July 14, 2006

World Media Watch

Edited by Gloria R. Lalumia

BuzzFlash Note: WMW provides BuzzFlash readers foreign views and perspectives that are not usually available from the media here in the U.S. The presentation of these articles from these international publications is not an endorsement of their viewpoints.

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WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR JULY 14, 2006

1//The Korea Herald, South Korea--U.S. MULLS ‘INDEPENDENT WARTIME COMMAND’ (South Korean and U.S. militaries are considering establishing two separate commands to replace the current Combined Forces Command after Korea regains wartime operational control of its troops, the top U.S. commander stationed here said. Gen. Burwell B. Bell, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, also said yesterday the two countries need to discuss building a ballistic missile defense system on the Korean Peninsula to fend off possible North Korean missile attacks. The idea hints at the superpower's future initiatives for the peninsula, which include the U.S. military assuming naval- and air-centric supportive roles for security on the peninsula while South Korea will handle main operations for its national defense. … During his speech, the U.S. general also warned of South Korea's delayed granting of an alternative firing range to the U.S. Air Force. He hinted at the U.S. position that it would not maintain its air force assets in South Korea unless a replacement range is provided. "Today, almost a year later, we are still without an adequate range. Without a quick solution, the United States will be forced to pursue other approaches to ensure American aircrews can perform their missions in combat," Bell said. His remarks are the latest in a series of U.S. complaints about Seoul's perceived inability to take action in the face of local protesters opposed to a new bombing range.)

2//EurasiaNet.org, US--ENERGY ROW LOOMS IN CENTRAL ASIA (Turkmenistan is once again proving to be the wild card of Central Asia’s energy game. In early 2006, Turkmen leader Saparmurat Niyazov expressed readiness to significantly strengthen his country’s energy ties to Russia. But after Niyazov recently demanded a hefty price increase for Turkmen gas, a crisis looms in bilateral relations -- the consequences of which could possibly be felt as far away as Europe. … Earlier, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry announced that if Moscow declined to meet Ashgabat’s new price, Turkmenistan would suspend natural gas supplies to Russia in September and would redirect exports to China. Such action could cause disruptions in Russian energy supplies to Western Europe. … Europe, which faces the prospect of relying on Russian gas exports to the tune of 60 percent by 2030, may be in no mood to see Niyazov calling the shots from Ashgabat. Given the West’s lack of leverage with Turkmenistan, European leaders may vent their concerns and cautions to the summit’s host, President Putin.)

3//The Jakarta Post, Indonesia--GOVT TOLD TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT STOPPING SHARIA INROADS IN SOCIETY (Scholars and politicians are urging a cohesive and systematic approach to combat the sharia-style ordinances they fear will undermine the country's political, economic and social spheres. Politician Eva Kusuma Sundari warned there was a highly systematic, coordinated movement behind the enforcement of a crop of sharia-inspired bylaws and it was able to infiltrate the grassroots. "It still needs to be confirmed, but in politics, there are no coincidences," the legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle [PDI-P] said during a discussion Wednesday. "There have been different groups with the same method, the same argument and the same agenda -- that is to back the fundamentalist movement. … Eva said it would take a systematic, but peaceful, mechanism to counter the fundamentalist movement, such as through education and public awareness campaigns. "We need to be united, otherwise it won't work. We need to remind people about the contract signed by the founding fathers about the form of the nation. We need to show them that there is no single country in the world which implements sharia law and at the same time succeeds in upholding democracy.")

4//The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia--COONAN UNVEILS MEDIA BLUEPRINT (The country's biggest media group, News Corp, has lambasted the Federal Government's reform plan, describing it as "an even more aggressive protection racket" for the free-to-air television networks. The Communications Minister, Helen Coonan, announced the plan yesterday, which includes scrapping the cross- and foreign-media ownership restrictions from next year and replacing them with a diversity test, introducing multi-channelling on the free-to-air networks and starting the switchover from analog to digital in 2010. Media stocks, including John Fairfax, Austereo and Seven Network surged, as investors believe the changes will lead to a raft of mergers and acquisitions across the industry. But the Government still has a long way to go to have the legislation passed and its plan put into action. Queensland Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce said the package would be scrutinised over coming weeks to see whether it ensured a "multiplicity of voices" in regional areas.)

5//The Toronto Star, Canada--CHUM DEAL ALTERS LANDSCAPE (A new giant may be poised to put its foot down on Canada's already-concentrated landscape of traditional media, with the owner of television station CTV Inc. offering to buy CHUM Ltd. in a blockbuster deal valued at $1.4 billion. Government critics and union officials came out swinging against multi-media giant Bell Globemedia Inc.'s proposed friendly takeover of the company that owns Citytv, warning the combination would erode news coverage. … a separate CHUM announcement about programming changes — which will result in the loss of 191 full-time and 88 part-time jobs across the country — provided critics with even more ammunition. Liberal MP and consumer affairs critic Dan McTeague said the merger would lead to "a collapsing of independent news voices in Canada.")

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1//The Korea Herald, South Korea Thursday, July 13, 2006

U.S. MULLS ‘INDEPENDENT WARTIME COMMAND’

South Korean and U.S. militaries are considering establishing two separate commands to replace the current Combined Forces Command after Korea regains wartime operational control of its troops, the top U.S. commander stationed here said.

Gen. Burwell B. Bell, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, also said yesterday the two countries need to discuss building a ballistic missile defense system on the Korean Peninsula to fend off possible North Korean missile attacks.

"While no final decisions have been made, we are considering creating two independent commands - one ROK and one United States - with U.S. forces in a supporting role and restructured to take advantage of U.S. air and naval warfare capability," Bell told Korean lawmakers at a forum at the National Assembly. ROK is South Korea's official name.

Under the U.S. command option, South Korean and U.S. forces would respectively operate their independent commands in wartime, dividing the allies' currently consolidated CFC into two separate sections, Bell said.

The CFC, concurrently headed by the USFK commander, exercises control over both South Korean and U.S. troops if war develops on the peninsula.

The idea hints at the superpower's future initiatives for the peninsula, which include the U.S. military assuming naval- and air-centric supportive roles for security on the peninsula while South Korea will handle main operations for its national defense.

It is seen as a U.S. response to South Korea's recent moves to recover its wartime operational control before 2015. It has been widely believed here that the CFC will be disbanded or weakened following the command transfer.

(SNIP)

Along with the command option, the USFK commander of U.S. forces also raised the need of a missile defense system on the peninsula, referring to North Korea's recent launches of a barrage of missiles.

"Given the threat's demonstrated capability, I think it is reasonable and prudent for the United States and the Republic of Korea to enter into discussions regarding appropriate commitments and enhancements that each nation should pursue regarding ballistic missile defense here on the peninsula," Bell said.

Indicating the North has some 800 short- and medium-range Scud and Rodong missiles in its arsenal, he said, they bring "a very unpredictable and lethal threat" to the South.

During his speech, the U.S. general also warned of South Korea's delayed granting of an alternative firing range to the U.S. Air Force. He hinted at the U.S. position that it would not maintain its air force assets in South Korea unless a replacement range is provided.

"Today, almost a year later, we are still without an adequate range. Without a quick solution, the United States will be forced to pursue other approaches to ensure American aircrews can perform their missions in combat," Bell said.

His remarks are the latest in a series of U.S. complaints about Seoul's perceived inability to take action in the face of local protesters opposed to a new bombing range.

The South Korean government closed down the Koon-Ni range in Maehyang-ri last year due to years of harsh protests by local residents and civic activists.

Following the shutdown of one of two U.S. primary ranges here, the two governments have been seeking an alternative firing range at Chik-do Island, 70 kilometers off the western coast of Gunsan. But the plan has been stalled by harsh protests from local residents, citing shooting noises and environmental degradation.

U.S. pilots stationed in Korea have often skipped shooting exercises and complained about insufficient training conditions, blaming the lack of an alternative range. The U.S. Air Force currently shares the Pil-Sung range in northeastern Gangwon Province with the Korean Air Force.

2//EurasiaNet.org, US 7/12/06

ENERGY ROW LOOMS IN CENTRAL ASIA
Sergei Blagov and Igor Torbakov

Turkmenistan is once again proving to be the wild card of Central Asia’s energy game. In early 2006, Turkmen leader Saparmurat Niyazov expressed readiness to significantly strengthen his country’s energy ties to Russia. But after Niyazov recently demanded a hefty price increase for Turkmen gas, a crisis looms in bilateral relations -- the consequences of which could possibly be felt as far away as Europe.

Niyazov lived up to his mercurial reputation during a late June meeting with Alexei Miller, the head of the Russian conglomerate Gazprom. According to a Turkmen Foreign Ministry statement, Niyazov demanded that Gazprom pay $100 per 1,000 cubic meters (tcm) of Turkmen gas for the second half of 2006, up from $65 per tcm that the Russians have been paying during the first six months of the year. Also in late June, Turkmen officials demanded that Ukraine pay the same $100/tcm price for gas exports.

Miller refused to meet Niyazov’s terms and energy talks between the two countries were suspended. Ukraine has similarly been unable to strike a deal with Ashgabat.

Although Gazprom issued a carefully worded statement on the turn of events, Ashgabat’s reaction was unexpectedly strong. On July 3, the Turkmenistani government lashed out at what it described as the "double-faced scheming" of Russia. It also characterized Russia’s energy policies as "dirty deals" by "dogs and monkeys."

Earlier, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry announced that if Moscow declined to meet Ashgabat’s new price, Turkmenistan would suspend natural gas supplies to Russia in September and would redirect exports to China. Such action could cause disruptions in Russian energy supplies to Western Europe.

Ashgabat was particularly upset by a critical report aired on July 2 by Russia’s RTR television channel, described as "the official mouthpiece of the Kremlin" in the Turkmenistani statement. Commentary broadcast during the weekly Vesti Nedeli program implied that Turkmenistan posed a threat to energy security. In response, the Turkmenistani government alleged that "the Kremlin has given at least tacit approval to its official media outlets to pursue foreign policy goals through the practice of media terrorism."

Ashgabat’s statement also stated that Turkmenistan would not keep "subsidizing the economies of Ukraine and Russia" with below-market-rate energy exports. "Turkmenistan continued to pump gas to its clients even when Russia brought almost the whole of Europe to grinding halt in January this year by shutting down the gas flow to Ukraine, the Turkmenistani government said.

(SNIP)

Indeed, Niyazov appears to be following the lead of Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who, during a May meeting with Putin, secured the significant gas price increase for Astana’s exports. Gazprom, meanwhile, is getting a dose of its own medicine: the conglomerate sparked outrage in many CIS countries in late 2005 and early 2006 by imposing massive price hikes for its exports.

Ashgabat’s action is doubly frustrating for the Kremlin because Russian-Turkmen relations appeared set for a prolonged period of harmony following Niyazov’s visit to Moscow in early 2006. Gazprom’s room for maneuver would seem limited, thus the Turkmen move is likely to deal a significant blow to the company’s bottom line. Since it intends to retain its monopoly position in Central Asia, it will have to continue its aggressive purchasing of fuel produced in the region. But that means that Ashgabat (and possibly other Central Asian gas producers) may try to keep raising export prices, testing Gazprom’s "cost-efficiency limits." Preliminary estimates show that a price of $100/tcm for Turkmen gas would cost Gazprom roughly $600 million this year and up to $1.5 billion in 2007. Some Russian energy experts see a silver lining in the Turkmen price demand, arguing that paying higher prices could force Russian energy companies, in particular Gazprom, to make their operations more efficient.

The Central Asian energy issue is certain to be high on the agenda of the G8 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia. The meeting of the heads of state of the eight leading industrialized nations will run from July 15-17. Europe, which faces the prospect of relying on Russian gas exports to the tune of 60 percent by 2030, may be in no mood to see Niyazov calling the shots from Ashgabat. Given the West’s lack of leverage with Turkmenistan, European leaders may vent their concerns and cautions to the summit’s host, President Putin.

3//The Jakarta Post, Indonesia July 14, 2006

GOVT TOLD TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT STOPPING SHARIA INROADS IN SOCIETY
Hera Diani, Jakarta

Scholars and politicians are urging a cohesive and systematic approach to combat the sharia-style ordinances they fear will undermine the country's political, economic and social spheres.

Politician Eva Kusuma Sundari warned there was a highly systematic, coordinated movement behind the enforcement of a crop of sharia-inspired bylaws and it was able to infiltrate the grassroots.

"It still needs to be confirmed, but in politics, there are no coincidences," the legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said during a discussion Wednesday. "There have been different groups with the same method, the same argument and the same agenda -- that is to back the fundamentalist movement.

These groups defended radical groups who have committed destruction, and backed sharia-inspired bylaws."
The divisiveness of the religiously charged issue also has been apparent among legislators. In June, 56 House members filed a petition against sharia-inspired bylaws in several regencies and municipalities that they deemed unconstitutional, gender-biased and a threat to splinter the country.

However, 134 legislators issued a counter petition, arguing it was up to the local administrations to decide their policies.
Eva said it would take a systematic, but peaceful, mechanism to counter the fundamentalist movement, such as through education and public awareness campaigns.

"We need to be united, otherwise it won't work. We need to remind people about the contract signed by the founding fathers about the form of the nation. We need to show them that there is no single country in the world which implements sharia law and at the same time succeeds in upholding democracy."

Muslim scholar M. Dawam Rahardjo said people misinterpreted secularism as a principle that marginalized religion. Instead, he said, it defined the separation of the state and religion but fully respected and protected the freedom to practice one's beliefs.
"Right now, there is no such thing as freedom of religion. People with different beliefs, like Lia Eden, are considered infidels and are tried and imprisoned," he said of the leader of the sect that taught perennialism, or that all religions are of equal value.

"Secularism is actually the best solution for a multicultural society like ours."

Dawam said it was up to the central government to take action to end the chaotic situation. "The government must be firm not to allow any potential that can violate civil rights."

Christian scholar Benyamin Intan from the Reform Center for Religion and Society said the fundamentalist movement, which was against the separation of the state and religion, may create a backlash again formal religion that occurred in western Europe.

(SNIP)

Several regions continue to impose bylaws with a focus on morality and, inevitably in a patriarchal society, the conduct of women. The bylaws include a prohibition against women going out alone at night, or risk arrest for soliciting, and the obligation for women civil servants to wear Muslim attire.

Eva believed gender-biased bylaws would worsen poverty in the country, because international data showed a strong correlation between a low gender development index and the incidence of poverty.

In Cianjur, West Java, she said, home industries were on the brink of bankruptcy due to sharia-inspired bylaws and increasing unemployment of women.

(MORE)

4//The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia July 14, 2006

COONAN UNVEILS MEDIA BLUEPRINT
Lisa Murray and Colin Kruger

The country's biggest media group, News Corp, has lambasted the Federal Government's reform plan, describing it as "an even more aggressive protection racket" for the free-to-air television networks.

The Communications Minister, Helen Coonan, announced the plan yesterday, which includes scrapping the cross- and foreign-media ownership restrictions from next year and replacing them with a diversity test, introducing multi-channelling on the free-to-air networks and starting the switchover from analog to digital in 2010.

Media stocks, including John Fairfax, Austereo and Seven Network surged, as investors believe the changes will lead to a raft of mergers and acquisitions across the industry.

But the Government still has a long way to go to have the legislation passed and its plan put into action. Queensland Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce said the package would be scrutinised over coming weeks to see whether it ensured a "multiplicity of voices" in regional areas.

Senator Coonan said there were enough safeguards in place, including a diversity test, ensuring five independent voices in metropolitan areas and four in regional areas, as well as increased powers for the competition and media regulators.

The Government also plans to introduce minimum local content requirements for regional radio operators. News Corp criticised the Government's decision not to issue a fourth commercial television licence while at the same time allowing the free-to-air networks to add extra channels.

"Any benefit to consumers from the extra free TV channels will be completely illusory because only the incumbent broadcasters are allowed to own them," a News spokesman said.

It also criticised the lack of details the Government released about its proposal for two new digital licences, which will support up to 30 new channels.

Foxtel, which is owned by News, PBL and Telstra, also slammed the new reforms because the Government is sticking with its anti-siphoning regime, which gives the free-to-air networks first dibs on rights to major sporting events. "The proposed media reforms are not balanced and fail Australia's wider digital industry," it said in a statement.

"The Government has not recognised the clear and critical policy linkage between free-to-air multi-channelling and abolition of anti-siphoning."

Senator Coonan said she was prepared for a fight. "I'm quite used to having fights on my hands."
Other media executives welcomed the package.

"The media industry is the last major industry in Australia to be reformed, and these changes bring the sector into the 21st century," Fairfax chairman Ron Walker said.

(MORE)

5//The Toronto Star, Canada Jul. 13, 2006. 05:41 AM

CHUM DEAL ALTERS LANDSCAPE
Bell Globemedia makes $1.4 billion bid; Critics say merger will erode media voices

Madhavi Acharya-Tom Yew and David Bruser, Business Reporters

A new giant may be poised to put its foot down on Canada's already-concentrated landscape of traditional media, with the owner of television station CTV Inc. offering to buy CHUM Ltd. in a blockbuster deal valued at $1.4 billion.

Government critics and union officials came out swinging against multi-media giant Bell Globemedia Inc.'s proposed friendly takeover of the company that owns Citytv, warning the combination would erode news coverage.

The deal, still subject to regulatory approval, would create the biggest private media company in Canada, a behemoth with more than two dozen television stations from coast to coast, 33 radio stations, 38 speciality channels, and a national newspaper. Locally, it would put everything from The Globe and Mail to CFTO and Citytv to MuchMusic and Bravo to CHUM FM in the hands of a single company. Critics worry that such a deal would put more media outlets in the hands of fewer large corporate entities.

Executives from both companies heralded the deal, saying it puts the made-in-Toronto CHUM legacy in the hands of a company with strong financials and a solid track record.

They also announced plans to sell CHUM's A-Channel stations, located in Barrie, London, Ottawa, Vancouver, Windsor and Wingham, Ont.

As well, CHUM's Access Alberta specialty television channel will go on the auction block.

"With regulatory approval, we intend to serve Canadian audiences with both CTV and Citytv stations," said Ivan Fecan, Bell Globemedia president and chief executive officer. Fecan is also chief executive of CTV Inc. "We will maintain separate and independent news divisions in order to ensure a continued diversity and competition in news coverage."

But a separate CHUM announcement about programming changes — which will result in the loss of 191 full-time and 88 part-time jobs across the country — provided critics with even more ammunition.

Liberal MP and consumer affairs critic Dan McTeague said the merger would lead to "a collapsing of independent news voices in Canada."

(SNIP)

Union officials were also skeptical of assurances by CHUM officials that the programming changes had been in the works for months.

"The continual concentration of ownership has meant less diversity of voice, less quality programming, less local reflection, less jobs and more erosion of Canada's unique voice reflected on our television screens," said Peter Murdoch of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada. The union has 3,500 members, including 160 at London's A-Channel.

He added that the layoffs demonstrate "the reality and the dangers inherent in concentrated ownership."

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