An archived selection of high-level appointments and departures in public radio and television from our current and previous websites.
New Managing Director of e.tv in South Africa
24 June 2016
Marlon Davids has been appointed as the Managing Director of e.tv, a role he has been acting in since April 2016.
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New acting DG of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation
14 June 2016
Francisca Ashietey-Odunton has been appointed as acting Director General of GBC, taking over from Major Albert Don-Chebe.
A barrister of Law with 16 years’ experience, Mrs. Ashietey-Odunton also holds a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics and is also a graduate of the United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan. She joined GBC in 1990 and in 1994 rose to the position of editor and served in several capacities, including news reading and as a presidential reporter for 8years. Mrs. Ashietey-Odunton has been a journalist with the Corporation for over 20 years and enters her new position with a huge experience in the broadcasting industry.
Until her appointment, she was the Acting Deputy Director of GBC.
New DG for Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation
Dr. Ayub Rioba Chacha replaces Mr. Clement Mshana, who has retired as Director General of Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation.
Prior to the appointment, Dr Rioba was the Associate Dean at the School of Journalism and Mass communication of the University of Dar es Salaam.
He formerly worked as a journalist with Tanzania Standard (Newspapers) Limited (TSN), publishers of the ‘Daily News’, ‘Sunday News’, ‘HabariLeo’, ‘HabariLeo Jumapili’ and ‘SpotiLeo.’
Dr Rioba has been a media specialist for a long time. He holds a PhD in Mass Communications from the University of Tampere and a Masters Degree in Journalism from the University of Wales (Cardiff), where he conducted a research about Tanzania’s current media situation
Nigeria’s FRCN appoints new Director General
Dr Mallam Mansur Liman is the new Director General of FRCN and was previously the head of the BBC’s Hausa Service.
He has a BSc in Chemistry (First Class) from Bayero University Kano and a Master of Science. The new Director-General is also a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Sussex, England.
Dr Mansur Liman, is credited with helping the BBC achieve the Responsive Design technology which has since changed the user experience of those who access bbchausa.com via mobile phones. The BBC Hausa mobile site was re-launched in Responsive Design in January 2013 when it was among the very first non-English language African sites in Responsive Design. With the launch of a “responsive” BBC Hausa mobile website, all users coming to the site are automatically routed to the mobile optimised version, thus getting the best possible user experience. He is an advocate of new media with vibrant social media accounts ranging from twitter, Zoominfo, Youtube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and various blogs and websites.
New Director General for National Broadcasting Commission in Nigeria
Mallam Is’haq Modibo Kawu is the New Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission and takes over from Mr. Emeka Mba.
Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu was formally the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Abuja-based Word, Sound and Vision (WSV) Multimedia Limited, a complete media service outfit that cuts across print, radio, television, internet, as well as event marketing, marketing communications and training.
Mallam Kawu has 37 years of broadcasting experience straddling both radio and television. He was among the pioneer staff of Radio Kwara and was the pioneer General Manager of Kwara State Television Service, Kwara TV. Widening his horizon, he had a stint with International Radio and has reported for international broadcasters including Radio France International, Radio Netherlands and BBC World Service.
Mallam Ishaq Modibo Kawu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and a Master’s degree in Political Science from Bayero University, Kano.
Alhaji Yakubu Ibn Mohammed has been appointed as DG of the Nigerian Television Authority.
Alhaji Yakubu Ibn Mohammed is the new Director General of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and takes over from Mr. Sola Omole.
Yakubu Mohammed joined the services of the NTA Jos in 1977 as Current Affairs Producer. He later held various senior management positions, among which were Controller News and Current Affairs, NTA, Jos; General Manager, NTA Bauchi; Director of News, NTA headquarters; and Executive Director Special Services, NTA headquarters, before his retirement from NTA in 2012. He has since served as a Special Adviser on Media and Communications for the Bauchi State.
He attended the Ahmadu Bello University and has a degree in Social Sciences.
Voice of Nigeria appoints new Director General
Mr. Osita Okechukwu is the new Director General of Voice of Nigeria, succeeding Mr. Sam Worlu.
Mr. Okechukwu, is a social democrat, humanitarian, pro-people and publicity secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) party. He is also a graduate of Law from University of Nsukka, Enugu state.
The National Communications Network, Guyana, appoint new CEO
Lennox Cornette, is the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the state-run broadcasting network NCN, Guyana.
Cornette, who takes over from former CEO, Molly Hassan holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Australian Institute of Business and a Diploma in Public Communication and Certificates in Planning and Promotion from Bailbrook College, England.
“His work experience includes engagements with both the local and international private sector in fields of communication and management,” a release from NCN added. “His last position was Deputy CEO of Jailing Forest Industries Inc., where he was in charge of administration and operations. He is the author of the book, “The Development of Telecommunications in Guyana (1884-1994)”.
New Director General for Bangladesh Television
14 January 2016
On the 14 January 2016, Mr. S. M. Haroon-Or-Rashid started his term as the Director General of Bangladesh Television (BTV). He is a senior member of the country’s Civil Service Administration Cadre, a cultural activist, playwright and former journalist.
As a member of Bangladesh’s Civil Service he has a diversified work background. Prior to his present posting he worked in the Ministry of Information as Additional Secretary as well as terms in the NGO Affairs Bureau and Ministry of Post and Telecommunications. According to BTV’s press release, he is highly knowledgable about frequency management along with new technology and human resource development. He received further training in telecom management, content development and broadcast systems from the USA, Germany and Japan amongst others.
Mr. Haroon is also a playwright with a number of television dramas under his belt and numerous awards for his contribution to different fields of media and communication.
Hong Kong’s RTHK welcomes new Director General
2 October 2015
Leung Ka-wing has been named as the new Director General of Radio Television Hong Kong.
Leung takes over from Roy Tang Yun-
Major challenges lie ahead for the new Director such as safeguarding the broadcaster’s editorial freedom and independence from the government as well as securing a new headquarters for the growing organisation as it takes over analogue services from ATV in April.
New Director General for the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation
1 October 2015
The Namibian Cabinet have appointed Stanley Similo as the Director General of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, effective from the 1 October 2015.
Similo will replace NBC’s Chief Human Resources Officer Vezenga Kaurais, who has been acting DG since the departure of Albertus Aochamub after his appointment as Presidential Spokesperson.
The new DG has an impressive background in communications; having originally worked in the advertising department of NBC, Similo has since been the CEO of Namibian based PowerCom and chief spokesperson and human resource officer for mobile phone service operator, Leo.
Speaking to the Namibian press, Similo praised NBC staff and reaffirmed the role the broadcaster will have under his command: “Our role as public broadcaster is to continuously inform the public of what is happening. We need to hear more ordinary Namibians on television and radio”.
PMA looks forward to working with Stanley in the future.
Taiwan’s public broadcaster PTS appoints new President
27 July 2015
Yueh Chiou has been appointed President of the Public Television Service in Taiwan, with a unanimous vote from the PTS Board. He replaces Acting President Ching Swen.
Well-versed in media management, Yueh Chiou has acted as the Executive Vice-president as well as Chief Secretary of the Board of Taiwan Television Enterprise, and Chairman of TTV Cultural Enterprise. A seasoned journalist, he has served as a news editor at the China Times, and the New York Bureau Chief and Director of News for TTV. Before joining PTS in May this year, he was an Associate Professor in the Department of Radio, Television and Film at Shih Hsin University.
Leh-Chyun Lin, the long-serving Director of the International Department at PTS, has also been made Vice-President.
PTS is the only non-profit public media organisation in the Chinese-speaking world, and a member of the PMA.
New group CEO for South Africa’s public broadcaster
1 July 2015
The South African Broadcasting Corporation has appointed former banking executive Frans Matlala as the corporation’s new Group Chief Executive Officer.
Matlala, a former consultant for the the SABC, has held senior positions senior positions at Standard Bank, African Life SA, First National Bank and Nampak. He assumes the position with immediate effect.
The position has been vacant for more than a year after previous CEO Lulama Mokhoba resigned in February 2014. Tian Olivier had been the Acting CEO since then. The broadcaster has been beset by a string of board resignations and leadership changes in the past few years, and many observers hope Matlala’s appointment will help put the SABC back on an even keel.
Frans Matlala said at his press conference (above): “I think it’s important that we take advantage of the role and the opportunity we have to be able to serve the nation and Africa as a continent, and lead that narrative.”
He continued: “It’s a narrative of telling the truth but at the same time balancing the perspective that we put on the table.”
The appointment of news head for India’s Doordarshan sparks independence concerns
5 June 2015
The new Director-General (News) of India’s TV public service broadcaster, Doordarshan, has been named as Veena Jain.
On her appointment, Jain had also been asked to “hold charge as officer on special duty in the Indian Ministry for the New Media Wing and Social Media Cell” – prompting speculation of attempted government interference in Doordarshan (DD).
A week later, the ministry reworded its order to say that she would report to Prasar Bharati (the independent broadcasting body of which DD is the TV arm) “for all operational purposes and to the ministry as OSD [officer on special duty].” However concerns still persist that the appointment was made by the ministry without consulting the Prasar Bharati board.
Veena Jain’s previous role was that of Additional Director-General in the News Services Division of All India Radio.
Serbia’s public broadcaster appoints new Director-General
7 May 2015
Radio-Television Serbia has appointed journalist Dragan Bujosevic as the new Director-General of the national public service broadcaster. The RTS board this week elected Bujosevic from a field of 11 qualifying candidates.
For the last three years Bujosevic has hosted and written a political TV programme called Stav Srbije. He was previously editor-in-chief of state-owned broadsheet Politika.
In August 2013 RTS said it could not survive on TV licence fees (through utility bills) and advertising revenue, and secured long-term financial assistance from the government for the first time in a decade, according to news site Turkish Weekly. Opponents of state funding have said the move could compromise the broadcaster’s independence.
RTS is said to be the largest broadcaster in the former Yugoslavia and the Balkans. It has enjoyed increasing ratings from its news coverage, sports licences and its growing roster of locally produced entertainment.
New CEO for Kenyan media house
4 May 2015
Kenya’s Nation Media Group has appointed Joseph Muganda to be its next Chief Executive, replacing Linus Gitahi, who has opted for early retirement, reports Reuters.
One of the largest media organisations in East Africa, Nation Media operates radio, television and websites in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania, as well as Kenyan newspaper, the Daily Nation.
Muganda has come into the role from East African Breweries, where he served as Managing Director for Kenya.
The group promoted Tom Mshindi to the post of Editor-in-Chief, overseeing editorial content across all platforms. He had been the organisation’s Chief Operating Officer and acting Editorial Director.
NMG’s NTV is a Public Media Alliance member.
A new DG for Voice of Nigeria
3 April 2015
The new Director-General of Nigeria’s state-owned international broadcaster is Sampson Worlu. He was appointed by previous President Goodluck Jonathan, just under a month before he lost the election to Mohammadu Buhari.
Worlu takes over from Mallam Abubakar Bobboyi Jijiwa’s decade at the helm (see below 26 February) and is the fourth head of Von since it was separated from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria in 1990.
Worlu has a diplomatic and public affairs background. He served as Desk Officer/Second Secretary (Information and Consular Matters) at the Nigerian Embassy in Beijing, China from 1989 to 1992. He has also held government roles in Southern African Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2011 he retired from the civil service after 24 years’ service and went into private business.
His international experience may benefit Von’s push to increase its profile and reach as an international broadcaster. But like many public broadcasters around the world, funding will be his greatest challenge. Von, a PMA member, is statutorily mandated to broadcast outside Nigeria, and the broadcaster is not allowed to carry commercial advertising.
One of his first projects may be overseeing the move of the remainder of Von’s operations from the old capital Lagos, to Abuja, which has been Nigeria’s government and administrative centre since 1991. With this move will come the need to ensure that the international broadcaster has a digital and technological setup befitting its hopes.
Africa’s AMI enlarges its board
18 March 2015
The African Media Initiative has announced a new line-up of its board of trustees, as it begins a second phase of operations, focused on driving a media development agenda on the continent.
The new members are: Wale Aboderin, Chairman of Punch Nigeria; Omar Ben Yedder, Group Publisher, IC Publications; Rebecca Enonchong, Founder and CEO, AppsTech; Robert Kabushenga, Managing Director, New Vision Media Group; and Angela Minyem, CEO of L’Image de L’Afrique.
Aboderin, Enonchong and Kabushenga are from Nigeria, Cameroon and Uganda respectively, while Ben Yedder and Minyem are from UK- and France-based media companies, in turn.
The five join Linus Gitahi of the Nation Media Group (Kenya), Mathata Tsedu of the Southern African National Editors Forum; Trevor Ncube Chairman of Alpha Media Holdings (Zimbabwe); and AMI Board Chair and AMI CEO, Eric Chinje (Cameroon).
Trevor Ncube said: “I’m confident the new members, all of them outstanding achievers in media and related fields, will make enormous contributions as we support AMI in scaling up its programmes and working with media on the continent to support social, economic and political transformation in Africa.”
One of the AMI’s key projects is working to establish a platform for shared content across the continent, called the African Media Cooperative.
Voice of Nigeria DG bows out
26 February 2015
After a decade as Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, former PMA President Mallam Abubakar Bobboyi Jijiwa will statutorily leave his leadership role at the broadcaster.
Commended for his unifying role, Jijiwa will leave Von (a PMA member) after a total of 22 years, and two terms as Director-General.
Jijiwa initially studied accountancy at the University of Maiduguri. He then began his media career in 1977 as a Junior Producer at the Gongola Broadcasting Corporation.
In 1993, Jijiwa left his post as Assistant General Manager (Enterprise) of the Nigerian News Agency and joined Von as Director of Finance and Supplies before subsequently becoming Director of Administration and Finance and Director-General in 2005.
He has also held numerous roles outside Von. In 2006 Jijiwa was elected for two terms as President of the Public Media Alliance (then known as the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association), having previously accepted a 10 year tenure as Chairman of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria in 2004.
In an outgoing interview with Von, Jijiwa praised his employees for the success of the organisation under his watch, noting; “I have to commend the contributions and commitment of every member of staff who have been very supportive since I assumed office”.
Chang Jin made head of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development
16 January 2015
After a lengthy shortlisting process in Kuala Lumpur, a panel of AIBD executive board members have appointed Chang Jin as the organisation’s director.
Having obtained an MSc in Media and Communications from the London School of Economics in 1998, Jin has since held numerous positions in China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, including that of Director of the Asian, African and Latin Affairs Division.
With extensive experience furthering communicative exchanges and cooperation between China and the regions above, Jin has also been a key player in international radio and television training programmes. According to the ABU, Jin has been involved in over 90 workshops since 2007, benefiting more than 2000 radio and television professionals from close to 140 countries.
The AIBD is a regional inter-governmental organisation based in Kuala Lumpur which is mandated to achieve a vibrant and cohesive electronic media environment in the Asia-Pacific region through policy and resource development. AIBD is a PMA member.
Seema Gupta appointed as Chief Executive of Lok Sabha TV
2 January 2015
On 24 November 2014, the Speaker of India’s parliament appointed Seema Gupta as the new Chief Executive cum Editor-in-chief of Lok Sabha Television.
With 42 other applicants, Gupta’s appointment was based upon her previous managerial credentials and extensive experience as a TV journalist. Gupta’s previous positions include Vice President of TV Asia, General Manager of Zee Network and Producer at ITV, Delhi.
The post is contracted for two years. Lok Sabha is a PMA Member and specialises in the broadcast of live and recorded footage of India’s lower house of parliament.
Carol Hirschfeld joins Radio New Zealand
30 September 2014
Radio New Zealand CEO, Paul Thompson, has announced that Carol Hirschfeld, the former General Manager Production for Maori TV, is to join Radio New Zealand as Head of Content. Meanwhile Radio New Zealand Networks Presentation Manager, John Howson, has been appointed to the new role as Head of Radio.
The announcements complete a period of reorganisation for Radio New Zealand’s senior management team following an earlier appointment of the Stuff website editor, Glen Scanlon, to the position of Head of Digital Media.
Carol Hirschfeld will be responsible for News, Drama, Music, Spoken Features and Radio New Zealand International while John Howson will be responsible for all radio output across the Radio New Zealand National and Concert networks.
The new appointments have been heralded as extremely important to Radio New Zealand, especially as they coincide with the broadcaster’s strategy to implement and deliver high-quality multimedia journalism and programming across multiple digital platforms.
Paul Thompson said: “I am delighted to announce the two appointments. Both are very experienced broadcasters. Carol is a respected media executive with a proven track record of success in managing stories, developing programmes and leading staff, while John is an effective leader with a deep knowledge of Radio New Zealand and he has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve over the next two years.”
The change marks a return to Radio New Zealand for Carol Hirschfeld, who worked for the broadcaster early in her career as a cadet reporter.
BBC Trust to have first female head
1 September 2014
Rona Fairhead is set to become the first chairwoman to lead the BBC’s governing body. She has been named as the UK government’s preferred candidate.
Before being confirmed in the job, Fairhead will face questions from MPs in the government’s Media Select Committee next week. She is to replace Lord Chris Patten, who resigned in earlier this year for health reasons.
Fairhead is a former Financial Times chief executive, with extensive leadership experience in business, having served on the boards of HSBC, PepsiCo, plane and train-maker Bombardier and chemicals group ICI.
If appointed, she will be expected to lead the BBC through the choppy waters of charter renewal – the process reviewing the corporation’s obligations to the public which takes place every ten years. The renewal is usually preceded by at least a year or two of intense debate over the broadcaster’s worth and its level of public funding. The current charter is due to expire in 2016.
Fairhead said of her candidacy: “I am under no illusions about the significance and the enormity of the job but I am excited to have the chance to lead the BBC through the coming years.”
Radio New Zealand fills new post of Head of Digital Media
8 August 2014
RNZ has appointed Glen Scanlon as Head of Digital Media. He is currently the editor at stuff.co.nz, a prominent national news website. He previously worked as a chief reporter and assistant editor in regional press in New Zealand, and as an editor at CNN in London.
In making the announcement Radio New Zealand CEO, Paul Thompson, emphasised the importance of the new role in the public broadcaster’s multiplatform digital strategy.
“He has proven experience in leading a team of digital journalists to achieve high levels of audience growth and engagement.”
“Glen will lead our digital media strategy and ensure we provide high quality, trusted and engaging news and information on our websites and apps and through social media,” Thompson added.
Scanlon said he was looking forward to delivering strong, multimedia journalism, and building on Radio New Zealand’s reputation for telling great stories. He is due to start his new role in October.
Change at the top for the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas
5 July 2014
The Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (ZNS) has announced the appointment of seasoned broadcaster Diana Swann as General Manager. She replaces Edwin Lightbourn, who is entering retirement.
Swann previously served as deputy GM for the ZNS Northern Service after becoming the first female News Editor and News Director at the station, as well as heading the sales department for the broadcaster in the capital, Nassau.
In the storms of 2004 and 2005, she led teams covering the hurricanes at ZNS; “she was able to bring calm to a community on the edge, both during and after the storms” reported the Bahamas Press.
ZNS is a CBA member. Its name stands for Zephyr Nassau Sunshine and it operates five radio stations as well as the only over-the-air TV service in the Bahamas.
Cameroonian media development veteran to lead AMI
29 May 2014
The board of the African Media Initiative has appointed Eric Chinje as its new CEO. Chinje, from Cameroon, was chosen after an international selection process and he will begin his 3-year term this July.
The AMI’s core mandate is to develop Africa’s media sector, and in a statement the organisation it would benefit from Eric Chinje’s “stellar journalism, communications and development experience along with valuable management skills and an unalloyed commitment to Africa’s development.”
Chinje is both an experienced journalist and seasoned high-level adviser on African development. He was Editor for Cameroon Television and has been a correspondent for the likes of the CNN World Report, the BBC World Service, Voice of America and Deutsche Welle. He is currently a senior adviser with KRL International in the US, following a stint as Director of Strategic Communications at the Mo Ibrahim Foundation in the UK.
Eric Chinje spent over 16 years at the World Bank in Washington DC where his roles included leading the Global Media Development Program at the World Bank Institute and the Africa Region Strategic Communications Unit.
Nigerian Television Authority names new DG
19 March 2014
The state-owned Nigerian TV Authority (NTA) has announced the appointment of Sola Omole as the Director-General. He takes over from the acting DG, Alhaji Musa Mayaki, who has reverted to the position of Executive Director Finance and Adminstration.
Omole’s appointment was approved by the Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, in Abuja. It appears to be a return to broadcasting for Omole, who worked at the then Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (now Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria) as a radio announcer, and the NTA as a reporter, editor and TV news anchor in the 70s and 80s. He then joined Chevron Nigeria Limited in 1985.
The NTA is said to be the biggest television network in Africa, with stations in several parts of Nigeria.
New public broadcasting chiefs in Nigeria, Mozambique and Macau
20 February 2014
The Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) has announced the appointment of Ladan Salihu as Director-General. He replaces Bola Agboola, who has been acting DG since July last year. Mr Salihu (pictured) was previously was the director of FRCN’s Kaduna zonal station. A seasoned broadcaster, he has been a correspondent at the Nigeria Television Authority, as well as a reporter for Voice of America’s Hausa language service. FRCN is a publicly funded network with 35 radio stations broadcasting over SW, MW and FM across Nigeria, and is thought to be the largest radio network in Africa.
Radio Mozambique now has a new CEO and President, Faruco Sadique Ibraimo. Mr Ibraimo, a journalist with over two decades’ experience has a background in both newspapers and community radio. Radio Mozambique is state-run, operating a national network, as well as provincial and local channels in Portuguese, English and indigenous languages.
Manuel Pires has been named as the new Chief Executive for Teledifusão de Macau, Macau’s public broadcaster. He will take over on 1 March. Mr Pires, currently Deputy Director of the country’s tourist board, will replace Leong Kam Chun, who resigned on 5 February after three years in charge. TDM broadcasts in Portuguese and Cantonese in the former Portguese territory, which is now controlled by China, like Hong Kong.
A new Director-General for All India Radio
4 February 2014
Broadcaster Fayyaz Sheheryar has taken over as head of public service network All India Radio (AIR). He has served with the station and its TV equivalent Doordarshan in various capacities since 1981.
A former station director of Radio Kashmir, Sheheryar is reported to be the first officer from Jammu and Kashmir to head AIR, one of the world’s largest broadcasting networks. Sheheryar is also credited with launching Doordarshan’s Urdu channel in New Delhi in 2006.
Changes at the top in Zambia, Cyprus and Japan
30 January 2014
Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation has appointed Chibamba Kanyama as Director-General. Kanyama (pictured) has served as Corporate Affairs Director at both Zambia Breweries and the Zambia State Insurance Corporation. He was appointed at the first sitting of ZNBC’s new board – the broadcaster had no board until one was ratified recently by parliament.
Grigoris Maliotis has become the acting Director-General for Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation after the retirement of Themis Themistocleous, who was also a CBA board member. Maliotis was previously head of technical services at the broadcaster.
Finally, one of the world’s largest public broadcasters, NHK in Japan, has appointed Katsuto Momii as its new President, following the departure of Masayuki Matsumoto on 24 January (see below). However Momii drew a storm of criticism for remarks during his first press conference as head of NHK, where he played down Japan’s use of wartime sex slaves during WWII. He has since apologised for his “inappropriate” comments. Momii is the former vice-chairman of a trading house.
New Secretary-General for the Caribbean Broadcasting Union
7 January 2014
The Barbados-based Caribbean Broadcasting Union has announced the appointment of Sonia Gill as its new Secretary-General. She is the former Assistant Executive Director of the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica, and replaces Patrick Cozier who retired from the position on 31 December last year after 18 years’ service.Gill, the first woman to head the union, is a journalist, media regulator, development practitioner and lawyer. She will take up her post on 20 January
The CBU, founded in 1970, is a not-for-profit association of public service and commercial broadcasters the region, covering 21 countries, and is an affiliate member of the CBA.
Head of Japan’s NHK to step down
10 December 2013
The President of Japan’s Public Service Broadcaster has announced he is stepping down early next year. Masayuki Matsumoto, head of NHK, indicated he did not intend to seek another term when his current one runs out on 24 January.
“I fulfilled my responsibility during a single three-year term,” said Matsumoto said at a press briefing. “From the start, when I took up the post, I was going to serve a three-year single term,” he added.
Matsumoto came to NHK from the Central Japan Railway Company, where he was vice-chairman. He is credited with reducing fees for viewers and cutting staff costs at NHK. He is also considered to be responsible for the marketing efforts that led to a record 38.49 million viewer contracts in the first half of this year.
On his successor, Matsumoto said: “The most important thing is that NHK will develop as a public broadcaster. I hope that [the board] will select someone suitable for such a task.”
[Source: The Japan Times]
All India Radio announces new head
18 November 2013
R Venkateswarlu has been appointed Director-General of Public Service Broadcaster All India Radio.
He has moved from the post of Director-General of South Zone, where he oversaw the running of all stations in the south of the country. With 35 years of media experience, Venkateswarlu has held several roles in radio, as well as working for Prasar Bharati, the umbrella body covering public radio and TV in India.
He replaces Leela Dhar Mandloi, who has retired from the organisation after 37 years in service.
[Source: Asia Radio Today]
Russian broadcaster appoints new Director-General
23 October 2013
Ren TV, a nationwide commercial broadcaster in Russia, has named Irina Varlamova as new director-general, replacing Aleksandr Ordzhonikidze, who is leaving the company.
Ordzhonikidze headed both the broadcaster and the station’s majority owner National Media Group, and will now focus on the latter role. Varlamova has held a number of posts at Ren TV, including editor-in-chief and executive producer, reports Digital TV Europe.
Head of USA’s public radio network steps down
21 August 2013
The President and CEO of NPR (National Public Radio) Gary Knell has announced his departure after less than two years, and will be taking up a similar position at the National Geographic Society, the organisation’s board of directors announced this week.
Knell, pictured, will remain with the US network until the end of autumn while the board searches for a successor. In a letter to employees, Knell expressed confidence that the team at NPR is charting “an ambitious path” for the organisation’s future and that he had accepted the unsolicited offer to become chief executive officer at National Geographic following “a great deal of personal reflection.”
Knell took over NPR in December 2011 after a difficult period in terms of politics and funding. “We’ve calmed some of the waters politically. I’ve done a lot of outreach to members on both sides of the aisle to put NPR into a better context,” Knell told The Associated Press.
NPR is a not-for-profit network which is both publicly and privately funded. It broadcasts news, information and music programming to 975 non-commercial radio stations, reaching 27 million listeners in the United States per week.
New acting Director-General appointed for Nigeria’s FRCN
16 July 2013
Alhaji Bola Agboola has been appointed as the Acting Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and has assumed office in Abuja. Agboola was previously the director of FRCN’s Ibadan Zonal Station.
The new acting DG said his immediate plan is to embark on aggressive revenue generation, staff training and clearer signals for better listenership to move the corporation to greater heights, it was reported in Radio Nigeria Online.
Tunde Oluwanike of the Nigerian Union of Journalists described Alhaji Agboola as a “seasoned marketer, administrator and scholar capable of repositioning the largest radio network in Africa.”
FRCN is a publicly funded network with 35 radio stations broadcasting over SW, MW and FM across Nigeria.
Radio NZ names newspaper executive as CEO
13 June 2013
Radio New Zealand has appointed Paul Thompson as the next chief executive and editor-in-chief of the national public service broadcaster. He succeeds Peter Cavanagh, who announced his departure in January this year.
Thompson is moving over from print media – he is currently the group executive editor of Fairfax Media in New Zealand and a former editor of the Christchurch Press and the Nelson Mail.
The chair of Radio New Zealand, Richard Griffin, said Thompson is a respected and experienced media executive with a track record of successful leadership: “The process of selection was thorough and competitive, and we are sure we have now appointed a CEO who is ideally versed in the concepts of editorial integrity and executive management that have been the hallmark of Peter Cavanagh’s ten years at the helm.”
Paul Thompson will take up his new post later in the year.
New DGs for broadcasters and regulators in Pakistan, Nigeria and Ghana
13 May 2013
Samina Pervaiz (left) has been appointed director-general of Radio Pakistan. She is head of external publicity at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and will carry out both roles in parallel. The contract of incumbent head Ghulam Murtaza Solangi was terminated with immediate effect, according to Radio Pakistan’s website.
Nigeria’s broadcasting regulator, the National Broadcasting Commission, has named Emeka Mba as its new director-general. Mba was director-general of the National Film and Video Censor Board until July 2012. His new role begins with immediate effect.
Major Albert B Don-Chebe (retired) has been appointed as the new director-general of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. Previously he was the director of corporate planning and communication at the Export Development and Agricultural Investment Fund, and is a lawyer by background. His new role began this week.
Broadcasting leadership changes in Rwanda, Canada, Malta, Australia and the UK
9 May 2013
The Rwandan government has named journalist Arthur Asiimwe (left) as head of the newly formed Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA). The body replaces the Rwanda Bureau of Information and Broadcasting (Orinfor). See Rwanda’s state broadcaster to go independent.
The head of English language services at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Kirstine Stewart, has made a surprise move into social media, becoming the managing director – and first employee – of Twitter Canada. She resigned with immediate effect.
Malta’s Public Broadcasting Services is in the midst of restructure following an election and change of government in March. Tonio Portughese is set to be appointed chairman of PBS, according to the Times of Malta, citing government sources. Reno Bugeja has been named as the broadcaster’s head of news.
Australia’s national broadcaster, the ABC, has appointed SBS TV executive Richard Finlayson as the director of television. Finlayson is currently chief operating officer at SBS, a position he has held since 2010. He replaces Kim Dalton (see below, 19 December) and begins his role on 1 July.
And lastly, the CEO of Digital UK, David Scott, has announced he will step down later this year. Scott joined Digital UK in 2008 to oversee UK’s switch to digital television, and is currently working to clear Freeview signals from airwaves needed for the introduction of 4G mobile services. A new CEO is expected to be appointed this summer.
CEO of Maori TV in New Zealand steps down
22 April 2013
Jim Mather, the head of Maori Television has announced his resignation. He is leaving the Maori language broadcaster to lead Te Wananga o Aotearoa, the Maori tertiary education institution.
Joining Maori TV in 2005, just a year after the channel was founded, Mather oversaw significant growth of the indigenous broadcaster.
Maori Television chairman Georgina te Heuheu said he had made an “immense contribution to the success of Māori Television,” and added, “he took a fledgling broadcaster and developed it into a fully grown organisation now occupying its own unique space in our national television landscape, and working hard to earn the respect of a wide audience.”
Mather, pictured above, said his strong passion for development meant that the new opportunity to lead the Te Wananga o Aotearoa was one he had to pursue, and added that although the decision to leave was difficult, “we are well down the path of Maori Television’s transition to a multimedia digital organisation, and I feel like the time is right to conclude my tenure at the helm.”
The recruitment process for a new CEO will start next month, and Mather’s notice period will run until October.
SABC board chaos, new DG for Deutsche Welle
19 March 2013
CAPE TOWN: The functioning of South Africa’s Public Service Broadcaster, SABC, continues to hang in the balance with the dissolution of its board by parliament this week. It comes days after the resignation of chairman Ben Ngubane (pictured far left) and every board member bar one.
With the rush to appoint an interim board, opposition parties now accuse the government of political interference in the running of the broadcaster.
Confusion intensified last month when SABC announced the removal of the acting chief operating officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng. Ngubane and his deputy Thami Ka Plaatjie then said that the decision had been reversed, but the board made a statement it had not, and did not have the authority to remove the COO. Motsoeneng’s position is now unclear with the dissolution of the board.
The new, temporary board is expected to be approved by South Africa’s National Assembly and is to have a lifespan of six months.
BERLIN: Peter Limbourg has been named new director-general of Germany’s international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle. Limbourg (pictured above, right) is currently information director of pay TV and mass media company, ProSiebenSat.1 TV Germany. He has a background in law and journalism. At the end of September, Limbourg will succeed Erik Bettermann, who has led Deutsche Welle since 2001.
“Together with my colleagues, I hope to further enhance Deutsche Welle’s journalistic standing and its multilingual and multimedia programming. Intensifying DW’s cooperation with Germany’s public service broadcasters ARD and ZDF is another goal I have set myself,” said Limbourg.
Chief operating officer appointed for BBC Global News in India
6 February 2013
BBC Global News Ltd, which encompasses the broadcaster’s commercial news operations, BBC World News and the international version of the BBC news website, has appointed Preet Dhupar as head of operations in India.
The role in India has been created in the wake of the broadcaster’s recent international restructuring, in a bid to ensure an integrated focus on its English language news interests during a time of rapid change in Indian broadcasting.
Dhupar, currently finance and operations director for BBC Global News and BBC Worldwide in India, will take on the new role alongside her existing one. She will be responsible for determining the BBC’s commercial priorities and targets for news across India.
A qualified accountant, Dhupar joined the BBC in 2000 and was instrumental in setting up operations in India, and has also provided operational leadership and management of the broadcaster’s commercial businesses in Singapore.
Radio New Zealand begins search for a new CEO
18 January 2013
Radio New Zealand is seeking a new head after the resignation of its chief executive and editor-in-chief, Peter Cavanagh. In announcing that he will be stepping down at the end of the year, Cavanagh stressed the importance of a smooth transition for the broadcaster.
“I have advised the board that after ten years as CEO of Radio New Zealand, I will not be seeking to renew my contract when it expires in December. I am announcing my decision now to give the Board as much time as possible to find the best person to lead the organisation into the future,” he said.
“It has been a great privilege for me to lead a world-class public service broadcaster like Radio New Zealand over the past decade, but at the end of the year it will be time for me to move on to other things.”
Radio New Zealand (RNZ) is a member of the CBA, which commended Cavanagh’s work.
Secretary-general Sally-Ann Wilson said: “The announcement is a loss not just for RNZ, but also for Public Service Broadcasting globally.
“Peter has always been a solid supporter of and contributor to CBA activities, but his real achievement at the helm of RNZ has been maintaining audience support and broadcast quality. Radio New Zealand National finished 2012 as the No.1 radio station in New Zealand for the second year in a row,” she said.
“For a public service broadcaster operating in the most competitive radio market in the world, this really is a truly remarkable achievement.”
ABC’s head of TV resigns, director-general of Georgian Public Broadcaster steps down
19 December 2012
Kim Dalton, director of television for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has announced his departure. He has been in post since 2006, and will finish at the national broadcaster in February 2013.
Dalton, pictured, is credited with spearheading some of the biggest technological changes at the ABC, such as the introduction of new digital channels and the iView platform, an iPad app for ABC content.
The ABC said it hopes to appoint a replacement by early next year.
Director General of Georgian Public Broadcaster to step down
19 December 2012
The head of the main national broadcaster in the country of Georgia is to step down. Giorgi Chanturia, director general of Georgian Public Broadcaster, was appointed in 2008 for a six-year term.
GPB’s technical director, George Baratashvili will act as director general until the conclusion of a competitive selection process.
Chanturia told journalists that he was resigning because he wasn’t able to fulfill the plan he made when assuming the post three years ago, according to Tbilisi-based news website, Democracy and Freedom Watch.
New network heads in South Korea, Georgia, and the UK
7 December 2012
The past month has seen new heads appointed for at least three national broadcasters around the world.
Gil Hwan-Young took office as president and CEO of Korean Broadcasting System on 23 November. Mr Gil, 58, emphasised that KBS should strive to produce creative content to break through the financial crisis that has constricted the broadcasting industry. He joined KBS as a TV producer in 1981.
Rustavi 2 Broadcasting Company, one of four national TV networks in Georgia, announced the appointment of a new director-general, Nikoloz Gvaramia last month. The TV station, is one of four national broadcasters in Georgia, and is reported to have Tbilisi’s highest viewership.
Meanwhile in London, Tony Hall was appointed as the new director-general of the BBC on 22 November. It follows the resignation of George Entwhistle on 10 November. Lord Hall, currently CEO of the Royal Opera House, is due to take over the role in early March.
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