Meetings in Asia for AIB

Meetings in Asia for AIB

The Association for International Broadcasting has been visiting parts of Asia, meeting Member organisations and exploring potential new relationships with organisations across the region.

The AIB’s chief executive Simon Spanswick took part in the Asia Media Summit organised by the Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) in Qingdao, China. Attended by more than 400 delegates from over 40 countries, the Summit addressed the issues surrounding the role of media in global development and sustainability. The AIB CEO met Mme Liu Yandong, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China, alongside Ministers from Russia, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Samoa, Myanmar and Malaysia and the heads of the AIBD and ABU as well as senior officials of the United Nations and a number of its agencies.

Following the Asia Media Summit, Spanswick travelled to Seoul where he met executives of the Korean Broadcasting System, an AIB Member. Discussions centred on the work of the AIB and how KBS – as a Member of the Association – benefits from the activities the organisation carries out on behalf of its Members. There were also conversations about the future of the media and how public broadcasters like KBS can maintain their relevance to audiences – particularly the youth – as consumption patterns change.

 

KBS launches KBS Kids

KBS N, a cable channel operated by KBS, launched a children’s channel on 5 May (Korea’s children’s day).

KBS Kids is targeting a young audience aged from two to twelve, and is aiming to provide content that is educational as well as entertaining. The channel’s line-up includes KBS produced programmes such as ‘Flying Tent’, ‘Playground ZZAM’ and ‘Hutos’ in addition to internationally successful ‘Large Family’ from the BBC and ‘Early Bloomers’ from BabyFrist TV, a US Children’s channel.

Another programming feature of the new channel is the kindergarten zone, a set of programmes broadcast at regular intervals, in which parents and children share the  viewing experience.

KBS Kids said that it would be a channel that parents want to recommend for children to watch. KBS Kids will add more variety to KBS N, which already runs four sub channels – KBS Drama, KBS Sports, KBS Prime and KBS Joy.