AIBD/ASBU Meeting

11 April 2018, New Delhi, India

Minutes of the Meeting

1. The meeting convened at 6:30 p.m.
2. AIBD Director Chang Jin reported the Institute with support from ASBU will continue to organise the 4th regional workshop on digital radio in Kuala Lumpur.\
3. Mr Chang Jin also said it will seek ASBU assistance for the AIBD World TV Awards in 2019. Mr Abdul Rahim Suleiman, ASBU Director General, agreed to this request and offered five thousand US dollars (US$5,000) for this project. He asked AIBD to formally write a letter to ASBU inviting an ASBU member to be part of the jury in this competition. He also requested AIBD to accommodate the presentation of an ASBU two-minute audio-visual trailer during the Awards. The AIBD Director agreed to these requests.
4.  Mr Suleiman commented that the Asia Media Summit 2018 was successfully organized. He said only a few delegates from ASBU-member countries participated in the event, but he committed to bringing more ASBU members to join the AMS in 2019.. He also suggested to AIBD to avoid holding the AMS on dates that conflict with the Ramadan period. This will ensure more participation. He also requested AIBD to make available translation facilities to enable Arab speakers to full engage in the summit. ASBU is ready to bring in translator and cover their costs. He requested for a formal letter inviting ASBU to attend the AMS as well as to provide translators, to which Mr Chang Jin agreed.
5. Mr Mohamed bin Saad Al-Jaris, Adviser to the President of Saudi Broadcasting Corporation, Saudi Arabia, expressed support for more Arab participants, including translators to ensure presence of Arab members. The AMS is  a good platform, he said, to enhance understanding and  strengthen cooperation between the two regions.
6. Director Chang Jin thanked ASBU for its support and said as a partner, AIBD doesn’t impose any conference fee for the AMS. He stressed the benefits of their members’ participation in the AMS on ASBU delegates. He also urged ASBU to support the Institute’ workshop on social media.  ASBU agreed to send participants to this activity.
7.  Both AIBD and ASBU agreed to organise a workshop on hybrid broadcasting (HbbTV), which is a hot topic among ASBU members.
8.  Mr Suleiman pointed out that ASBU is promoting online training programmes in three languages to build capacity and competence of their members. Online programme topics will include social media, training of trainers, production, and one on radio. In June, it will launch the online program on mobile journalism. He said face-to-face training will be converted into an online model in order to benefit more members and make training materials more accessible to them. He said initial funds will come from the European Fund to support 18 participants per course. He also said that ASBU was ready to partner with AIBD in organising online programmes and requested the Institute to identify trainer for these programmes. Director Chang Jin said the Institute is ready to cooperate in this endeavour while Mrs Philomena Gnanapragasam, Head of AIBD Programme Department,  said the Institute has plans to introduce a similar approach to training.   
9.  Mr Suleiman stressed the need to present a more positive perspective of the Arab world through the Asia Media Summit. He said the Arab world should not be characterised as simply a region where there is much conflict and violence; there are bright spots in the region that need to be known across the globe, including Asia-Pacific.
10.  Eight ASBU members and AIBD staff joined the meeting that ended at 7:30 pm