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Tag: Condoleezza Rice

  • American funded Arab TV network under scanner for financial irregularities

    American funded Arab TV network under scanner for financial irregularities

    MUMBAI: Al-Hurra, the Arabic language satellite television network set up by the US administration to promote “freedom and democracy” in the Middle East, will be investigated for possible irregularities.

    Media reports indicate that Al-Hurra’s programming has come to reflect the preponderance of Lebanese on the staff, rather than projecting a pan-Arab outlook. In a related piece of news, Kenneth Tomlinson, who is the chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors that oversees most US government broadcasts to foreign countries, is the subject of an inquiry into accusations of misuse of federal money and the use of phantom or unqualified employees.

    The board, whose members include the secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, supervises the government’s foreign broadcasting operations including the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe. Al hurra was set up by the Board of Governors, and is being examined by the US inspector general for possible problematic procurement practices.

    Media reports state that accusations against Tomlinson involved spending federal money for personal purposes, using Broadcasting Board of Governors money for corporation activities, using board employees to do corporation work and hiring ghost employees or poorly qualified employees.

    Al-Hurra has got nearly $50 million in financing and was set up to compete with Al Jazeera and other Arab news stations. Unfortunately it is now being seen as being a mouthpiece for the US government, indicate media reports.

  • Women sidelined in media?

    Women sidelined in media?

    MUMBAI: It’s a man’s world- even more so in media! Shocking, but that’s the report released by German media website Media Tenor on 16 January 2004. 

    The report indicates that there is a major bias regarding media coverage of women. Female politicians, scientists, entrepreneurs and bishops appear in only one out of every six news stories.

     
    Based on a study conducted in 19 TV news formats over a period from 1January 2002 to 30 September 2003, the report suggests that the situation is so problematic that the news formats in the US, British, German and South African media do not even remotely reflect the real power distribution in their respective parliaments, governments and universities.

    What seems to be the prime concern is the effect this type of news selection will have on the perception of development, inside and outside of these countries.

    Quite unlike the claims made by the US and German media, despite the half of the heads of political parties being female at the time of analysis, the share of coverage of women is only 12 per cent, even lower than in other countries. “Hillary Clinton would probably not be amused by these results, “says the report.

    On the contrary, the BBC and ITN in England, despite the government team and the heads of parties being male, could boast of better coverage of women. 

    What was surprising was that the report revealed is that Queen Elizabeth II figured in the top 10 list of the most covered women, not only in TV news in the UK, but also in the US and in Germany, alongside power riders US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

  • AWRT to honour CNN with four Gracie Allen awards

    AWRT to honour CNN with four Gracie Allen awards

    NEW YORK: The Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television (AWRT) has awarded CNN four Gracie Allen awards. It has recognised senior international correspondent Christiane Amanpour and anchor Connie Chung as individual achievement winners along with CNN Productions and Larry King Live for programming excellence. The felicitation takes place at the 28th annual gala to be held on 17 April in New York City at the New York Hilton Hotel.

     
    Amanpour won in the Best Reporter/Correspondent category while Chung won in the Anchor/News Magazine category for her June 2002 interview with Luciano Pavarotti in which the opera icon discussed for the first time his retirement plans.

    Larry King Live won in the Programming/Information Talk Show category for host Larry King’s July 2002 interview with former Texas first lady Nellie Connally. The foundation also honored CNN Productions’ People in the News in the News Documentary/30 minutes or less category for its February 2002 profile of US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

    AWRT is a US nonprofit organisation that extends membership to qualified professional women and men, in the electronic media and allied fields. AWRT’s mission is to advance the impact of women in the electronic media and allied fields by educating, advocating and acting as a resource to its members and the industry. Founded in 1951, AWRT has worked to improve the quality of the electronic media; to promote the entry, development and advancement of women in the electronic media and allied fields; to serve as a medium of communication and idea exchange; and to become involved in community concerns.