Media South Asia

The Media South Asia project is committed to stimulating public debate about the future of broadcasting in South Asia and working with civil society and media organizations in the region to press the case for improved public interest communication.

A workshop was held on 8-9 May 2004 in New Delhi, hosted by The British Council, which focussed on the possibility of promoting an alliance between organisations working in similar areas of media-related activity in different parts of the region, with a view to furthering a dialogue and the sharing of expertise and experience from across South Asia.

After the publication of Satellites over South Asia in December 2000, the project held a number of conferences and workshops, both regionally and nationally, to explore public responses to the satellite revolution and the role of the state and state broadcasters in the new media market.

In December 2000, MSA held an international conference in New Delhi on the theme 'South Asian Broadcasting in the Satellite Age' attended by over a hundred participants from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well as delegates from the UK and South Africa. The conference was held in association with the British Council, New Delhi, and Panos South Asia. It brought together spokespersons for the satellite channels as well as their critics. It explored the impact of the satellite revolution in India and in neighbouring countries. It looked at the role of the state broadcasters in the new, competitive situation and the options for governments as regulators of the new media market.

BROADCASTING IN PAKISTAN - DEBATING THE FUTURE

A one-day workshop held at the British Council in Karachi on 18 April 2001 debated the future of the Pakistani electronic media. Participants included the Managing Director of Pakistan Television, Yousaf Baig Mirza, former Managing Director, Aslam Azhar, the CEO of the DAWN group of newspapers, Hameed Haroon, former Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Javed Jabbar, as well as leading advertisers, producers, journalists and documentary makers. The workshop was preceded by the launch of a Pakistani edition of Satellites over South Asia by the Oxford University Press.

BANGLADESHI CULTURE AND THE NEW MEDIA

On 27 April 2001, Bangladeshi broadcasters from the state sector, the terrestrial broadcaster, Ekushey TV, and the satellite media discussed the impact of the satellite media on Bangladesh culture. Representatives of NGOs working in media and development also contributed to the discussion, which was followed by the launch of the Bangladeshi edition of 'Satellites over South Asia'.

CULTURE AND CONVERGENCE IN SOUTH INDIA

A workshop was held in Chennai on 27 April 2001 in association with the Asian College of Journalism to review issues of cultural influence and media policy posed by the advance of global communications technology. There were sessions exploring South Indian perspectives on the satellite revolution, cable and community in Chennai, and the legal and technical ramifications of India's proposed Broadcasting Bill.