Mid East Broadcasting Conference - London 8 May

The State of Broadcasting in the Middle East: Saturday 8 May 2010

e-mail: ncfpeace@aol.com
A conference organised by the International Council for Press and Broadcasting. Held at Initiatives of Change, 24 Greencoat Place, London, SW1P 1RD. Registration 9:15 am

10:00 Session One Middle East Satellite Television: Objective coverage or media myopia? Chair William Morris Next Century Foundation. Panel: Jim Muir - BBC, Beirut Zaki Chehab – LBC Adel Zanoon - Agence-France Presse and ANN Gaza Adnan Abu-Hasna – Voice Radio project, Gaza

11:30 Session Two Political Interference - censorship, intimidation and assassination Chair Robin Williamson - International Communications Forum. Panel: Bahielden HZ Elibrachy – Ibrachy & Dermarkar, Cairo. Soran Aziz APTN (Alirqiya TV). Moeen al Hilou, - Gaza Channel Ten Itai Anghel – Channel 2

2:00 Session Three The consequences of jamming and of the deportation of journalists Chair Louisa Brooke - Senior World Affairs Analyst, the BBC. Panel: Salah Hamza – Chief Technical Officer, Nilesat. Adel Darwish – Broadcaster Ribal Al Assad – ANN Issam Abdullah – formerly MBC and BBC Arabic

3:15 Session Four Ethics of Broadcasting – the impact of xenophobia and disinformation
Chair Russell Twisk – Editor at Large, The Reader’s Digest. Panel: Maysa Baransi-siniora and Mossi Raz - Peace Radio Israel Abdalrahman Dheyab Abdullah- Al Sharqiyah Jeena Al Ammo – Oman TV, formerly Al Hurra

DAY TWO Sunday 9th May – What Can be achieved? Policy working groups in cooperation with Innovation Arts. Working Discussion Groups 11.00 am - 4.00 pm (working lunch 1pm)

1. Government and Broadcasting: The way forward for a freer press. Led by Hon. Mark Hambly - Former Ambassador to Lebanon former US Spokesman for the Middle East: How do broadcasters respond to censorship, jamming, intimidation and deportation?

2. Broadcasting Organisations in a safer world: Mechanisms to foster balanced press coverage. Led by Adel Darwish - Broadcaster: How do broadcasting organisations maintain integrity around disinformation and political bias?

3. The Individual Broadcaster: Ensuring ethics in journalism are not compromised. Led by William Morris - The Next Century Foundation: How do broadcasting organisations reinforce peace and not hatred?

4. The Mission of Satellite Television: Governments have been challenged by satellite TV is that its purpose or is the BBC approach of attacking social taboos more pertinent? Led by David Powell – Deputy Head of Media Outreach, US State Department

An informal, creative atmosphere to allow you as participants, the main actors in the session, to work together as peers. Discussion Leaders encourage participation and share experiences.