COMMONWEALTH BROADCASTING ASSOCIATION

BROADCASTING AWARDS 2007

MEDIA RELEASE

Two South African organisations win Commonwealth Broadcasting Association awards

20 February 2007: The Soul City Institute of South Africa, SABC South Africa, BBC, CBC Canada, FRCN and NTA (Nigeria), NDTV (India) are the main winners of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association's Broadcasting Awards for 2007. The awards were presented in Nairobi, Kenya on Monday, 19 February.

The Soul City Institute for Health & Development Communication in South Africa is the winner of the CBA-UNICEF Children's Programme Award for the television programme Buddyz on the Move - a children's programme dealing with a serious issue like HIV/Aids, a complex subject beautifully and naturally presented by a talented team of young reporters.

It is the first actuality programme developed specifically for children. It is a sister programme to the most popular South African television programme ever created for children, Soul Buddyz. Buddyz on the Move is presented in a magazine format and is linked to the weekly Soul Buddyz drama broadcast through the focus issues such as nutrition, HIV/Aids, money management, gender and masculinity.

Buddyz on the Move reflects positive action initiated by Soul Buddyz clubs, which are situated across the country. A bus and a crew travel around the country each week to visit Buddyz Clubs that host the television show. The programme profiles what children are doing in their own communities to make a difference. Club members are involved in different ways in the production of the programme. Each club highlights issues and solutions in their own communities.

The CBA-Amnesty International Award for Human Rights Programme was awarded to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) for Soweto Water - a powerful radio programme underscoring the vital connection between water and human rights. 

ENDS

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Other winners

The CBA-Rolls Royce Award for Exceptional News Feature was awarded to BBC World Service for the programme Global Account: Turkmenistan - an undercover documentary in a secretive and repressive regime, which gives graphic account of life for ordinary people denied basic necessities like healthcare and freedom of expression.

The CBA-World Bank Award for Programmes on Development Issues was awarded to BBC for Mamouzai's Afghan Ladies' Driving School - an outstanding film looking at issues like gender and the relationship between women and men in Afghanistan, as well as giving a grass-roots view of the country's first democratic parliamentary election in 30 years.

Populations Services International/Nepal was Highly Commended for its entry in this category - Sanjeevani - The Net of Life.

The CBA-UNESCO Award for Science Reporting and Programming was awarded to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) for the radio programme Biofuels: Greening Our Energy Future - an engaging, tightly written, extremely informative programme bringing local colour to the global issues of climate change.

"The Magic of Science" by Bangladesh Betar was Highly Commended in this category.

'Michael Loves Nancy' by Wan Smolbag Theatre of Vanuatu was Highly Commended in the Children's Programme category.

There were two Highly Commended programmes in Human Rights category, both of which have been awarded to BBC television programmes - The Truth About Styal Prison and Black and White: David Gillanders

The CBA-IBC Award for Innovative Engineering was jointly won by the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)

Popular Indian broadcaster and journalist Barkha Dutt of NDTV won the CBA-Thomson Foundation Journalist of the Year Award, while the Elizabeth R Award for Exceptional Contribution to Public Service Broadcasting went to Mohammed Abdur Rouf of Radio Bangladesh (Bangladesh Betar).