)
on-demand (non-linear) audiovisual media
audiovisual commercial communications
It would appear that, international radio stations are permitted to be carried on your TV (television) because they are considered 'television broadcasts'. (The legislation defines a 'television broadcast' as 'an audiovisual media service ... for simultaneous viewing of programmes on the basis of a programme schedule'.) I assume 'viewing' refers to the image of the station's logo you can see when the channel is on-screen.

So, how can that interpretation be any different from a radio broadcaster providing a schedule of programmes and putting it on DAB with a slideshow?
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Old 05-12-2016, 11:20
Eitshal
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Sorry, it can't happen - at the moment anyway.

Ofcom has to be able to enforce editorial responsibility and hold broadcasters to account under UK law. Therefore broadcasters have to be based in the UK.... with three exceptions!
Doesn't Radio Sputnik (ex Voice of Russia) broadcast on DAB in London? I know they have a studio in London itself for some output, but I imagine a lot of the programmes are coming from Moscow.
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Old 05-12-2016, 11:44
Gerry1
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'From the top of the Trump Tower'.... (shudder)
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Old 05-12-2016, 12:30
MikeBr
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Doesn't Radio Sputnik (ex Voice of Russia) broadcast on DAB in London? I know they have a studio in London itself for some output, but I imagine a lot of the programmes are coming from Moscow.
Their programmes are broadcast by World Radio Network who are responsible for compliance with the Ofcom Broadcast code.
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Old 05-12-2016, 13:05
Eitshal
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Their programmes are broadcast by World Radio Network who are responsible for compliance with the Ofcom Broadcast code.
That's an interesting approach. I was always under the impression that Ofcom didn't like that sort of arrangement, preferring broadcasters to be in control of the output they're broadcasting.

I'm reminded of the time a community station in Leicester came under the Ofcom microscope for renting out its facilities to an outside organisation during the Ramadan period: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/asse.../issue_293.pdf (page 23)

The issue in question there was the fact that an organisation that did not hold a UK broadcast licence was effectively broadcasting over the community station's transmitter. This seems quite similar to the way Sputnik (who presumably hold no UK broadcasting licence) are broadcasting on a licensed service provided by WRN (who do).
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Old 05-12-2016, 17:03
wns_195
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China and Russia certainly seem to take their attempts at Soft Power more seriously than other countries but I have doubts about Sputnik, Sino, RT etc. purely for being vague about their editorial viewpoint. I think if they were more honest about their bias I wouldn't be as concerned. They might say that the BBC, for example, is also biased. But at least with the BBC their policies are up front and available for people to study.

China Radio International is impartial when covering international news stories that don't involve the Chinese government. Between bulletins, CRI broadcasts some programmes about Chinese society which are quite inciteful, including programmes about injustices and legal disputes. Obviously they don't broadcast anything the of which the government would disapprove.

Russian and Iranian international broadcasts tend to fill their programming with guests who criticise Western governments.

One thing I find interesting, is how CRI and the Voice of Vietnam cover news about tension between the Koreas. They do not show much solidarity to North Korea, where their broadcasts are probably banned.
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Old 05-12-2016, 18:56
Colin_London
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That's an interesting approach. I was always under the impression that Ofcom didn't like that sort of arrangement, preferring broadcasters to be in control of the output they're broadcasting.

I'm reminded of the time a community station in Leicester came under the Ofcom microscope for renting out its facilities to an outside organisation during the Ramadan period: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/asse.../issue_293.pdf (page 23)

The issue in question there was the fact that an organisation that did not hold a UK broadcast licence was effectively broadcasting over the community station's transmitter. This seems quite similar to the way Sputnik (who presumably hold no UK broadcasting licence) are broadcasting on a licensed service provided by WRN (who do).
I imagine that the programme material is classed as 'syndicated material' as is all material broadcast by WRN on 558 or its various DAB outlets.

Maybe if WRN have an editor 24/7 who has the ability to cease transmission for non-compliant material then they would be judged as not having 'handed over' their transmitter to a third party?
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Old 05-12-2016, 23:24
Tee Hee
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Maybe if WRN have an editor 24/7 who has the ability to cease transmission for non-compliant material then they would be judged as not having 'handed over' their transmitter to a third party?
It's not just editorial control but 'general control' that Ofcom is concerned with - which is wider than editorial control in that it includes control over services and facilities to which access is provided and over which the broadcaster may not have editorial contol.

If truth be told, Ofcom is not happy with the WRN situation and won't repeat it. Sputnik has established a UK office in Ediburgh and is trying to extricate itself from the WRN arrangement.
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Old 07-12-2016, 11:05
spanners
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With the world rapidly becoming unstable, I found myself adding a range of the remaining 'international broadcasters' onto my Internet Radio list tonight.
With the foreign policy war mongers Obama and Clinton being put out to graze, surely the world is becoming more stable? Or have I missed something when looking at the situation in the middle east and mass migration over the past eight years?
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Old 07-12-2016, 19:44
moox
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Sorry, it can't happen - at the moment anyway.

Ofcom has to be able to enforce editorial responsibility and hold broadcasters to account under UK law. Therefore broadcasters have to be based in the UK.... with three exceptions!

The Audio Visual Media Services Directive (which is implemented in the Communication Act 2003) permits the following from outside the UK, by agreement with regulators in other countries:
television broadcasts (such as foreign TV)
on-demand (non-linear) audiovisual media
audiovisual commercial communications
It would appear that, international radio stations are permitted to be carried on your TV (television) because they are considered 'television broadcasts'. (The legislation defines a 'television broadcast' as 'an audiovisual media service ... for simultaneous viewing of programmes on the basis of a programme schedule'.) I assume 'viewing' refers to the image of the station's logo you can see when the channel is on-screen.

So, how can that interpretation be any different from a radio broadcaster providing a schedule of programmes and putting it on DAB with a slideshow?
Ofcom seems to manage with international news TV channels. They still have to obtain UK broadcast licences, and Ofcom has the power to fine them.

They fine Fox News occasionally for breaching UK law, and most notably Press TV had its licence revoked because Ofcom believed that editorial control was not where Iran said it was (they said London, it was actually in Tehran IIRC)
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Old 07-12-2016, 19:52
Colin_London
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With the foreign policy war mongers Obama and Clinton being put out to graze, surely the world is becoming more stable? Or have I missed something when looking at the situation in the middle east and mass migration over the past eight years?
I think you are overlooking Taiwan/China, Korea, Iran, and the threat to the Baltics due to unclear support for NATO. All of which have nuclear ramifications.
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