PMPC 2016 successfully held in Papua New Guinea
The Pacific Media Partnership Conference (PMPC) with the theme “Capacity building for Digital Broadcasting” was held this year in Port Moresby, hosted by the ABU member EMTV from 24th to 26th August.
Apart from the 126 attendees coming from 19 countries, Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, NBC, NICTA, SPREP, FM100, PACMAS, Radio Frequency Systems, Rohde & Schwarz , UNESCO and NHK supported the 3-day event. Participants discussed challenges and issues faced by broadcast media, especially various factors that affect the digitalisation process. Twenty speakers in ten sessions addressed wide range topics.
Mr William Duma, Hon. Minister for State Enterprises and Mr Douglas Tomuriesa, Hon. Minister for Forestry were present at the official opening ceremony of the conference. The CEO of EMTV, Mr Bhanu Sud gave a brief outlook of EMTV, its commitments and plans for digital delivery of media in PNG.
A Panel comprising a wide range of experts discussed a number of issues and challenges facing the Pacific members and other media today. The session was moderated by Dr Javad Mottaghi, Secretary General of the ABU. Panellists included Mr Masakazu Iwaki of NHK Japan, Mr Andrew King representing ITU, who was the expert for number of revisions to road maps of digitalisation in the Pacific region, Mr Scott Waide, Bureau Chief of EMTV, Mr Robert Luke Iroga, Board Deputy Chairman of Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, Mr Kila of National Information and Communications Technology Authority-NICTA and Mr Mosses, President of Pacific Islanders News Association-PINA.
They discussed about inclusive broadcasting, that is, broadcasting to everyone in our society with the options to cater for visually and audibly handicapped persons, role of broadcasting in carrying news promptly and accurately, role of broadcasters in preservation of national heritage and communication during disasters.
PMPC 2017 will be hosted by the Solomon Island Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) in Honiara from 15th to 17th August. SIBC has been a full member of the ABU since 2009 and has actively participated in all six PMPC conferences held since 2010 in the Pacific region.