TVEAP renews call for Poverty as a ‘copyrights free zone’

TVE Asia Pacific (TVEAP) has renewed its call for poverty to be recognised as a copyrights free zone by broadcasters and other audio-visual media producers.

TVEAP Director Nalaka Gunawardene presented his proposal during his plenary remarks to Asia Media Summit 2007.

 “The idea is to have broadcasters and other electronic publishers release copyrights on TV, video and online content relating to poverty and development issues -– at least until (MDG target year of) 2015,” Nalaka said during a session on ‘Mobilising airwaves against poverty’.

He added: “If the audio-visual media and the broadcast industry are to play a meaningful role against poverty, HIV, corruption and other scourges of our time, we need to break free from the crushing copyright mentality.”

Today’s copyright regimes prevent outstanding TV programmes from being shared more widely and used by educational and civil society groups, he pointed out.

Every year, excellent TV programmes are made on different development topics. Public and private funds are spent in making these programmes, which draw in the creativity and hard work of committed professionals. Many Asian channels broadcast these programmes a few times, after which these end up in broadcast archives. Only a few are exploited for their multimedia potential.

“Yet many of these programmes have a longer shelf-life – and outside the broadcast sphere. They can be extremely useful in education, awareness raising, advocacy and training,” Nalaka said.

He added: “Copyrights restrictions are often too tight for this sharing to happen. Even where the film-makers or producers themselves are keen for their creations to be used beyond broadcasts, the copyright policies stand in the way.”

It’s more out of habit that many broadcasters continue copyright regimes that were adopted before the digital revolution. The industry practice is to tie up every media product in complex and complicated copyright arrangements.

“But business as usual just won’t do when we are confronted with massive global challenges such as reducing poverty at least by half over the next few years,” Nalaka told his audience of over 400 broadcast managers and practitioners from across the Asia Pacific.

TVE Asia Pacific works equally with broadcast, educational and civil society users of moving images. The regional foundation’s experience for over a decade shows that narrowcast work can reinforce and build on the initial broadcast outreach.

Nalaka first made the proposal for poverty as a copyrights free zone in mid 2006, in an op ed article published by international websites. He then presented the idea at the United Nations headquarters in New York during the annual UN NGO Conference where he was a plenary speaker in September 2006.

The idea is not to suspend all copyrights, but to relax existing restrictions to allow wider sharing of material among broadcasters and educational users. Nalaka called upon the Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), organisers of the Media Summit, to study the practical aspects of this proposal and come up with recommendations.
 
TVEAP also called upon development donors to insist that all development films and other media products they finance will have no copyright restrictions attached.

UN agencies were asked not to get locked into exclusive rights arrangements with single production companies or broadcasters, which prevents wider use of material produced with public donor funds.

“All international TV content produced by TVE Asia Pacific is available to broadcast, civil society and educational users anywhere in the world without any license fees or copyright restrictions,” Nalaka announced, reaffirming his organisation’s firm commitment to open access and content sharing.

Walter Fust, Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), in his remarks stressed the need for informed and critical journalism that investigates bad governance and misuse of development assistance to the poor.

“We must not only mobilise greater access to the media, but also create capacity to produce more content locally. Such activity can help validate local culture,” he added.

Stephen King, Director of BBC World Service Trust, presented his organisation’s experience in creating local content addressing development needs and challenges in key areas such as HIV/AIDS, sanitation, electoral processes and empowering women.

“Media can not only provide access to development information in creative and entertainment formats, but also stimulate national debate that demands policies and action from governments,” he said.

He emphasized the need to listen and respond to audience needs. “We don’t need any more TV programmes on MDGs. We must do needs assessments and take note of audience feedback to remain relevant and effective.”

The session was chaired by Lulu Makhobo, Group Executive for Public Service Broadcasting at South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

Asia Media Summit 2007, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 29 to 31 May 2007, attracted decision-makers, media professionals, researchers and activists from Asia Pacific, Africa, Europe, Middle East
and North America. TVE Asia Pacific was a co-sponsor of this event.

Click here to read full text of Nalaka Gunawardene’s speech

Photographs by Manori Wijesekera (TVEAP) and Justine Chew (GKPS)