ITV

Tag: Al Jazeera

  • Egypt verdict “defies logic, sense, and any semblance of justice

    Egypt verdict “defies logic, sense, and any semblance of justice

    MUMBAI: “Today three colleagues and friends were sentenced, and will continue behind bars for doing a brilliant job of being great journalists.  “Guilty” of covering stories with great skill and integrity.  “Guilty” of defending people’s right to know what is going on in their world.   

     
    “Peter, Mohamed, and Baher and six of our other colleagues were sentenced despite the fact that not a shred of evidence was found to support the extraordinary and false charges against them.  At no point during the long drawn out “trial” did the absurd allegations stand up to scrutiny.  There were many moments during the hearings where in any other court of law, the trial would be thrown out.  There were numerous irregularities in addition to the lack of evidence to stand up the ill-conceived allegations.
     

    “There is no justification whatsoever in the detention of our three colleagues for even one minute.  To have detained them for 177 Days is an outrage.  To have sentenced them defies logic, sense, and any semblance of justice.
     

    “The support shown for Mohamed, Peter, and Baher has been loud, unified, and determined, and has come from every corner of the world.  The call for their freedom has come from journalists, people right around the globe, as well as leaders worldwide.  This great solidarity is a stand for basic freedoms – the freedom of speech, for the right for people to be informed, and for the right for journalists around the world to be able to do their job.  And, of course, a demand to free our colleagues.

     
    “There is only one sensible outcome now.  For the verdict to be overturned, and justice to be recognised by Egypt.  We must keep our voice loud to call for an end to their detention.  Alongside us is a worldwide solidarity, a global call for their release, and a demand for basic freedoms to be respected.  The authorities in Egypt need to take responsibility for their actions, and be held to account by the global community.  

     
    “We will continue with resolve and determination until Baher, Peter, and Mohamed are free and safely reunited with their families.” 

  • Al Jazeera English returns with ‘Football Rebels’ for World Cup Fans

    Al Jazeera English returns with ‘Football Rebels’ for World Cup Fans

    MUMBAI: With World Cup fever about to start in earnest, Al Jazeera English brings Football Rebels, presented and narrated by the former Manchester United star Eric Cantona, shining a spotlight on some of the more unusual stories of football heroes.

     

    Football Rebels, is a five-part documentary that sheds light on five football legends whose social conscience led them to use their fame and influence to challenge unjust regimes, join opposition movements and lead the fight for democracy and human rights in their countries.

     

    The first episode of Football Rebels is focused on Didier Drogba and the Ivorian Civil War. In 2006 ex-Chelsea legend, Didier Drogba used his influence as a footballer to call on the Ivory Coast’s President Gbagbo to end the civil war that had ravaged his home country.  He also made a desperate plea for his countrymen to lay down their weapons, resulting in a ceasefire after 5 years of conflict.

     

    The second episode revolves around the Socrates and the Corinthians Democracy movement. Popularly known as ‘the Doctor’, for having gained a
    degree in medicine, Socrates combined his attacking midfield skills with his revolutionary political beliefs.  Along with his team mates he transformed
    every match into a political statement.  His support for democracy helped ordinary Brazilians living through a military dictatorship in the 1980s,
    realise that they could have a voice too.

     

    The third episode showcases Predrag Pasic and the Siege of Sarajevo. As war raged across the remains of Yugoslavia, former international footballer, Predrag Pasic, decided to stay in Sarajevo despite the bombs and open a multi-ethnic football school, Bubamara.  His brave stand against the sectarian atmosphere, created by civil war, gave many youngsters the chance to learn the philosophy of unity and teamwork through sport.

     

    The fourth episode presents Carlos Caszely and the Demise of Allende. It follows the journey of Chilean player Carlos Caszely and how in 1973 his
    support for murdered president Salvador Allende led to his persecution by General Pinochet’s regime.

     

    The final episode talks about Rachid Mekhloufi and the FLN Team. It looks back at the Brazilian dictatorship of the early 1980s and how Sócrates the
    midfield maestro and Brazilian captain turned every Corinthians’ match into a political meeting for democracy.

    Commenting on “Football Rebels” Eric Cantona says: “Football is more than the opium of the people. It’s about good intentions, noble hearts… When
    your country’s at war, your friends are killing each other and children are given rifles rather than footballs, so what if the whole world admires you!”

     

    Football Rebels is written and directed by Gilles Rof and Gilles Perez.

  • Al Jazeera follows the health heroes fighting leprosy in India

    Al Jazeera follows the health heroes fighting leprosy in India

    MUMBAI: Al Jazeera English follows the work of health heroes fighting against the most neglected disease across India in the documentary Ancient Enemy, part of the groundbreaking eight-part series ‘Lifelines, The Quest for Global Health’.

     
    Leprosy is the world’s oldest recorded disease and still persists despite being officially ‘eliminated’ in 2005. The stigma remains a major obstacle to early diagnosis and treatment of this curable disease.

     
    The series will go after people diagnosed and meet those who untreated and now live with the disease forever. From health workers and counsellors, to surgeons and shoe makers; from people who live in leprosy colonies to those who demand more from the Indian government – there is still work being done to support people with leprosy in the poorest regions of India.

     
    The episode follows health hero, Rajni Kant Singh, state coordinator for a leading NGO, as he forges dramatic breakthroughs while tackling the conditions that afflict poor people. “Since Leprosy was declared ‘eliminated’ in India in 2005 it has slipped off the agenda and resources have dried up. Yet the disease persists in India, with some 130 000 new cases a year. These patients need help with diagnosis, treatment and often social and psychological support too”, said Singh.

     
    “Whether through low tech ingenuity, community commitment or the best that modern medical science can offer, these are stories of people, passion and persistence in the triumph of humanity over unbearable suffering. Al Jazeera English believes in keeping people at the core of everything we do. We challenge and empower by telling stories without prejudice, in the most authentic way possible as we believe everyone has a story worth hearing”, says Al Jazeera English award winning Director Brian Tilley.

     
    The episode showcases the work of inspiring people on the frontline of public health and hearing their stories of the dramatic breakthroughs against the disease and its conditions that keep millions of people in poverty.

     
    Tune into Al Jazeera on Dish TV 618 and Tata Sky Channel 533 to catch the premiere of Ancient Enemy on Friday, May 23, 05 30 PM IST

  • Al Jazeera goes behind the scenes on Narendra Modi’s campaign

    Al Jazeera goes behind the scenes on Narendra Modi’s campaign

    MUMBAI: As part of its election programming, Al Jazeera English takes the viewers on a campaign trail with Gujarat State Chief Minister Narender Modi in his bid to become India’s next prime minister.

     

    A special from 101 East, ‘Modi the Messiah?’ premieres on Friday, April 25 and will examine the anticipation around Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Reporter Karishma Vyas gathers views from leaders from BJP, political scientist and industrialists in Gujarat where Modi has been in power as the state’s Chief Minister and residents of the state.

     

    Prakash Javadekar, Member of Parliament Rajya Sabha and a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party sharing his views about Modi with Al Jazeera: “This time people are voting for aspiration, for progress. This is a radical change which is happening in the parliament election. This election is all about development, development, development. Inflation, unemployment, stagnation, all has caused great pains for common people and corruption. There is a feeling in the people that they have been looted left, right and center. Modi is the man of integrity, man of honesty, incorruptible record and performance. People want delivery; he is the man of delivery”.

     

    Kalpesh A Patel, Executive Director, Nirma said, “We have already been serving the benefits of Mr. Modi as a head of the state, and I think the entire nation is looking to him to shoulder the responsibility so why only should Gujarat benefit? The entire country should benefit and the entire country should prosper and see the change and the improvement in the process.”

     

    Zoya Hasan, a political scientist and a former member of the National Commission for Minorities says, “This is a highly competitive election as never before. There’s a Hindu undercurrent running through the Modi campaign even though it is not upfront and upfront is talk of development. It’s been a procession of support from the corporate sector because they see Modi as business friendly, as someone who is prepared to do what it takes to promote economic growth unhindered. Modi is an extremely autocratic, authoritarian leader who is being presented in this campaign as the decisive leader that India needs.”

     

    However, a shadow hangs over his candidature, as Chief Minister in Gujarat state the self-proclaimed Hindu nationalist presided over one of the worst massacres of Muslims in the Indian history. In February 2002, four months after Modi became the state’s chief minister – deadly communal clashes engulfed the streets of Gujarat. Though, Modi has denied culpability in these riots, and a Supreme Court ordered investigation has concluded that there isn’t enough evidence to charge him with any crime.

     

    One of the riot victims said, “We lost our family, we lost our neighbours, we lost the people that were in our lives every day. I pray to God for them. I sit here and remember them. It feels like they’re still with me and I’m sitting with them.”

     

    101 East is a weekly television programme, broadcast by Al Jazeera English that focuses on current affairs in Asia and the Pacific.

     

    Tune into Al Jazeera on Dish TV 618 and Tata Sky Channel 518 on April 25 at 1500 IST to catch the premiere of 101 East Modi the Messiah? episode

  • Al Jazeera ups its ante for general elections

    Al Jazeera ups its ante for general elections

    MUMBAI: We are three days away from the big fight. And as India goes into general elections, one of the international news channels, broadcasting in the country, is strengthening its election coverage that began from 1 April.

     

    Six Al Jazeera correspondents have been roped in to highlight crucial issues bothering the country- economy, food, health, corruption and security. The coverage will be in two phases- from now till the results are announced the focus will be on what the election means to India and the ground realities. The second phase, once the government is formed, will discuss on how the new government’s policies will impact the world.

     

    “In the first phase we will tell the people’s story through our news pieces. The issues they face, the reason they are choosing a certain party and whether the problems they are facing have been addressed by these parties. In the second phase we will show the impact of the new government on world affairs,” says Al Jazeera India bureau chief Anmol Saxena.

     

    The Al Jazeera correspondents will cover different issues from different regions of the country. So while Nidhi Dutt will explore the issue of food inflation and impact of rice farmers in West Bengal, Sohail Rahman will look at the maoist rebel attacks in Chattisgarh as well as internal security issues. Karishma Vyas will investigate the rise of Hindu nationalism from Gujarat, Faiz Jamil will look into the separatist issues affecting Assam. Baba Umar and Kamal Kumar will also assist the team. Apart from this, seven other freelancers have been roped in to help in both reporting as well as production.

     

    Special programmes include: One hour special show that analysis the measures taken by main political parties regarding healthcare facilities; ‘101 East’ that asks people if BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is the right person for India and ‘Inside Story’ that debates crucial points before and after voting.

     

    The news packages will be interspersed throughout the day with at least one news piece from one part of the country in a day.

     

    Not to forget that the channel will also indulge in live coverage on some of the polling days and specifically on the verdict day -16 May. Live output will be provided from three locations on 16 May- BJP headquarters, Congress headquarters and an Al Jazeera set up from a location for which one OB van, one fly away dish and one AVI vest have been hired. The first day of polling (7 April) will see live broadcasting from Assam and south India.

     

    Marketing plans to promote visibility of the shows as well as the channel will begin soon. Social media will be used extensively to lock in people using hashtags #AJIndia and #IndiaElections that will be tracked by its online team and the programme ‘The Stream.’

     

    Speaking about the coverage, Al Jazeera managing director Al Anstey said in a release, “India is the world’s biggest democracy and the country is diverse in opinion and sentiment. Al Jazeera will attempt to reflect the voices of people ranging from the metropolitan hubs of Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad; to the rural landscapes of Rajasthan and Kerala. Al Jazeera’s coverage will encompass TV, online and social media which will ensure real opinion, thought and voices that will be heard.”

  • Al Jazeera Sport rebrands as beIN Sports

    Al Jazeera Sport rebrands as beIN Sports

     

    MUMBAI: Qatar based network Al Jazeera has rebranded its sport channel from Al Jazeera Sport to beIN Sports. The move will see Al Jazeera Media Network uniting its global sport channels under one name ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

     “As excitement builds ahead of the FIFA 2014 World Cup Finals, beIN SPORTS guarantees front row seats to all the live action in Brazil as well as live coverage from other popular worldwide sporting events,” beIN said in the statement.

    Subscribers will now have access to 19 HD channels with 12 in Arabic that were formerly called Al Jazeera 1 to 10 and will now be called beIN Sports 1 to 10. The rebranding will provided viewers more opportunities to watch their favourite sports across the globe.

  • Janta TV brings Aidem Ventures on board

    Janta TV brings Aidem Ventures on board

    MUMBAI: Aidem Ventures, one of India’s leading independent media consulting, marketing and advertising sales company, already boasts of a well-known clientele including news channels Al Jazeera, Live India, Jai Maharashtra, Jaya TV Network and ABN Andhra Jyothi. Now, the company would be extending its services to the two-year old Hindi regional news channel Janta TV for which it would be handling the national ad sales.

    The channel that describes itself “of the public” is popular in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh and is also available in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and New Delhi.

    The channel was launched in 2011 with the motto “where no one stands we deliver” and the Aidem team will just take that forward.

    “The Aidem team possesses a great amount of business appetite as also a thorough understanding of the broadcast media and of the Indian advertising market. Their ability to reach out to marketers across levels is their most salient feature. We are looking forward to the team’s industry knowledge and their national coverage to cover advertising opportunities across the country,” said Janta TV VP Gurbinder Singh.

    “Bagging Janta TV is a big step towards our goal to build a more robust news media cluster thus easing the media buying process,” said Aidem Ventures Sr VP Shailendra Shetty.

    “It truly is exciting to be part of the channel’s expansion quest. The team is geared to get their feet on the street to help Janta TV maximise their revenue potential,” added Aidem Ventures Sr VP for regional bouquet Alok Rakshit.

    Aidem also handles channels like Mi Marathi, Sahara One, Sahara Filmy, Enter10 TV, Shagun TV, InSync and Channel UFX.

  • Al Jazeera begins its inroad into India

    Al Jazeera begins its inroad into India

    MUMBAI: Lately if you’ve come across one too many hoardings saying: “We put human beings at the centre of our stories”, it’s only because Al Jazeera, the Doha-based English news channel, has kicked-off its first campaign to make its presence felt across the country.

     

    Al Jazeera forayed into the Indian market way back in 2006, but had to wait four long years before being granted a downlink license for airing. Thereafter, the channel slowly went about expanding its reach into more and more Indian households to get a toehold alongside existing competitors i.e. BBC and CNN. Three years down the line however, the channel felt the time was ripe, especially with the festive season already here, to announce its presence nation-wide, especially in major metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore as well other towns.

     

    Kick-started beginning October, Al Jazeera’s first campaign is here to stay till end November, after which an assessment will be done to evaluate viewership changes that may have taken place since the onset of the campaign. Approximately Rs 2- 2.5 crores have been spent on the nationwide campaign. Three creative ideas are trying to spread Al Jazeera’s message by displaying three issues- profits, earthquakes and global warming.

     

    The focus of the campaign, whose creative has been designed by Ogilvy & Mather, is OOH (hoardings and buses), print and radio, with the talking point being how the channel always gives a human picture to issues. “People are the centre of the story is what Al Jazeera stands for and what we are trying to highlight through the campaign,” says Al Jazeera India bureau chief Anmol Saxena.

     

    “The first phase was to let the people sample the channel and now, it is time to create awareness regarding Al Jazeera through this campaign,” says Saxena.
    Anmol Saxena says that Al Jazeera puts people at the front of issues

     

    Meanwhile, the second phase of the awareness campaign will begin in January 2014. Recently, the channel also launched a dedicated page for India, which according to Saxena will stay for a while. “There are always spotlight countries and currently the spotlight is on India,” he says.

     

    “The campaign will definitely help lift the profile of Al-Jazeera and result in generating pull amongst Indian TV viewers,” says a media observer. “It’s a high decible one definitely and good money is being spent on it. But the Al-Jazeera team will have to simultaneously ramp up local coverage as well as distribution for the full benefits to accrue. Distribution in India is not that easy.”

     

    Another media expert states that there is a perception failure about the channel amongst Indians. “They think it is an Arabic perspective on world developments and that it is not as democratic as CNN or BBC. It is a long and winding road to correct this perception.”

     

    Currently, the Delhi bureau is the only office which covers the whole of India, with seven employees that would increase to about 10 in the next few months. The channel has had Sohail Rehman and Divya Gopalan as dedicated India correspondents since a few years and many freelancers who contribute to the channel and the website.

     

    As of now, Al Jazeera is an FTA channel available on both DTH and cable TV (digital plus analog) while plans are afoot to acquire on the digital and DTH fronts. Presently, the channel is available on Tata Sky, Dish TV, InCable, Hathway and DEN.

  • Aalami Sahara is now Aalami Samay

    Aalami Sahara is now Aalami Samay

    MUMBAI: It was launched three years ago but came to a standstill barely months after coming into existence. However, with an experienced new editor Syed Faisal Ali coming on board fifteen months ago, Aalami Sahara, Sahara Samay’s Urdu news channel, decided to give it shot in the arm.

    For starters, the entire network dropped the name ‘Sahara’ from its channels, changing the earlier Aalami Sahara to the new Aalami Samay.
    Syed Ali has amitious plans to take the channel to the Middle East and Gulf countries

    In a bid to refresh its content and reach out to more Urdu speaking people, six more bureaus in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Lucknow, Patna and Hyderabad were added to the previous two in Delhi and Srinagar.

    The hunt for good journalists fluent in reading and writing Urdu has been on for the past three to four months. “There are not many people who are from an Urdu background and even if they are, they are not happy to work in an Urdu channel,” says Faisal Ali.

    As of now, each bureau has one journalist, two camera units and four stringers and the search is on for more journalists.

    While most of the channel’s viewership comes from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu, West Bengal, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar and Assam, Ali plans to take the channel to the Middle East and Gulf countries to get more people hooked on to it.

    “A lot of Indians in the Middle East view the channel because there are a lot of NRIs there who have an affinity to India,” claims Ali.

    New programmes have been launched on the channel such as Takraan (aired every Sunday at 8: 30 pm) that see Ali conduct interviews with leaders from various fields. Renowned personalities such as Kapil Sibal, Arvind Kejriwal and Gulzar Dehelvi have already appeared on the show. Parvaaz is a weekly travel show while Halaat e Haazra is the daily news bulletin. Another new show called Farsh se Arsh Taq will be aired in November that will showcase ‘rags to riches’ stories of normal people.

    The channel also wants to focus on international stories coming from the Middle East, Gulf and America. Aina-e-Aalam is a 15 minute bulletin at 9:00 pm that shows international stories. Aalami Business gives an insight into business opportunities in India as well as the Gulf countries.

    The channel is trying to help minority Muslims in India to have a dedicated channel. “We want to brand the channel on the lines of Al Jazeera,” says Ali.

    Marketing has already begun in force. About 10 lakh leaflets were distributed in various mosques on Friday as well as during Eid to attract people’s attention. An Urdu media conclave is also on the cards in December for which the Sahara board has approved the proposal by Ali.

    In terms of advertisers, it is still to get some big ones on board as only local advertisers are with the channel for now. Ali is however optimistic of getting big names such as Etihad Airways.

    It claims to be the only Urdu channel that gives news all through the day while its competitors like Zee Salaam and ETV Urdu provide infotainment. An Urdu channel’s market is smaller than other regional channels. Zee Salaam was launched in 2010 while ETV Urdu was launched much earlier in 2001.

    The number of Urdu channels in the country is quite low. Apart from these three there is Munsif TV, a news channel from Hyderabad and DD Urdu which is also infotainment. Remaining Urdu channels are all religious.

    With this vibrancy that is trying to make the channel stand out from the rest let’s hope the channel’s second stint is much better.

  • Digital media pips news channels at the post

    Digital media pips news channels at the post

    NNES: News is a hard business and it’s only set to get tougher with the proliferation of digital and social media.

    Till recently, the 250 news channels across the globe were faced with the task of offering factual news and engaging with their audiences. As if that wasn’t enough, they have to now contend with stiff competition from digital players as well. 

    So the big question confronting them is: “How to innovate in order to keep both television and online audiences?”

    Day two of Mipcom saw a session titled ‘Programming and engaging in the digital age’ where speakers threw light on new methods and tools of audience engagement. 

    The session was moderated by the Association for International Broadcasting chief executive Simon Spanswick with speakers including BuzzFeed president and COO Jon Steinberg; CNN International VP and general manager, digital Peter Bale; Facebook director of partnerships Andrew Mitchell; Al Jazeera Media Network, new media department manager Moeed Ahmad; and Winther Productions creator and producer of Dining with the Enemy Gry Winther.

    Spanswick kicked off the session saying: “Almost a third of all UK adults use the internet for news, and similar statistics are coming out from other territories.” 

    Mitchell stressed the importance of Facebook and Instagram as platforms to share content produced by broadcasters. “We introduced API here in Mipcom. This will allow more meaningful content and facilitate communication. Facebook is a great tool for growth, allowing people to connect and share content. Facebook has more hard news than soft news. We tend to remember the funny stuff, but it’s the more meaningful stuff that sticks with you,” he said.

    Forty per cent of BuzzFeed’s traffic comes from Facebook, said Steinberg, adding: “In all, 70 per cent of people come to us through various social networking sites. We have 120 full-time writers, doing original content.” Speaking of BuzzFeed’s partnership with CNN, Steinberg said: “The channel gives us video footage which is then remixed and re-cut in shorter, shareable format for YouTube and a younger audience.”

    Steinberg opined that social platforms have made things easier for international news organisations. “The stories spread fast as well as powerfully on social networks,” he said.
    While Ahmad echoed Mitchell’s sentiments saying hard news was being shared more than soft news. “The lack of sharing for particular verticals is not because of that vertical, it’s because of poor journalism,” he said.

    Speaking of Al Jazeera’s online news channel AJ+, he said: “Even today, YouTube has more entertainment than news content. However, AJ+ is an independent destination. We are building teams at a number of locations including New Delhi and Doha among others. The new channel aims at providing clarity through content.”

    As for CNN’s digital strategy, Bale said: “The channel will give the background for breaking news rather than simply breaking the information. You will hear the story from the real people.”

    A common observation was that no one wanted to read an old story on social media which is why something new and catchy had to be written. Mitchell said: “Channels will also have to think, ‘Why will someone share content?’. Consumers will not share old and boring news. They will share what is heartwarming, new and fresh content or something which they feel is important for friends.” He informed that Facebook was now crunching data to spot linkbait and ensure that they don’t appear in people’s news feeds. “We are now tracking how quickly people return to Facebook after clicking on the news link. We are also trying to cut down on spammers,” he said.