AFRO-NETS> The MEDIA BEAT - 24 - September 18, 2000

[Warren Feek <wfeek@comminit.com>]

The MEDIA BEAT - 24 - September 18, 2000
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Selected articles from news media coverage of communication and de-
velopment. Articles compiled by The Communication Initiative 
http://www.comminit.com

This selection will also be available at: 
http://www.comminit.com/news.html 
This may be particularly useful for those articles that are periodi-
cally removed from their host server.

As some URL's run to two lines, it may be necessary to copy and paste 
to the address bar on your browser.

***
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Access 
The Daily Magasine from the conference on 
http://www.entertainment-education.nl/magazine.htm 
***

A. COMMUNICATION TRENDS

1. Connectivity - Brazil

TBT - September 13, 2000 - by Gustavbo Brasileiro The number of web-
surfers has reached to 8,6 million people in Brazil. According to the 
research, 17,9% of the homes with telephone (about 50 million homes 
in Brazil) have access to the Internet, which results in an estimate 
of 3,1 million users in rural areas. The study also reveals that 
56,72% of the web-surfers are men, 22% are students, and housewives 
represent 4,9% of the total. 
http://www.brazil4all.com/

2. Literacy - Bangladesh

Daily Star - September 11, 2000 Gazipur awaits to be declared an "il-
literacy free" district after two years of silent revolution here 
with enlistment of the last of the illiterate man as a literate per-
son. Of the total literate people, 1,74,890 are women and the remain-
ing 150,757 are men including children and juvenile. 14,000 teachers 
gave basic education to all the 325,647 persons detected as illiter-
ate... 
http://www.dailystarnews.com/200009/12/n0091210.htm#BODY7

3. Radio Licence - Belize

Amandala News - September 7, 2000 Reliable reports to Amandala are 
that KREM Radio has been granted a television licence at a meeting at 
offices of the Broadcasting Authority inBelize City. The idea of 
"KREM TV" has been in existence from as early as 1990/91. 
http://www.belizemall.com/amandala/#n1

4. Online - Somalia

Africa Online - August 25, 2000 The Somali capital, Mogadishu, is en-
joying a week-long free "Internet Party", as the country's first 
Internet Service Provider starts operations. Somalia is the latest - 
and last - African country to enjoy an in-country Internet service. 
The new service will cost $20 per month, plus an hourly charge of $6.
http://www.africaonline.com

5. Dots - South Pacific

Far Eastern Economic Review - September 14, 2000 - by Suh-kyung Yoon 
The tiny island nations of the Pacific have found a unique way to 
cash in on the New Economy. Niue is an atoll the size of downtown 
Singapore, it has a population of just 1,750, no regular electricity 
supply and 100 telephones--almost all of them the antiquated crank 
kind. But the South Pacific island, 2,400 kilometres from New Zea-
land, also has a top-of-the-line computer server, a satellite Web 
connection, and a thriving New Economy business.
http://www.feer.com/_0009_14/p42innov.html

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6. Reality - Chile

MipInteractive - September, 2000 Thanks to strong ratings and a surg-
ing crime rate in Chile, the two leading terrestrial broadcasters are 
planning to increase the amount of reality programming. The consis-
tently high ratings for Aqui en Vivo demonstrate that Chilean audi-
ences are eager to see reenactments. 
http://www.mipinteractive.com/2/01tvoamla.shtml

7. Phone Rate - Thailand

The Bangkok Post - September 13, 2000 - by Karnjana Karnjanatawe The 
Telephone Organisation of Thailand (TOT) is quietly offering free do-
mestic calls as part of testing for its Y-Tel 1234 Internet phone 
service. The service is based on an Internet protocol (IP) network 
running over the public switched telephone network. The IP network 
will provide domestic long-distance calls for a cost of between 0.5 
and 8 baht per minute-up to 70% lower than current rates. It will 
also provide access to ISPs for a fixed rate of three baht per call 
from anywhere in the country. 
http://www.bangkokpost.net/data/130900_Database03.html


B. REPORTING DEVELOPMENT

8. World Development Report - World Bank

Business Day 1st Edition - September 13, 2000 - by Jonathan Katzenel-
lenbogen In a reply to critics of globalisation and its policies, the 
World Bank has released what it describes as the "most detailed ever" 
study of global poverty. The study says the poor have benefited from 
globalisation, but the uneven distribution of political power and so-
cial restrictions remain among the most important impediments to al-
leviating poverty. 
http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/0,3523,697430-6078-0,00.html

*** 
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and type subscribe new-technology into the body of the message [not 
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review and comment on James Deane [Panos] presentation "Setting agen-
das: the changing roles of development communications in the knowl-
edge age" on 
http://www.comminit.com/other_presentations/james_deane/sld001.htm 
***

9. Condoms - Cambodia

Health-E News Service - September 14, 2000 - by Jo Stein Developing 
countries like Cambodia are following the Thai example and starting 
to implement a countrywide 100% condom use policy for commercial sex 
workers. Local authorities, politicians, municipalities, police, and 
health departments throughout the country are all responsible for im-
plementing the policy... 
http://www.health-e.org.za/view.php3?id=20000911

10. AIDS - India

Times of India - September 14, 2000 The Prevention of AIDS through 
Care and Education (PACE) project has been screening its film on 
AIDS, 'Mein Jeena Chahata Hoon -- A Reason to Live'...The film is in-
tended to educate people about the illness and the problems that pa-
tients face. 
http://www.timesofindia.com/today/14mbom6.htm

11. HIV/AIDS - Barbados

CANA - September 12, 2000 A Caribbean Conference on HIV/AIDS began in 
Barbados on Monday, with calls for governments to offer more support 
and funding to help combat the killer epidemic, which is threatening 
to derail the region's social and economic development. 
http://www.cananews.com/news.shtml#Major%20HIV/AIDS%20conference%20opens%20in%20Barbados

12. Web Surfers Saving The Rain Forest - Global

Earth Times News Service - August, 2000 - by Sacha Shivdasani With 
just a click of the mouse hundreds of thousands of people are helping 
to save what remains of the world's rain forests. And they aren't 
spending any money to do it. Individual web surfers can save 12.4 
square feet of rain forest each day by clicking on the "Save the Rain 
Forest" button on rainforest.care2.com site. So far more than 600,000 
people have over 4,000 acres to benefit TNC's Adopt-an-Acre program. 
http://www.earthtimes.org/aug/technologywebsurfersclickaug4_00.htm


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13. Farms - Turkey

Turkish Daily News - September 13, 2000 A crowded delegation from the 
World Bank Agriculture Reform Department arrived in Turkey yesterday. 
The Anatolia news agency reported that the delegation will stay in 
Turkey for three weeks, examining developments on farm reform. 
http://www.turkishdailynews.com/FrTDN/latest/econ.htm#e7

14. Responsible Sex - Papua New Guinea

The National Online - September 11, 2000 - by Lucy Kapi AS HIV/AIDS 
stays on the increase in Papua New Guinea, people have been told to 
change their sexual behaviour. AusAID officer Greg Law told a one-day 
seminar at the UPNG last Thursday that HIV/AIDS is fourth leading 
cause of death today. 
http://www.zipworld.com.au/~national/09011/nationframe14.htm

15. Poverty - South Africa

Cape Business News - September 13, 2000 "Innovative entrepreneurs are 
vitally important to the growth of the tourism industry, and growth 
in tourism will create jobs, wealth and export income that is vital 
if the poverty in the Western Cape is to alleviated." A study on pov-
erty last week revealed that 28.5% of households in the country are 
living in poverty... 
http://www.cbn.co.za/issue/tour2.htm

16. Business Bridge - Global

China Daily News - September 14, 2000 The Zambia Investment Centre ( 
ZIC) has welcomed the establishment of the Chinese Centre for Invest-
ment Promotion and Trade (CCIPT) in Lusaka, saying it would act as a 
bridge between businessmen of the two countries The center, which is 
under construction, will bring in more Chinese investors to Zambia 
and help facilitate joint ventures between the two countries. 
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cover/storydb/2000/09/14/mn-bzamb.914.html

17. Ante-Natal Services - Seychelles

Seychelles Nation - September 13, 2000 Nearly 40% of the expectant 
mothers who receive ante-natal care at Victoria Hospital will be at-
tended to at English River Health Centre with effect from next month. 
The move will reduce the load at Victoria Hospital which currently 
sees about 1,000 pregnant mothers every year. 
http://www.seychelles-online.com.sc/nation/todays%20news/news1.htm#MoH%20to%20decentralise%20ante-natal%20services

**

Please send suggested news items for inclusion in The Media Beat to 

The Editor
Brooke Hayes 
mailto:brookehayes@home.com 

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