Indigenous television representatives from throughout the world have confirmed their attendance at the first ever World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference to be hosted by Māori Television in Auckland, New Zealand, from March 26-28. They include delegates from the South African Broadcasting Corporation, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, National Indigenous Television (Australia), NRK Sami Radio, Mozambique Broadcasting, Fiji TV, PTS (Taiwan), ANIJ (Kathmandu) and the Commonwealth Broadcasters Association. Click here to register to attend!
Indigenous television leaders and industry experts from Timor-Leste, United States, South Africa, Scotland, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Wales, Taiwan and Aotearoa-New Zealand are now confirmed as featured guest speakers at the three-day conference. WITBC ‘08 will feature stories of their successes, observations and learning either as indigenous broadcasters overcoming adversity and oppression or as mainstream networks fostering indigenous broadcasting. Click here to view the latest programme.
Timor-Leste became the world’s newest sovereign state in May 2002 after nearly 450 years of Portuguese colonial rule and almost a quarter of a century of occupation by Indonesia. A country rebuilding from the ashes, Timor-Leste is facing significant challenges to rebuild the nation and put in place a new independent democracy. Nelio Isaac – head of news and current affairs at public television broadcaster Televisao Timor-Leste – will provide WITBC ’08 with an insight into the progress of Timor-Leste, the development of its media and their work to deal with the complex language issues that the new nation faces.
Traditional and new media are clashing. The old rules on content and distribution are gone, traditional alliances are unreliable and long-established partnerships are threatened. Everything is changing – prepare for an epic conflict! American Saul Berman – a global strategist at IBM Global Business Services – will present WITBC ’08 with IBM’s research-based assessment of the future of broadcasting and 10 strategies for traditional to survive and thrive. Dr Berman has more than 25 years consulting experience and was named as one of the top 25 consultants of 2005 by Consulting Magazine. Click here to view Dr Berman’s profile.
The plight of Australia’s indigenous peoples is well documented. But Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders had cause to celebrate last year when they launched their own indigenous channel, National Indigenous Television (NITV), followed by an official apology from the Australian Government this month. In her address to WITBC ’08, NITV chief executive Patricia Turner will outline the journey to establishment and the pathway they will take to grow into Australia’s newest national broadcaster with a reputation for delivering the best programmes the country has seen. Click here to view Patricia Turner’s profile.
Māori Television is offering five tertiary students based in New Zealand with the opportunity to meet with their peers, industry leaders and potential employers including some of the most influential people in indigenous broadcasting from throughout the world. To qualify for the scholarships, applicants must be full-time students in a related field – broadcasting, film or a specific media course, for example – and not currently in professional employment. The successful recipients will gain entry to the three-day conference at The Edge in central Auckland as well as fully-catered lunch and breaks. To apply, email .
Seize the chance to experience a truly memorable Māori cultural experience! WITBC ’08 delegates are being offered a special, exclusive excursion scheduled the day before the start of the conference. The Hīkoi Te Ao Māori tour includes a visit to an urban Auckland marae – Hoani Waititi – and the opportunity to be part of the formalities of a traditional Māori welcome or pōwhiri, to meet the tangata whenua (local people) and gain an insight into Māori language revitalisation efforts. The marae outing will be followed by a visit to the Arataki Visitors Centre – renowned for its rainforest and native wildlife – and a guided bushwalk. For more information including cost, email
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One of the region’s leading providers of customised broadcast and telecommunications networks, network services and converged solutions is a major partner of WITBC ‘08. Kordia™ operates and maintains an impressive New Zealand-wide network and provides design, build, deployment and maintenance of broadcast, mobile and IP-based telecommunications networks across Australasia and throughout the region. With more than 850 employees including highly-skilled engineering, network operations and field technician staff led by chief executive Geoff Hunt, Kordia™ has been pivotal in delivering New Zealand’s analogue, and now digital, free-to-air television networks. Go to www.kordia.co.nz.