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Deutsche Welle, BBC, France 24 and Voice of America are amongst numerous members of the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) who are angered by Ethiopian authorities’ intentional jam of satellite programs, and claim the action is a violation of international agreements. 

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and other international broadcasters have claimed television and radio broadcasts on the Arabsat satellites have been intentionally jammed by the Ethiopian authorities. BBC, Deutsche Welle, France 24 and the US Broadcasting Board of Directors, which oversees the Voice of America, have all been affected, and have condemned the action, which they said was a “flagrant violation” of international procedures on operating satellite equipment.

The best known – and, dare I say it, the most respected – example of public diplomacy broadcasting just ended. Did you notice? Don’t worry, you weren’t supposed to. You see, in April, after 75 years, the British government stopped directly funding the BBC World Service.

The best known example of public diplomacy broadcasting just ended. Did you notice?

The news that the ABC is to establish an ‘online portal’ in China that will allow it to ‘represent and sell media content across China’ has been greeted with understandable enthusiasm by the ABC.

The BBC is to make its “greatest commitment to the arts for a generation” with a new focus on bringing culture to the masses. The corporation has recruited Sir Nicholas Serota, head of the Tate, and the National Theatre’s artistic director Nicholas Hytner as advisers. Sir Tony Hall, the BBC director-general, said he wanted BBC Arts to be as recognisable around the world as BBC News and BBC Sport.

Danny Cohen, head of the BBC's television output, has promised viewers that the corporation will not make any more all-male comedy panel shows. Following recommendations made by the BBC Trust last year, Cohen has underlined his determination to see women appearing in the habitually macho environment of panel shows such as QI and Mock the Week. Talking to the Observer about his plans for better representing his audiences on screen, Cohen said: "We're not going to have any more panel shows with no women on them. It's not acceptable."

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