AIB Awards Open for Entries 2012

The 2012 AIBs are now open for entries.  Download the entry booklet here.

The official launch of the AIBs 2012 took place back on Monday 2nd April 2012 at MIPTV in Cannes in front of an audience of broadcasters from all over the world.  Our thanks go AIB member France24 who hosted the event on their stand. Each year, AIB organises a global search for the very best content. Programmes are entered by broadcasters, independent producers and journalists from countries on just about every continent, including Antarctica.

The goal for each entrant is the same – to be recognised by their peers in the international broadcasting business by winning an AIB Award. We know it means something. It helps producers spot rising talent. It provides a bench-mark for the information branch of the media sector. In the last 8 years, we’re proud to have helped talented people further their careers.

The winners of the 8th annual awards will be announced at a gala evening in London on Wednesday 7th November 2012.  Book the date in your diary and watch out for more details here on the AIB Awards Blog.

Click here to find out about Partnership Opportunities that provide more than nine months exposure to major international broadcasters worldwide and to 25,000 media industry professionals throughout the worldwide. 

This year, in addition to our regular awards covering radio and television current affairs, documentaries, investigative journalism, children’s programmes, science, sports technology and marketing, we are proud to announce two new awards which reflect the changing face of broadcast journalism:

  • Best short documentary, feature or report which highlights the increasing production and consumption of top-quality short programmes from a range of new and existing content producers
  • Best coverage of London 2012 which looks forward to the coverage of the Olympic Games which promise to break new ground in terms of 3D production and use of social media and second screens

The AIB is also looking to keep our judging panel fair and fresh. Although we’re based in the UK, we are proudly international in our outlook. Launching the awards on the France24 stand was deliberate. We’re aware that Western media has an Anglo-Saxon bias. Which is why our awards have always attracted entries from producers who don’t work in English, yet have an important story to share with their audiences. We also know that with the current financial crisis, you need to be creative and clever to get the budgets you need to do a proper job.

Our judges know how to spot genius when they see or hear it. So we’re looking for new judges who will help us continue the tradition of seeking out brilliance. We really do concentrate on world-class content. Anyone can set up a gong-factory – it takes real hard work to be fair.

For full details about the awards, download The AIBs 2012 entry book here.

Eurosport and RTG TV have already announced their sponsorship of the AIB Awards 2012. 

Eurosport logo

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Call for 2012 Judges

Today, the AIB is starting the search for this year’s the panel of independent judges for the 2012 Awards.

The AIBs, the International Media Excellence Awards run by the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) are unique in being judged by an independent panel of respected professionals drawn from the broadcasting and international media industries across the whole world.  In past events, we have had AIB judges made up of media leaders representing every continent and 23 different countries – from Russia to South Africa, from Brazil to China and from Australia to Norway.  They have a vast range of experience in radio, TV and satellite broadcasting as well as online and trans-media production.

Biographies of all the judges, together with the full list of the award categories, entry details and information on the awards ceremony will be posted here in July 2012.  A collage of  previous judges can be downloaded here.

The AIBs, now in their eighth year, are independent of commercial interest and attract entries from throughout the world, representing the best of international radio, TV and cross-media broadcasting.  The 18 different categories to be judged cover the broad spectrum from single news events to long-term investigation and from traditional terrestrial broadcasting to innovative use of multi-platform format.

The winners of the AIBs will be announced at the AIB awards gala on 7th November 2012 which is held in the stunning visual and acoustic space of LSO St Luke’s in London. The currently announced sponsorship partners for the 2012 AIBs include the Russian Travel Guide (RTG) TV, and Eurosport.

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First sponsors announced for 2012 AIBs

We are pleased to announce the first two sponsors for the 2012 AIBs, our annual international media excellence awards.

Image of the Russian Travel guide logoRussian Travel Guide TV (RTG TV) is sponsoring the award for “International TV Personality”. RTG TV is an international documentary television channel focused on the cultural and geographical variety of the world’s largest country.

Image of the Eurosport logo

Eurosport is sponsoring the award for “Best Cross-media production”. Eurosport, the European leader in sport, is available in 59 countries in 20 different languages.

 

Sponsorship provides over nine months of exposure to major international broadcasters worldwide and to 27,000 media industry professionals throughout the worldwide. If your organisation is interested in finding out more, please click here to download the 2012 AIBs Partnership Opportunities brochure

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TV Apps

I attended AppsWorld Europe this week to find out some of the latest developments in development of apps, particularly TV Apps.  TV Apps can refer either to Apps on a TV screen or to Apps relating to TV programmes.  The former just use the TV as a large high-definition screen on which to view an app which can have any functionality.  But I was more interested in the second type, where apps are used to comment on and add value to TV programming.

Much has been made of how the young generation in particular watches a second screen while they watch television.  They are increasingly using social media apps to share their opinions about programmes, and what is interesting and popular causes many followers to switch channel.  These type of apps are outside the control of the broadcaster, but they can provide detailed feedback on what is popular and how to gain and retain viewers. Broadcasters need to be focusing on analysis of social media activity to learn how to improve their audience engagement and growth.

Innovative broadcasters are also using specific apps to add value to programmes, either developing their own or using third party apps.  The apps can provide more detailed information on what is happening in the program and links to featured brands. Apps such as Zeebox are already providing time tagging to provide information relevant to the context at a particular point in a programme.

So broadcasters need to be planning to use apps, for feedback and for audience engagement and the AIB will be providing more information in future publications in particular to help our members but also for general consumption.

Please use the link in the right hand column if you would like to sign up for the AIB Industry Briefing which is free to interested professionals in the media industry.

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The 2011 AIBs

AIB Radio Personality Farshid ManafiAIB TV Personality David AttenboroughAIB Founders Award - SRF Two Women One JourneyAIB Science Atlantic_Sky Flying Monsters 3DAIB Childrens BBC Newsround Afghan 2AIB Childrens BBC Newsround Afghan
AIB CA doco Mid East BBC PanoramaAIB CA doco radio RTIAIB CA Doco True VisionAIB Cross Media DR 1864AIB Invest doco DR Man Who LiedAIB Invest doco radio Czech Radio
AIB Marketing France 24 The BirdsAIB Sport Nine NetworkAIB Yahoo! Maktoob AlhurraAIBS 2011 aerialAIB Radio creative fx RTEAIB TV doco NHK Surviving
AIB Business SRC MeltdownAIB Single News radio BBC 5 LiveAIB Technology Ideal ShoppingAIB Single News TV CBS

The 2011 AIBs, a set on Flickr.

A selection of images from the 2011 AIBs that took place in London on 9 November

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Taking part in the AIB Yahoo! Maktoob People’s Choice Award

UPDATE 7/11/11: Voting has now closed and the winner will be announced at the AIBs gala awards ceremony on Wednesday 9th November in London

Anyone can vote for the best international broadcast coverage of democracy uprisings and the Arab Spring and so choose the winner of the AIB Yahoo! Maktoob People’s Choice award for 2011.  The videos can be viewed on Yahoo! Maktoob, the Yahoo! website for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the votes of online viewers will determine the winner.

Broadcasts from Alhurra TV, Aljazeera English, Deutsche Welle Arabic, France24, New Delhi Television (NDTV) and Press TV has been shortlisted and their videos (full length and 5 minute highlights) are available to view on Yahoo! Maktoob.   Four entries are in English with Arabic subtitles and two in Arabic with English subtitles so that they cater for both English-speaking and Arabic-speaking audiences.  The programme which receives the most votes from online viewers will be presented with the award on Nov 9th.

Between them they cover events from all over the Arab Spring including the revolution in Tunisia, the uprisings and conflict in Libya, the Egyptian revolution, unrest in Syria and the demonstrations and crackdown in Bahrain.

How to vote:

  1. Go to the page with all the videos  http://video.maktoob.com/program_videos-مسابقة-اتحاد-البث-الدولي-وياهو!-مكتوب-2011-196
  2. This page is in Arabic but broadcasters names are in English as well, so English-speakers can also choose the programmes they would like to watch.
  3. Click on a video that you want to watch and view it.  At the end use the browser back button to return to the page with all videos
  4. When you have decided on the video you want to vote for, select that video and underneath it click on the yellow button which contains the text “VOTE” as well as its Arabic equivalent.
  5. You have to login or register with Yahoo! to vote to prevent multiple voting – follow the instructions which are in English and Arabic
  6. Once are are logged in, cast your vote
  7. Voting closes at the end of Sunday, 6th November (midnight Cairo time)

Thank you for your participation.

TV broadcasts had a huge effect on the uprisings that took place during the Arab Spring – they were shaped by the people taking part and they were of huge importance to inform others and involve them in the protests.  It is fitting that online viewers in the Middle East and across the world will vote to determine the broadcast that affected them most.

 

 

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Earlybird price for “Future of Broadcast: Engaging the social audience”

media140 have announced an early bird price for booking made to this event, held in partnership with the AIB, on November 9th.

For bookings made up to 1st November, the price will only be £145 + VAT.  After that the price will be £195 + VAT.

Speakers and panellists already announced include Simon Spanswick (CEO of the AIB), Dr Claire Wardle (Director of UltraSocial), Andrew Grill (CEO of Peoplebrowsr UK) and Shadid Hussain (Product Strategy Director of HUGE Inc.)

For more details of the event and to register click here

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People’s Choice – voting starts next week

Online voting for the AIB Yahoo! Maktoob People’s Choice award, for the “Best TV Coverage of Democracy Uprisings”, will start next week and continue for two weeks.  The six short-listed entrants will be announced soon.

People from throughout the world will be able to go to the Yahoo! Maktoob site and select each short-listed entry to view it.  They will then be able to cast a vote to choose the one they think should be the winner.

Information about the viewing and voting is now available on Yahoo! Maktoob.  Click here for the English version and here for the Arabic version.

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AIB and Media140 partnering for “Engaging the Social Viewer”

The AIB is pleased to announce that it is partnering with Media140 to hold an event entitled “Engaging the Social Viewer” on the afternoon of Wednesday 9th November 2011.

The event will look at how to chose the right platforms to deliver the best experience for a connected audience.  With competition for audiences’ attention increasing and both viewers and listeners becoming less passive, broadcasters have to change to engage more with their audiences.  Choosing the right online and mobile tools and planning how to manage them is becoming a key requirement.

This event is timed to be just before the AIBs gala dinner and awards ceremony allowing those travelling to the awards to combine two valuable events in one trip.

More details of the Media140 event, including how to book, can be found on the “Engaging the Social Viewer” micro-site.  Those who wish to attend both this event and the AIBs awards ceremony will be able to book a special combined discounted rate on the AIB site

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Yahoo! Maktoob to host AIB’s People’s Choice

The AIB is delighted that Yahoo! Maktoob have agreed to host the viewing and voting for this year’s People’s Choice award.  This year’s topic for the People’s Choice is “Best TV coverage of democracy uprisings” so it is fitting that Yahoo! Maktoob with its 55 million monthly viewers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, should be the site where viewers can look at the best TV programmes on a topic that has so moved and changed the MENA region over the last year.

The six short-listed entries, from broadcasters across the world, will be available to watch on Yahoo! Maktoob for two weeks from mid-October and each viewer will be able to vote for their favourite with the entry which receives the most online votes being chosen as the winner of the category and receiving their award at the AIBs ceremony in London on Wednesday November 9th.

The programmes will be available with Arabic and English sub-titles making the programmes accessible to a worldwide audience and will leverage Yahoo!’s huge user base to generate ongoing comment and discussion as well as voting.

A press release with futher details of this co-operation between AIB & Yahoo! can be seen here

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