The industry association for international broadcasting, AIB announced its third annual Media Excellence Awards on 19 June.
The AIB Media Excellence Awards have been designed by the Association and its members to reward success and to celebrate excellence in the international television, radio and new media sectors. The Awards also reward innovative technology in the production and distribution of international broadcasting.
“We’ll be recognising the broadcasting organisations that have excelled,’ says Simon Spanswick, the AIB’s chief executive. “Our channel of the year awards cover both television and radio and we’ll also be rewarding the best on-air talent, with personality of the year. We’ll be celebrating success with clearest coverage of a single news event and best programme dealing with a topical issue. And we’ll be looking behind the scenes, with new categories that reward strategy, marketing, new media and partnerships.’
As a global organisation, the AIB recognises that 90% of the world’s population lives in a country where English is not the mother tongue. It is for this reason that the AIB is actively encouraging programme makers who produce programming in languages other than English to enter and have their work recognised.
“The international broadcasting industry is growing. We’re seeing larger audiences tuning into more channels delivered by international broadcasters,’ continues Spanswick. “International television and radio broadcasters produce a wide range of remarkable content for audiences worldwide and make innovative use of technology to deliver programming on a global scale. The AIB, as the representative of the international broadcasting industry, is delighted to contribute to the promotion of the highest standards in global media.”
The Award judges are from all over the world. They include producers, editors and presenters in a dozen countries, as well as technology and marketing experts. It’s by having a truly international, independent jury that the AIB Media Excellence Awards can be representative and provide genuine peer review.
The winners will be announced at a special gala awards dinner in a stunning central London venue on Tuesday 20 November 2007, combined with one of the AIB’s renowned diner pensants. After the immense success of the AIB Awards and Diner Pensant last year, the organisation will be following the tradition of having two high-level, dynamic, media leaders in conversation with the AIB and its guests during the evening, and then presenting the awards to the winners at the height of the evening.
The awards categories are:
• International TV channel of the year
• International radio station of the year
• International TV personality of the year
• International radio personality of the year
• Clearest coverage of a single news event – audio (radio and/or podcast)
• Clearest coverage of a single news event – video (TV or vodcast)
• Best programme dealing with a topical issue– audio
• Best programme dealing with a topical issue – video
• Most creative new strategy or marketing concept by an international broadcaster
• Most innovative partnership between a local and an international broadcaster
• Best realisation of a cross-border, cross-media production
• Gear of the year – helping realise an international broadcaster’s objectives (production or distribution)
The judges include:
• Doug Bernard VoA
• Simon Bucks Sky News
• Peter Burdin BBC
• Toby Hartwell APTN
• Ahmad Ibrahim Al Jazeera
• John Ive Ivetech
• Gerry Jackson SW Radio Africa
• Jonathan Marks Critical Distance
• Andrew Shaw TVNZ
• Joanna Shields Bebo
• David Smith Okapi Consulting
• Roger Thornton Quantel
• Denis Trunov Russia Today TV
• Carlson Wang Radio Taiwan International
• Mike Whittaker Showtime Arabia
Complete details of how to enter are available on the AIB website at http://www.aib.org.uk.The closing date for entries is 1700 GMT on Friday 3 August 2007.
