Taking Stock of Needs, Benefits of Digitisation

Developing countries or undeveloped markets must pursue cross-sectoral collaboration and increased human resource capacity to ensure effective policies and strategies that will maximise the benefits of digitisation, according to Mr. Fayyaz Shehryar, AIBD President and Director General of All India Radio, India.

Speaking at the opening of the 16th Asia Media Summit in Siem Reap, Cambodia one of the challenges they face is “adequate supply of skilled workers with strong cognitive, adaptive and creative skills necessary for working with the new technologies”.  

Mr Shehryar identified other challenges developing countries face to be better prepared in capturing the many opportunities emerging as a result of digitization. Among them the identification of the right technological infrastructure, provision for financial resources to adopt digital technologies, and the exclusion of critical voices and knowledgeable stakeholders in utilising digital technologies and big data for development programs.

He also cited AIBD’s contributions towards building capacity of broadcasters to understand new technologies and upgrade their skills necessary in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Among these were the workshops on ‘Understanding OTT, IBB Technologies and their Value-Added Services, Telling Compelling Data-Driven News Stories, DRM Digital Radio Implementation and Rollout, Emerging Technologies for Broadcasting and Media; Production to Delivery, Broadcasting in the Age of New Media: Opportunities and Challenges’.

 Mr Shehryar called on summit participants to help regain people’s trust in media by producing compelling stories.

“We trust that impactful storytelling, truthful storytelling will not be lost when we examine the breadth and depth of technological advances and digitisation in the Asia Media Summit”, he said.