Tag Archives: TV

Bottom up or top down climate change

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After recently watching a lot of TV programmes on climate change (for the shortlist for the People’s Choice which will be revealed next week, with AIB members and those registered to vote the first to hear) and reading lots of articles about it, I have been wondering how people will make the changes to their habits that seem to be becoming more and more inevitable.

Will governments (multi-party democraties or others) impose top down changes to industry and consumption that are necessary for sustainable development? Or will concerned individuals persuade others and change behaviour from the bottom up.

The Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection is drawing up plans to speed up the closure of old inefficient coal power stations (see www.grist.org/article/2010-08-30-attention-congress-china-is-shutting-down-old-coal-plants/ for more coverage). But I was interested to read in Jonathan Watts’ book “When a Billion Chinese Jump” how the central authority in China does not seem able to impose as much control as we in the West might assume.

Also if, as expected, the Democrats in the US are soundly beaten in the elections later this year, then the US government is even less likely to take strong measures that support environmental concerns. So any moves from the US in the future look likely to result from the actions of individuals and concerned groups.

Maybe, in the end, it will be simple economics rather than bottom up or top down that will bring about changes. With increasing pressures on resources increased by changes in the climate, costs of food, transportation and most resources will increase so we will be forced by our wallets to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. But that would be business as usual… would that work?

Entries pouring in for the 2010 AIBs

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As you will have seen, we have extended the deadline for entries to be submitted to the 2010 AIBs, the international media excellence awards, until 1600GMT on 16th July due to numerous requests. Broadcasters, content producers, providers of technology and others are responding to the extra time granted with large numbers of entries arriving at AIB headquarters every day.

So far companies in 21 countries have entered – from Argentina to China and from Australia to the USA. From phonecalls made to the AIB, we also know that many more entries are on their way.

It is particularly pleasing to see new companies entering for the first time – companies like KI.KA (Der Kinderkanal von ARD und ZDF) in Germany, TV Antena 1 in Romania, Russian Travel Guide Co Ltd Russia, Conker Media Ltd UK, Press TV Iran and eTV South Africa.

It is still not too late to enter if you are a producer or broadcaster of international TV or radio programmes (whether using terrestrial broadcasting, satellite, online or mobile) or if you produce the technology to power broadcasts, or if you run marketing programs for broadcasts (see the categories page on the website for the full list of different awards).

But with only one more week to the deadline, you will have to hurry so if you still want to enter go to the entries page for full details

2009 AIBs

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The involvement of radio and TV broadcasters from throughout the world, the range of factual topics covered and the quality of the finalists are highlighted in this video of last year’s international media excellence awards, the 2009 AIBs

There is still time to enter the 2010 AIBs – for full details go to the entries page on the website.

You can also see other videos from the Association for International Broadcasting on our YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/AIBLondon

Eclectic views on climate change

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Because the AIBs (international media excellence awards) this year include a People’s Choice category for the best TV coverage of climate change, I have been looking at the online coverage on this subject and the wide range of different views expressed.  It is a fascinating subject because of the way it affects, or may affect, different nations and peoples around the world (listen, for example to an interview with a campaigner from Samoa talking about climate justice) and also because of the widely differing views on the subject from fervent climate change disbelievers (e.g. Watts Up with That) to those who have made careers out of propounding manmade climate change (e.g. Al Gore)

But it is interesting to see other angles taken on climate change – from Ecological Buddhism’s view of the morality of mankind treating nature as a resource to be cared for, through those who care passionately about the effect on people living at the margins (see Oxfam’s website, for example) to those who focus on green technologies as business opportunities as well as necessary for our future (e.g. Clean Technology Business Review).

If you do not have a set viewpoint, it is difficult to make sense of all the conflicting claims and studies.  Thank goodness for sites like “Information is beautiful”, in particular the blog post putting arguments from opposing views on climate change side by side with the data graphed inbetween.  It is a really useful infographics tool to allow readers to make informed decisions themselves.

It can be difficult to make up your mind on the arguments, but once you have, you can be sure of finding a group who is championing the point of view on which you decide.