THE GLOBAL BROADCASTING GUIDE
Winter 2002-2003 edition

AN INFOVIEW

by Bob Padula
February 2003

Editor: Simon Spanswick
Publisher: The Association of International Broadcasting, PO Box 4440 Walton, C014 8BX, United Kingdom
Tel/FAX: +44 0 1255 67 6996
E-mail: info@aib.org.uk
Web: http://www.aib.org.uk/

Annual Subscription Rate
(two issues)
GBP 7 postpaid worldwide airmail
(GBP 5.5 in the UK)
Also available from the BBC Shop

Published twice a year, the GBG is now in its seventh year, and declares itself to be "the definitive index of English language international broadcasting, and "a unique directory of every radio station that broadcasts internationally on shortwave radio in English".

GBG comes in a handy-sized A5 format, glossy color covers, of 48 pages, and promoted essentially for travellers wishing to keep in touch with home; it will also be useful to a much broader "non-mobile" community of world radio listeners, as a quick "ready-reference".

The latest edition reflects a page increase from the former 36 pages, and we are provided with details about:

GLOBAL RADIO
International broadcasters, in alphabetical listing by studio country (18 pages), showing

SW schedules for the winter season, effective until March 29, 2003 (some mediumwave data is given, such as VOA, Voice of Vietnam, and DW), with target areas, times, broadcast days and frequencies

Addressses: postal, E-mail, Web, telephone, FAX and Internet audio

General indications as to languages other than English for each broadcaster (no schedules)

GLOBAL TELEVISION
Contact details, postal and Web addresses, and satellite transponder data (four pages). GBG informs us that the number of satellite TV services is increasing for news and current affairs. Many international TV services are available on local cable systems, and some digital satellite services (such as those operated by Sky in the UK or TPS in France) carry international channels.

GBG further advises that some of these broadcasters originate programming in countries other than where they are based, for example, CNN International has a major news gathering operation in London, so some of the programming is made there, rather than n the Atlanta headquarters. Similarly, CNBC Europe is based in London, but takes some programming from the USA and other CNBC operations around the world.

GENERAL INFORMATION
About the AIB and "how to use the Guide" (13 pages)

COMMERCIAL DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS
For British-based communications companies, electronics/radio shops and magazines (five pages)

A pull-out form is provided for ordering subscriptions of the Guide and other products, including "The Channel" - AIB's glossy broadcasting industry magazine.

As an inexpensive Guide, this "ready reference" would admirably serve the needs of people not wishing to spend large amounts on large annual references, and who only wish to know about English broadcasts. An audit of the data revealed a high order of accuracy, apart from some minor typographical errors.

If I was going on one of my overseas excursions tomorrow, I would certainly take the Guide with me!

Bob Padula
Melbourne, Australia
file:///C:/my%20documents/mw%20aus/mailto:bobpadula@bigpond.com

FOOTNOTE: the Association for International Broadcasting is a not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee. It is the professional trade association for the cross-border broadcasting industry, and has no share-holders. Income generated is used to promote international broadcasting, supporting the needs of the industry.

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