Taiwan Hosts 2010 WITBC
November 5, 2009
The second ever World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference (WITBC ’10) will be hosted by Taiwan Indigenous Television (TITV) and Public Television Services (PTS) – under the umbrella of the Taiwan Broadcasting System – from Wednesday March 10 to Friday March 12, 2010.
TITV chief executive Masao
Aki says the theme of WITBC ’10 is ‘Facing the
Challenges in the Digital Age for Indigenous Media’ and
the aim is to create opportunities for indigenous
broadcasters to exchange views and experiences and to
encourage interaction and communication among indigenous
media worldwide. Leaders, producers and planners involved in
indigenous and public television can register their interest
to attend the conference on the website, http://www.witbc2010.org
.
New Zealand’s national indigenous broadcaster,
Maori Television, hosted the first World Indigenous
Television Broadcasting Conference in March 2008 which then
led to the establishment of the World Indigenous Television
Broadcasters Network (WITBN). WITBN represents nine
foundation member organisations (www.witbn.org) who meet on
a six-monthly basis developing initiatives such as an
international current affairs series, programme exchange
scheme, staff exchanges and international workshops on
indigenous broadcasting issues.
At WITBC ’10, the
inaugural chairman of WITBN, Jim Mather from Maori
Television, will hand over the leadership mantle of the
Network to the hosts, TITV, for the next two years. The
conference will conclude with the new TITV chairman of WITBN
outlining their vision for the future of WITBN.
Mr
Masao says a dynamic programme has been developed for the
conference covering an array of key topics including new
media challenges, the changing role of indigenous
broadcasters in revitalising native languages and cultures,
the maintenance of core cultural values whilst operating
successful television organisations, and the actual progress
made by WITBN since its inception in 2008.
In
addition, the chief executive of the Aboriginal Peoples
Television Network in Canada, Jean LaRose, will discuss
APTN’s success as the first indigenous network to acquire
the rights to broadcast an Olympics event – the 2010
Winter Olympics – and the associated HD conversion
presently being undertaken by his organisation. The
conference will be further enhanced by a series of expert
panel discussions on the responsibilities of indigenous
broadcasters in relation to the environment, promotion of
cultural values, and fulfilling the expectations of
audiences.
Mr Masao says a special feature will be a
film festival which will showcase the wisdom of indigenous
people and the preservation of a sustainable environment.
WITBN Council members are submitting new films for the
premiere screening and a DVD set of the festival films will
also be provided to delegates. It is also planned that
independent indigenous producers will have the opportunity
to showcase programming and their contribution to
international indigenous broadcasting through an expo that
will operate in conjunction with the film
festival.
“To enhance delegates’ understanding of
Taiwan’s indigenous culture, WITBC ’10 will be held at
the National Museum of Prehistory in Taitung in
south-eastern Taiwan,” Mr Masao says. “This is the first
national museum of archaeology in Taiwan, established to not
only display Taiwan’s prehistoric cultural heritage but
also, within the Peinan Cultural Park, to conserve the
natural environment and to exhibit and preserve the Peinan
site.”
WITBC ’10 will also be interspersed with
leading Taiwanese cultural groups and entertainers,
culminating in an opportunity for all delegates to
participate in two indigenous cultural tours on the final
day of the three-day event.
For more information about
the conference, go to http://www.witbc2010.org.
ENDS