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Rádio Expres
The Slovak Republic's Rádio Expres informed their community about the Slovak Republic adoption procedures through radio broadcasts and investigative reporting. Despite the large number of pre-screened families waiting to adopt a child, hundreds of orphans were left in state care because nursing homes failed to effectively carry out steps in the adoption process. In 2008, close to 1 million Slovaks tuned in to hear Rádio Expres report on the situation. Rádio Expres generated more coverage on this issue by convincing a member of the Social Parliamentary Committee to make a public investigation into nursing homes. Additionally, an employee at Rádio Expres spearheaded a petition that was later signed by thousands of Slovaks, leading to the creation of new legislation that improved the adoption process of Slovak children under state care.
PRO TV
PRO TV, Romania's first private TV station, developed four major social campaigns in the past two years. The campaigns contributed to Romania's 50 percent increase in organ donation ("There's life after death"), and addressed the ecological consequences of land stripping ("Romania, the big land clearing"). Additionally, PRO TV organized "STOP torturing the animals," a campaign initiated by PRO TV anchors and hosts that facilitated the development and passage of The Animal Protection Law in 2008. PRO TV's other initiative, "Any idea what your kid is doing right now," led to new legislation regarding the protection of abandoned children in Romania. For their efforts and news coverage on this issue, PRO TV received the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' International Emmy Award for News and Current Affairs, the first News Emmy ever for Romania and Eastern Europe.
2008
Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS)
Since 1994, TBS has worked to draw local and national attention to global warming. Their comprehensive recycling center allowed TBS to recycle 75 percent of the company's waste in 2006, setting an example for businesses throughout the community. They also used the TBS radio airwaves to promote their "Lighting Down Campaign," encouraging listeners to switch off their lights for two hours during the summer solstice. "Lighting Down" generated so much interest within the community that TBS is currently working on expanding the project to other countries. As the host broadcaster for the 2007 World Athletics, TBS drew international attention to their environmental initiatives. During the eight-day event, TBS provided 80 hours of broadcast and international signal production to more than 60 broadcasters with certified green energy. Using energy generated by natural resources allowed TBS to offset 190 tons of carbon dioxide.
NDTV India
With innovative engineering, NDTV developed a system that allows broadcasters to deliver high quality graphics at a lower cost and with less effort than other graphic delivery systems. As an operator of five national TV channels, NDTV has a constant need for new graphic delivery systems. The stationary graphics and animations delivered in everyday broadcasting and breaking news scenarios are expensive to develop and often require skilled professionals to maintain the system. NDTV addressed this problem by writing their own software to deliver real time graphics. Using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects, NDTV engineers developed their own software to store, organize, maintain and deliver graphics. The system is designed using familiar technology that is user-friendly and cheaper to maintain. The software saved NDTV more than $300,000, and garnered international attention during the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) General Conference held in January.
Canada's 106.1 FM, "The Goat"
Five years ago, CKLM "Border Rock 106.1 FM The Goat" became the first privately held broadcaster in Canada to be awarded with NAB's International Broadcasting Excellence Award. "The Goat" maintains strong bonds with the community through participation in local projects and charities. Year after year, their annual Christmas Convoy provides enough donations to pack the shelves of every food bank in the broadcast region. For the past two years, the "No Hair" Extraordinaire program acquired more than $15,000 for Breast Cancer research, and the Brown Bag Challenge, featuring a lively hockey showdown, raised hundreds of dollars for several local charities. From contributing to student programs to promoting the local Rotary Club, "The Goat" remains closely connected to their listeners and their community.
2007
Play 99.6
Play 99.6, Jordan's number one hit music station, led educational workshops to improve the role radio can play in solving social and community problems. Leading the path in the radio industry, Play 99.6 included broadcasters from the regions of Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. Project Peace, a campaign that aims to draw attention to the horrors of war taking place in the Middle East, collected up to $78,000 toward food and medical supplies for the thousands of suffering families and children throughout the Middle East.
Radio Haifa 107.5 FM
As a local station, Radio Haifa works to promote community involvement and awareness. Their reliable reports during the Second Lebanon War offered continuous accounts of the war to their community and served to ease tensions and save lives during times of crises. Radio Haifa's support during the Second Lebanon War reached beyond the airwaves as they mobilized volunteers to provide assistance and supplies for needy civilians throughout the community. When the Bnei Tzion Medical Center Babies Ward was hit by a missile, Radio Haifa initiated and broadcast a fund drive that raised $300,000 for renovation. Establishing programs to raise money for small businesses that collapsed during the war, Radio Haifa succeeded in attracting a benefactor that donated $800,000 that was distributed to numerous small businesses throughout the region.
2006
Korea Broadcasting System (KBS)
Recognized for its innovation in advancing broadcasting, The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) is now the first broadcaster in the world to provide Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (T-DMB), a new form of mobile broadcasting. Launched December 1, 2005, T-DMB provides television, radio and data services on mobile devices such as phone, PDA, digital camera and automobile receivers. Users can access weather, traffic, real time news and entertainment. KBS operates two free-to-air DMB channels, using content from the existing television, audio and data channels. KBS provides four channels via DMB, including national news, youth and family programming, music and news, and a channel dedicated to public service information.
Joy 99.7FM
Awarded for excellence in serving their community, Joy 99.7FM was the first private commercial station in Ghana. Since 1995, the station has put help for children at the heart of its charity, the Joy Needy Fund. The fund acquired four acres of land and constructed the Orphanage at Frafraha, which cares for 120 children. Joy 99.7FM's charity also provides clothing, food and necessities to other orphanages and funds a home for mentally challenged children. The Joy Needy Fund screens children who have left school because of financial difficulty and sponsors their return to education. The station's fund annually feeds more than 35,000 people through its Easter Soup Kitchen, which has evolved into an event also providing basic medical care. Joy 99.7FM has raised awareness of and raised thousands of dollars for children requiring major surgery and suffering from HIV AIDS, sexual abuse and hunger. The JoyNews Team was the first to monitor and report on general and parliamentary elections in Ghana.
2005
Colombo Communications
Colombo Communications was honored for its outstanding response to the need of their community. When the devastating tsunami struck on December 26, 2004, CCL quickly developed a plan to organize makeshift field hospitals, solicit doctors and medical supplies and locate missing persons. To begin medical operations without delay, the staff of CCL donated $6,125 of their own funds to purchase medical equipment and worked round-the-clock shifts. CCL's missing persons alert service was able to provide distraught families with a coordinated, wide-ranging method of finding loved ones. CCL staff continued for weeks to coordinate emergency medical facilities, dispense supplies and help find the missing. In total, CCL donated an additional $285,000 toward these efforts.
Avtoradio
Also honored for its tremendous service to community, Avtoradio and its network affiliates launched and financed a major 6,200 mile motor rally "For the Sake of Life," from Vladivostok to Moscow, stopping for organized benefit concerts in cities across the country. The rally was joined in each city by cars from every Avtoradio affiliate station along the route. The rally had two purposes: first to gather small boxes of soil from sacred sites all over Russia to take to a tree planting at the school in Beslan, where terrorists murdered many Russian children in September. Avtoradio gathered not only 80 boxes of soil but also messages along the way from the Russian people expressing support for the people of Beslan. The second goal was to promote safe driving in a country where more than 30,000 people die in traffic accidents each year. Avtoradio donated nearly $100,000 for the motor rally.
2004
Rustavi 2 Broadcasting
Rustavi 2 Broadcasting was honored for its extraordinary service to community. In addition to performing public service such as telethons for charities, sponsoring kids' sports teams and forming a national literary prize, Rustavi 2 has produced a deep menu of independent, and sometimes controversial, public affairs programming and investigative journalism to serve diverse audiences. The station has been recognized around the world for playing a pivotal role in the November 2003 non-violent popular uprising or "Rose Revolution," after which the Georgian president stepped down.
Geo TV
Breaking the molds created by the state-owned media, Geo TV initiated independent, live news coverage and programs based on many important issues never before addressed in the Pakistan media. Geo's programming stresses the need for moderation and tolerance and providing a soapbox in its communities for all to speak out. Facilitating social contact and understanding between India and Pakistan has been one important mission, as evidenced by its program bringing Pakistanis and Indians together to discuss their cultures on camera. Geo also undertakes public service campaigns that have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for many local causes.
2003
Canal 9 Televida
Canal 9 Televida was honored for outstanding community support for charities serving the handicapped, the homeless, nutrition, the hungry and others in need. Canal 9 provides its support through community events, like its annual marathon or daily or weekly special programs, such as "De Todo Corazon" ("With All My Heart"). De Todo Corazon has raised $8 million over the past nine years and more than half a million dollars in 2001 alone.
Border Rock 106.1FM
Border Rock 106.1FM, "The Goat," is recognized in the radio category for extensive efforts to improve the lives of its listening audience, through local public affairs programming and numerous off-air community service projects. Among the many individual campaigns the station undertook in the past year were its "Goat's Christmas Convoy," a mobile food-bank drive utilizing a number of 18-wheelers covering 500 kilometers over four days in December. On the air since May of 2001, The Goat has already captured the heart of its community.
2002
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) was recognized in the network category for its unique innovations and effective utilization of resources to advance the business of broadcasting. Specifically, the CBC was being lauded for its National Satellite DVC Project, a system of advanced video coding and modulation technologies that has created an efficient network for the distribution of multiple television programs by satellite.
Radio Sonora
Radio Sonora received the award in the single station category and was recognized for its sustained efforts to improve the lives of its listening audience, through local public affairs programming and off-air community service. Radio Sonora's response to the tragic Jakarta floods in January has been notable. Station employees not only coordinated flood victim assistance, they opened a bank account for people wanting to help, collected food and medicine, and even purchased three rubber boats to distribute vital commodities.
2001
Hong Kong's TVB
Hong Kong's TVB received the award in the network category for its sustained, broad-based effort throughout its 33-year history to contribute to community welfare, through a wide range of charitable activities. Since its founding, TVB, through its Jade channel, has raised more than HK$1.76 billion (US$226 million) for charitable organizations. During 2000, TVB initiated public charitable fund-raising events once every other week. Despite the economic downturn in Hong Kong during 1999 and 2000, TVB was nevertheless able to raise charitable funds totaling HK$343 million ($US44 million) in that period.
702 Talk Radio
South Africa's 702 Talk Radio received the award in the single station category for its significant role in improving the lives of the greater Johannesburg area over many years. The station is known for providing listeners the services they need in their daily lives and as an invaluable resource center which has raised millions of rands for needy causes. Among its causes are the "702 Helpline," a telephone counseling and referral service, Health Awareness Weeks, funding for two children's homes and AIDS awareness. 702 sees the process of "harmonizing diversity" as part of the station's philosophy and is a leader on employment equity and redressing the imbalances of the past.
2000
RBS TV
Brazil's RBS TV received the award in the network category as an innovator in the way television reaches local communities. Operating with a regional network covering the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, RBS TV produces a high percentage of local programming that reflects the concerns of local and regional audiences. To counter the 50,000 citizen deaths from traffic accidents in Brazil each year, RBS TV established a road safety campaign that helps reduce road deaths by nearly 20 percent in its coverage area.
Voice of Barbados
Voice of Barbados received the award in the single station category for its efforts in working to eradicate diabetes and other widespread diseases. The station provides comprehensive programming on health education featuring medical professionals. They also developed the "Roadrunner," a unique "broadcast on wheels," which crosses the countryside every morning with news, gifts and assistance for all.
1999
Seven Network
Australia's Seven Network received the award in the network category and is recognized for its outstanding community service. On the air since 1956, Seven Network has sponsored hundreds of events to benefit Australian citizens. Seven's Perth station has sponsored two popular, long-standing annual events. Two of which are the 24-hour live telethon which has raised over $52 million for medical research and children in need of medical treatment, and the Christmas Pageant, which the station presents to the community each year to evoke good will and holiday spirit.
Gala Radio
Gala Radio, the top-rated radio station in Kiev, Ukraine, has also been honored for community service and received the award in the single station category. Gala Radio is setting the standard for privately-run commercial radio in Ukraine and is dedicated to serving the 3 million people who reside in the city of Kiev.
1998
Nippon Television Network Corporation
Tokyo's Nippon Television Network Corporation received the award in the network category and is recognized for its innovation and technical achievement. The first commercial broadcaster in Japan, NTV has become the country's largest commercial network with 30 affiliates and the highest viewer ratings for the past four years. NTV Has excelled at the development of practical applications for broadcast technology particularly digital compression and progressive scan technology, and has worked closely with many standardization organizations to bring these new technologies to the world. In addition, NTV is aggressively advancing into new territories of the broadcast technology landscape including satellite, multimedia and interactive broadcasting services.
Juventus Radio
Hungary's Juventus Radio, the individual station recipient, has been honored for its outstanding community service. Juventus Radio has been instrumental in reinstating the sense of charity and volunteerism that was manifest in Hungary before the onset of "Szocializmus." The station has conceived and organized immensely successful events that have benefited the community at large and raised money to aid various charities and community projects.
1997
Fuji Television
Tokyo's Fuji Television received the award in the network category and was recognized for its technical achievements seen in its state of the art broadcast facility that utilizes a newly developed optical network for video/audio signal distribution. The new broadcasting center was designed with an eye to the digital future and uses a flexible video system that can accommodate HDTV, NTSC, Wide-Vision, Standard-Vision and other systems, all connected digitally by fiber optics. The "Fuji Broadcast Center" marks the first time these technologies have been integrated into one central distribution point. "Fuji Television's efforts in developing a central distribution point for new and established technologies demonstrates a visionary approach for our industry, " Eddie Fritts said. "As broadcasters switch from analog to digital, Fuji recognizes the importance of instituting new techniques to enhance this transition."
TNL
Sri Lanka's TNL was honored with the individual station award. TNL received the honor based on its outstanding community service to Sri Lanka, the small Southeast Asian island nation. Since it first went on the air four years ago, the station has provided a valuable outlet for a country that has endured years of ethnic conflicts. The station also has sponsored numerous events to help the country's less fortunate and raise awareness of the environment, drug abuse, crime and stress. As the country's first privately owned radio station, TNL introduced many innovative broadcasting concepts to a nation that had previously received only government-run programming. "NAB is proud to recognize TNL, a station that has helped provide valuable information and service to Sri Lanka," said NAB President and CEO Eddie Fritts. "Their outstanding commitment to public service and outreach illustrates perfectly how broadcasters can make a difference in peoples' lives."
1996
La Cinquieme
La Cinquieme, an innovative French television network, was honored with the 1996 Award. A relative newcomer to the French broadcasting community, La Cinquieme went on the air in 1994 and quickly established itself as one of the country's premier public television networks. The network is at the forefront of broadcasting technology in France with a state-of-the-art system for program distribution and storage. NAB President and CEO Eddie Fritts said, "La Cinquieme's technological expertise is a sterling example of the ingenuity and high standards broadcasters strive for world wide."
Laser 101
St. Maarten's Laser 101 was honored with a special NAB International Broadcasting Award for Exceptional Public Service following the devastation wreaked by Hurricanes Luis and Marilyn. "Laser 101's performance under the most adversarial conditions provided an extremely valuable public service to the residents of St. Maarten. Their experience reminds us all of the vital role broadcasters serve during times of crises," remarked NAB President and CEO Eddie Fritts.
1995
Tokyo FM Broadcasting Co., LTD.
The first International Broadcasting Excellence Award recipient was Tokyo FM Broadcasting Co.,LTD., Tokyo, Japan in recognition of their exceptional technological leadership and listener service. Under the direction of Tokyo FM President Wataru Gotoh, Tokyo FM is leading its industry in serving as the provider of data broadcast services over FM subcarriers. TFM introduced its Visual Information Radio service in the spring of 1995 to 33 affiliated TFM stations providing five channels of information at a speed of approximately 400 pages per minute. As an example of their global commitment to the environment, TFM has produced numerous world-wide broadcasts including a concert with more than 25 participating countries celebrating "Earth Day." According to Gotoh, "TFM's mission is simple - to enrich people's lives with a dynamic, colorful range of cultural expressions through the broadcast media and related activities."
