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Rising to the challenge

The modern audience has embraced new digital media and expects on-demand information, but poorer rural areas are still reliant on short wave radio for news. Fred Martenson, Head of Strategy BBC Global News, explains the challenges the BBC faces as a global broadcaster



Massive change is afoot in the global news arena. Everywhere, there are rapid changes in technology, competitors and audiences. For the BBC, being a news broadcaster with a global remit has never been more challenging.



The picture varies by region, but today more audiences have access to a wider range of media technologies and news sources than ever before.



The rise of television has been dramatic. In all but the poorest markets the reach of TV is now almost universal. Evidence from around the world shows that it is the dominant platform for news and information – especially international news; 24-hour news channels on cable and satellite are increasingly commonplace.



On radio, short wave, the BBC’s traditional channel, is falling away outside poor, rural areas like sub-Saharan Africa. As markets deregulate, local FM competition explodes as people seek the superior quality and choice on offer. Radio becomes increasingly music-based, but still fulfils a news function at peak times.



Podcasting and mobile video



Digital radio, like DAB and DRM, is also growing.

But the most profound change is being driven by on-demand digital media.



These technologies are enabling on-demand access to rich content – text, audio and video – on a plethora of platforms, from PCs to interactive TV to mobile devices.



This makes it possible to consume news in ways that didn’t exist even two years ago. Podcasting and mobile video are just two examples.



They are transforming how people use and think about the news. Greater choice both in media and in sources means that audiences across the world are more selective and sophisticated than ever.



They demand timeliness, relevance and on-demand availability. Any provider who fails to deliver will be left behind.



Legions of bloggers



More significantly, audiences are themselves getting involved in creating and disseminating news.



Citizen journalism sites like OhMyNews in Korea are directly challenging established news providers, while a legion of bloggers is now helping to shape the news agenda. This heralds nothing less than the emergence of a new ecosystem for news.



The BBC’s competitors are changing fast and investing major resources in strengthening their positions in this dynamic environment. CNN and the other US players are realigning their services to focus more and more on multi-platform new media delivery.



The US is putting millions of dollars into building a presence in the Middle East and the wider Islamic world through initiatives like Radio Sawa and Al Hurra TV. New global news players – an Al Jazeera English channel and a ‘French CNN’ – are on the way.



USA

In many ways, the United States is the most competitive news market in the world. Traditional news media are in decline.



Newspaper readership is falling. While nightly TV news bulletins are still the main broadcast platform, they are losing audiences to 24-hour cable news channels like Fox, CNN and MSNBC, which are locked in a fierce battle for dominance. But at the same time, on-demand news media are growing fast and breaking new ground.



The internet is now a mainstream news source – especially for the young. Nearly half of Americans have broadband access. Mobile video is starting to break through. New platforms like digital satellite radio (reaching eight million people at the last count) and podcasting are redefining audio. And the US media are still reeling from the growth of blogging, which is reshaping the news environment at a tremendous pace.



India

India is a fast-moving, transitional market. Since deregulating in the early 1990s its economy has grown by leaps and bounds. Along with China, India and its 1.1 billion people will be at the forefront of the Asian wave that will shape this century. In media terms, the growth of TV has been phenomenal.



There are now 108 million TV households, of which the majority have cable or satellite. Nearly thirty 24-hour news channels are competing for Indian audiences, from STAR, NDTV and Aaj Tak, to BBC World and CNN, and a growing number of regional channels. Analysts predict that the market will continue to grow. In radio, years of monopoly by the state broadcaster, coupled with the rise of TV, had led to the decline of the medium. A few years ago, however, FM deregulation led to a resurgence, with dozens of new music-led channels on air in the cities.



News is still prohibited on radio, but this is likely to change soon. Internet penetration is growing, driven by India’s leading position in the globalised IT revolution.



Kenya

Kenya, like many countries in Africa, is relatively poor. But even here, rapid changes are occurring in the media scene. Only a few years ago, TV was a relative luxury and radio was largely a choice between the state broadcaster and international providers like the BBC or Deutsche Welle.



In the last few years, deregulation has led to the rise of strong local FM players, which are attracting large audiences. In Nairobi and other cities, TV viewing is catching up to radio. Cable and satellite penetration is growing.



And, while Kenya is still behind in overall new media adoption, mobile penetration has taken off – to the point where mobiles now far outnumber landlines and SMS messaging is a major form of communication, notably for the provision of news headlines. Still, poorer communities in rural areas rely on short wave radio and are likely to continue to do so for some time.

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