"The Afghan media have flourished since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001. Under Taliban rule, television was banned and there was only one government-controlled radio station. Today Afghanistan boasts over 75 TV stations, 175 radio station and hundreds of newspapers and magazines. However,
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according to pro-democracy groups, heavy handed government controls on radio, television and newspapers and the harassment and intimidation of journalists remain major problems. Radio is still the main channel for communicating news and information. But it is losing ground steadily to television, particularly in the towns and cities. As television ownership grows, the number of households with a radio set is declining. A media audience survey commissioned by USAID in 2010 found that 63% of all Afghans listen to radio regularly. The survey, conducted by Altai Consulting, found that only 48% of all Afghans watch television regularly. But it showed that once Afghans get a television in their home, they tend to abandon the radio. The Altai Consulting survey of 6,648 people in over 900 towns and villages indicated that 58% of households with a TV no longer possess a radio. Other recent audience surveys by BBC World Service Trust and the Asia Foundation indicate a slightly higher rate of radio listening than the Altai Consulting study. But all three point to a steady drift of broadcasting audiences from radio to television. It is therefore vital that humanitarian agencies communicate with the public through television as well as radio to ensure that they engage a wide audience." (Media overview, page 9)
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"Over the last five years, Mozambique has achieved significant improvements in the supporting infrastructure for developing and expanding media and ICTs. The expansion of the optical fibre services, and of access to fixed and mobile telephony and broadband Internet, have been instrumental in helping
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broadcasters extend coverage throughout the country. Mobile phone penetration currently covers 86.7 per cent of the population, including more isolated rural areas. The radio broadcasting subsector (public and community) is the most extensive in terms of both territorial and population coverage, while commercial television stations are also beginning to expand through the country and move beyond the urban centers. However, important constraints remain in this area, in particular: obsolete and insufficient transmission and production equipment in the public radio and television sector; poor quality electricity supply, especially in the districts; unreliable connectivity; shortage of technical capacity for maintenance and repairs to radio transmitters and studios; limited use and mastery of ICTs for producing and disseminating information; high costs for the air transport of newspapers; and poor distribution networks." (Conclusions, page 81)
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"Serbia has a strategy for switching over from analog to digital broadcasting, prepared with broad public consultation. The basic legal framework is in place, but implementation is not yet underway. Moreover, if fair access to digital licenses is to be ensured, a new media law—harmonized with the
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EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive—is still needed. Broadband internet has had by far the most significant growth among the available distribution platforms over the past five years. More than 23 percent of Serbian households had an internet connection at the end of 2009—more than doubling the number of such connections just four years earlier. The internet as a platform for activism is rapidly expanding, with the number of petitions, initiatives, and debates online growing considerably. The internet has also led to more diversity and to a plurality of voices in political life. All that said, Serbia remains a television nation, with almost all households owning a TV set and three quarters of the population still using television as their main source of information. Serbia’s private media sector continues to be plagued by opaque ownership structures, with the owners of various media hiding behind off shore–registered businesses. Additionally, there is no publicly available register of media owners. Without mechanisms to render media ownership transparent, Serbia’s media sector will not achieve its potential for independence and diversity." (Website Open Society Foundation, 19.12.2011)
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"Die Freiheit der Arbeit von Journalisten ist immer auch ein wichtiger Indikator für den Grad der Demokratisierung eines Staates. Kirgistan ist diesbezüglich ein zerrissenes Land, welches sich zwischen Fortschritten und Rückfällen hin und her bewegt und auch in dieser Hinsicht stark von den Nach
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wirkungen der Unruhen in Osch im Juni 2010 gekennzeichnet ist. Eine wichtige Richtungsentscheidung wird vermutlich die Präsidentschaftswahl im Oktober sein." (Zusammenfassung)
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