The early bird registration deadline has been extended for the inaugural World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference to be hosted by Māori Television in Auckland from March 26-28, 2008. Leaders, producers and planners involved in indigenous and public television must register online at www.witbc.org before November 30 this year to receive the special early bird rate. Click here to view the conference promotional trailer.
Internationally renowned leaders and industry experts are the featured guest speakers who – from their own experiences – can speak about the development of indigenous peoples and the future for indigenous broadcasting. These speakers will provide the encouragement for indigenous broadcasters to respond to the conference theme of reclaiming the future of indigenous identities, cultures and languages.
The conference sessions can now be viewed online at www.witbc.org. The sessions are: Leading The Pack – John Walter Jones (S4C, Wales); A National Broadcaster In Its Own Right – Jean Larose (APTN, Canada); Striving For Success – Jim Mather (Māori Television, NZ); Independence At Last – Pol O Gallchoir (TG4, Ireland - pictured); Indigenous TV Comes To Australia – Patricia Turner (NITV, Australia); Public Broadcaster Meets Indigenous Broadcaster – Collaboration Or Competition? – Shaun Brown (SBS, Australia); and Getting It Right – Yuan-Hui Hu (PTS, Taiwan).
Māori Television’s Julian Wilcox will host the session, The Great Audience Debate. Indigenous broadcasters worldwide face the challenge of revitalising language and culture while, at the same time, attracting more and more viewers. Strong ratings are the key to silencing the critics, satisfying the advertisers and securing our futures. But what’s the ideal balance and how do we make it work while remaining true to our core purpose?
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