ASIA

Taliban intelligence agency has detained Mohammad Ibrahim Mohtaj, a broadcast manager and presenter with the independent Millat Zhag radio station in the southern city of Kandahar.Millat Zhag broadcasts news and cultural programming for Kandahar city and surrounding districts.Mohtaj is known for hosting social and historical programmes and has conducted several interviews with local Taliban officials.

A local reporter in Kandahar, who spoke to Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) under conditions of anonymity due to fear of reprisal from Taliban officials, reported that Mohtaj was arrested by employees of the Kandahar Provincial Virtue and Vice Department around 4 PM on Saturday, July 27, after he left his office for home. The journalist was unable to clarify the reasons behind Mohtaj’s arrest.This marks at least the third arrest of a local journalist in Kandahar this month, including freelance journalist Mohammadyar Majrooh, who was arrested by the provincial department of the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) on July 12 and remains in custody.According to local sources, nearly all journalists and media workers in Kandahar, including those active on social media, are under severe pressure and threat from the Taliban and cannot broadcast or publish anything without its permission.“Taliban officials must immediately release Mohammad Ibrahim Mohtaj and stop arbitrary detentions of journalists and media workers,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “Afghanistan’s notorious morality police must not exacerbate a media crackdown that has been a hallmark of Taliban rule or heighten fears among Afghan journalists.”AFJC expressed deep concern about the arrest of Mohtaj and has called on the Taliban authorities in Kandahar province to release him unconditionally as soon as possible. […]

American Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalist Alsu Kurmasheva has been released as part of a large-scale prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia after more than nine months in prison.Kurmasheva, 47, is a journalist with RFE/RL’s Tatar-Bashkir Service who was detained in Kazan, Russia, on October 18, 2023. Alsu holds U.S. and Russian citizenship and lives in Prague, Czech Republic.She travelled to Russia on May 20 for a family emergency. She was temporarily detained on June 2 and arrested again on October 18.

Following a rapid and secret trial, she was convicted of “spreading false information” about Russia’s military on July 19, 2024, and sentenced to six and a half years in prison.RFE/RL President & CEO Stephen Capus said: “Alsu was targeted because she was an American journalist who was simply trying to take care of a family member inside Russia. She did nothing wrong and certainly did not deserve the unjust treatment and forced separation from her loving family members and colleagues.  Alsu’s release makes us even more determined to secure the freedom of three other RFE/RL journalists, cruelly imprisoned in Belarus and Russian-occupied Crimea. Journalism is not a crime.”Following a rapid and secret trial, Kurmasheva was convicted of “spreading false information” about Russia’s military on July 19, 2024, and sentenced to six and a half years in prison.Photo:RFE/RL […]

India’s Radio City network and UK-based music tech company Beatchain have joined hands to create Muzartdisco, a tech platform and app that will offer “a first-of-its-kind opportunity to independent Indian artists in any genre to release and promote their music.”Muzartdisco, launched this week at the All About Music conference in Mumbai, is Beatchain’s A&R tool and artist services platform powered by white-label technology which lets artists distribute and retain full rights for their work, while helping record labels connect with independent acts.White-label technology powers digital ‘arenas’ that can be owned and customized by music companies and labels, catering to artists across genres and territories.

Radio City India is the country’s leading radio network, with a weekly listenership of over 69 million people across 39 cities.Muzartdisco will be open to Indian artists worldwide and will offer opportunities including a nationwide radio campaign, social media support across Radio City India’s networks, an artist of the month website feature and a nomination for a Radio City Freedom Award. It will also provide unique studio sessions, mentoring, collaborations, and photoshoots.A&R teams will have access to a “tailored filtering process” on the app.Ben Mendoza, Beatchain CEO, said: “Technology has revolutionised the music industry, democratising and globalising access to music for consumers and creating incredible opportunities for artists. But the sheer volume of music now available is making music discovery and cut-through more difficult. Our platform enables A&R teams and labels to identify real talent – those already demonstrating the qualities needed for a thriving music career – and can connect artists directly with industry tastemakers.“Our new partnership with Radio City India, one of the country’s most prestigious media brands, marks our biggest deal yet. By combining our technology with their extensive reach and passion for Indian independent music, together we can offer Indian artists unparalleled opportunities to launch and sustain a career in music.” Ashit Kukian, CEO of Radio City India, said: “We are on a mission to captivate and connect with audiences worldwide and this partnership will be yet another stepping stone in that direction. Muzartdisco, India’s first one-stop platform for independent artists, will provide 360-degree opportunities to sustain artistic careers as well as avenues to release, promote and track their growth. Radio City has the right mix of communication and marketing tools to enhance the presence of artists on Muzartdisco. This can be leveraged though cross pollination with Radio City’s other internal intellectual properties like SMINCO, Happydemic, JioTV+ amongst others. This strategic alliance will ensure that, by using the latest technologies, we establish a strong foundation for a centre stage where all Indian artists can showcase their talents, get noticed and capture hearts globally.” […]

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a Consultation Paper (CP) on “Reserve Prices for auction of FM Radio channels”. According to a press release, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) sought TRAI’s recommendations on reserve price for auction of FM Radio channels in 18 cities and towns in the states of Himanchal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir for the expansion of private FM radio.MIB has decided to introduce a new category ‘E’ for these cities. MIB has proposed that all the technical parameters applicable for category ‘D’ cities, except for Effective Radiated Power (ERP) may apply to category ‘E’ cities.

MIB has proposed the ERP for Category ‘E’ as 750 Watt to 1 Kilo Watt.MIB has also requested TRAI to recommend the reserve price the cities of Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), Rourkela (Odisha) and Rudrapur (Uttarakhand).Accordingly, this Consultation Paper has been prepared to seek the comments/views of the stakeholders on the determination of reserve prices for auction of FM Radio channels, under FM Phase-Ill Policy. Written comments on the consultation paper are invited from the stakeholders by 29th August 2024. Counter comments, if any, may be submitted by 12th September 2024. […]

More speakers have been announced for Radiodays Asia and Podcast Day Asia. Radiodays Asia takes place 2-4 September in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Podcast Day Asia takes place on Tuesday, September 5, and is part of Radiodays Asia.
Jacqueline Bierhorst, President of WorldDAB, Netherlands
Jacqueline has been a pioneer in commercial radio all her career, specialising in distribution, marketing and content and currently wears many hats!  She is the owner of Jacky B Entertainment Solutions, president of WorldDAB, chair of the WorldDAB Marketing Group and an active ambassador of digital radio throughout Europe and beyond. Jacqueline is also consultant of the Flemish Government, Department of Culture, Youth and Media on the introduction of DAB+ in Flanders, initiating collaboration throughout the Flemish stakeholders on digital radio, chair of the round tables DAB+ and Online in Flanders and country manager for Radioplayer Netherlands.Alan Fontanilla, CEO & co-founder, The Pod Network Entertainment, Philippines Alan is a brand communication expert specializing in entrepreneurial and creative initiatives. As CEO and co-founder of The Pod Network Entertainment, he drives innovation in podcasting in the Philippines, creating new ways for brands to engage with audiences. Alan also serves as Head of Marketing at Packworks, transforming sari-sari stores with digital solutions. He is a board member of the Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Association of National Advertisers Foundation.

Lauren Joyce, Chief Strategy & Connections Officer, ARN, AustraliaLauren has spent two decades in the media industry, operating primarily in strategic capacities she has dedicated her time to assisting brands to convey their stories and establish connections with customers. Her unwavering passion lies in blending the power of audio with insight-led thinking, resulting in content worth spending your time on. Lauren has been locally and internationally recognised for her work and contributions to the industry. In 2022, she was named B&T’s Women in Media Marketer of the Year and was the recipient of Chief Executive Women’s Maureen Kerridge Scholarship. Lauren is currently ARN’s Chief Connections Officer, responsible for visual production, digital content, PR, marketing, promotions and business intelligence.Harry Lock, Editorial Manager, Public Media Alliance, UKHarry leads the Public Media Alliance’s (PMA) editorial team, overseeing the organisation’s content, whether that’s advocacy, statements, reports or podcast. The Public Media Alliance is a global association of public service media, with a responsibility to promote the values of public broadcasting. Before that, Harry was a broadcast journalist with Radio New Zealand.You can register for the whole three-day Radiodays Asia conference, or you can register just for Podcast Day Asia. […]

RNZ went live on Thursday with its new Pacific shortwave transmitter, replacing its old one that dates to 1989.Pacific high commissioners and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters met in RNZ House in Wellington to mark the launch, while another delegation from RNZ was at the transmitter site in Rangitaiki near Taupō.“It was very important back then but it’s still seriously important now,” Peters said, referring to when RNZ Pacific started.

New Zealand and China are now the only two countries providing a shortwave service to the region, with Australia’s ABC pulling out in 2017.RNZ has been broadcasting into the Pacific for the past 75-years using shortwave with the station RNZ Pacific launching in 1990.“Shortwave is the most certain system there is to make sure that in a crisis, tsunami or cyclone, we can get through to them,” Peters said.In a NZ$4.4 million project, RNZ has installed a new Swiss-made Ampegon shortwave transmitter, capable of both digital and analogue signal, to replace its old transmitter.RNZ’s chief executive Paul Thompson said it is a significant infrastructure upgrade and secures the future of the RNZ shortwave service into the wider Pacific.He said shortwave is still relevant despite there now being a multitude of ways to access content. “A lot of those [ways] rely on digital infrastructure, fibre links working, or local transmission assets, where shortwave beamed from New Zealand gets through to those communities.”Thompson said the number of listeners is unknown and that a survey to find out how many people are listening, even if it was possible, would be prohibitively expensive. However, he said he knew people were listening, with RNZ Pacific journalists often finding listeners in the most remote locations. […]