Mr. Turan Ali, Director of Radio Netherlands Training Centre, Netherlands, has identified various elements in producing programmes that have an impact consistently with audiences.

Mr. Turan Ali, Director of Radio Netherlands Training Centre, Netherlands, has identified various elements in producing programmes that have an impact consistently with audiences.

Creativity is a key element, he said, which mandates broadcasters to break fixed patterns in the way they create and produce stories.

“Creativity must go hand in hand with varied formats in developing story, such as magazine type, actualities, reports, montage, game, interview, drama, and demonstration. There must always be something new in your content and format”,he said.

Mr. Ali spoke at the session on ‘Creative Content for Capacity Building and Training’at the 3rd International Conference on Broadcast Training in Kuala Lumpur.

In his brief presentation, he said the format and the creative content must work together and the story must also be persuasive to generate an impact on the audience.

Another key element is how to find the target audience and that involves audience mapping, he said, stressing the need to identify communities you want to reach, build loyalty and create connections.

“Remember that audiences now don’t want fixed patterns in the stories they hear and see. They want surprises that trainers must teach broadcasters to be successful in the multimedia environment with shifting consumer behaviours”, he said.

Other speakers, namely, Ms. Cosmalinda Simanjuntak, Programme Planning Manager, TVRI Training Centre, RRI, Indonesia, and Ms. Munira Murad, Head of Radio Training, IPPTAR, Malaysia, raised the issue related to difficulties in tapping competent trainers in the multimedia industry. They said public service broadcasters don’t have the money to pay competent digital trainers and the need to find approaches to this problem becomes critical.

Ms. Liu Ying, Vice President of Research and Training Institute, State Administration of Press Publication, Radio, Film and Television, China briefly talked about Internet integration in their training programmes.

“While we need to find new ways of training methods, a combination of face to face and online approaches should be ideal. But there must be flexibility”, she said.

How to integrate value added services with creative content that’s available on air is a key factor in drawing investors to allocate more resources to create good programmes.

How to integrate value added services with creative content that’s available on air is a key factor in drawing investors to allocate more resources to create good programmes.

“Much has yet to be done in this integration issue”, according to  Mr. II George, Additional Director General (Training), of the National Academy of Broadcasting and Multimedia, India, one of the speakers on ‘Technological Innovations and Trends Impacting Creative Content Production’at the 3rd International Conference on Broadcast Training in Kuala Lumpur.

In his presentation, Mr. George identified some of the new technologies available to content producers such as the rise of social media, second screen technology, smart phones, IPTV, Integrated Broadcast Broadband,  HbbTV, OTT, smart TVs, game consoles and tablets.

What should broadcasters try in production amidst new technologies? Mr. George suggested the use of animation and graphics, virtual sets and character, multiple layers, file storage of operational set up, multi track recording and post production from different locations, macro programmes, social interaction, and hybrid workflows.

Mr. Jeewa Vengadasalam, Specialist at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia, also spoke at this session and examined the latest trend in drone journalism.

In the US, he said that broadcasters are increasingly using drones with 4 to 8 rotors or propellers that provide a bird’s eye view of a news event.

“Drones have advantages such as stable and vibration free HD images, wireless broadcasting, effectivity at close range and long range and real time viewfinder image to all ground stations,”Jeewa pointed out.

However, he said, broadcasters need to contend with issues dealing with drone journalism. These issues cover costs as drones’battery last only between 20 and 40 minutes, compliance with aviation rules, interference with spectrum parameters, field reporting competency, safety and ethics on privacy.

With more content and technological advances available to broadcasters, drone journalism is a new approach to content creation that provides a good bird’s eye view.

Broadcasters from 19 countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Africa generated a list of   storytelling techniques and creative formats critical in dealing with shifting consumer behaviours in today’s multimedia world.

In a workshop on discussing creative content for the global audience during the 3rd International Conference on Broadcast Training in Kuala Lumpur, they said a good story must contain a unique plot and smooth narrative, talented acting, and entertainment values. Some said a story must have human interest and evoke emotions. Others suggested that a good story should be beneficial to the audience, taking into consideration time and duration.

Mr. Steve Ahern, Managing Director of Ahern Media & Training Pty Ltd, Australia chaired the workshop and offered some tips in creating good content.

He encouraged participants who are mostly trainers in the broadcast industry to use pressure as a way to generate good ideas. “Don’t be afraid of failures and mistakes,” he said, stressing that these can lead to better and workable ideas for good programmes.

He also advised them to impose some deadlines in producing creative content, and consider the value of collaboration among workers and a supportive environment for creativity.

“As broadcast trainers, do listen and respond creatively to suggestions. Don’t censor yourself or block others. Equally important is to continue editing, reviewing and rehearsing to produce creative content for a wider audience”,he said.

Mr. Turan Ali, Director of Radio Netherlands Training Centre, and a programme producer for BBC programmes also contributed his own storytelling techniques. He said good story telling must have at least six characteristics. These are:

            1. Building tensions as events progress.

            2. Posing a central question at the beginning of a story

            3. Creating tensions that lead to a climax

            4. Using symbols

            5. Incorporating a resolution or consequences of the climax

            6. Containing a deeper meaning that the audience recognises

Ms. Poonam Sharma, Director of Singapore MediaGuru, urged broadcasters to relearn the art of good storytelling, and stressed that winning in today’s multimedia landscape means not only creating a story that is relevant and interactive, and one that provokes and engages audiences, but also delivering or executing it creatively.

Ms. Poonam Sharma, Director of Singapore MediaGuru, urged broadcasters to relearn the art of good storytelling, and stressed that winning in today’s multimedia landscape means not only creating a story that is relevant and interactive, and one that provokes and engages audiences, but also delivering or executing it creatively.

She said technology can enhance content production and urged producers to use them effectively to execute a good story. “Journalists now are using drones to tell a different perspective of a news story and that makes a big difference”, she said.

Speaking before participants to the 3rd International Conference on Broadcast Training in Kuala Lumpur, Ms. Poonam cited another level of viewer engagement with broadcasters that is the practice of some journalists to break a news story on social media even before airing the same in the mainstream TV news programme. Such approach, she said, creates interest among users and draws a bigger audience when the story is finally aired on the TV screen.

Ms. Keiko Bang, CEO and Founder of Bang Singapore, also spoke at the conference on shifting audience preferences and behaviours, stressing that the future of content is big data.

She also said that women are driving social media now and hence content, which have an impact on both old and new media. In the United States, for instance, she cited how the central figures in many TV programs have highlighted various roles of women, from being a judge, president, to even being in prison.

In her presentation, she said communities who share common interests are increasingly becoming passionate and organised, and spending money. As a result, “they are wielding massive power with content makers, affecting the outcome of shows, characters, action, co-opting and transforming copyright, and ultimately affecting politics”, she said.

As media becomes more complex, broadcasters need to understand that individuals and communities are increasingly using various media simultaneously and interacting, and such multitasking has had an impact on how they engage with individual task or activity.

As media becomes more complex, broadcasters need to understand that individuals and communities are increasingly using various media simultaneously and interacting, and such multitasking has had an impact on how they engage with individual task or activity.

One impact, as evidenced in a study by Dr. Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist at King’s College London University, indicated that an individual’s functioning IQ temporarily drops 10 points when multitasking. Other psychologists claim other side effects are short term memory loss or difficulty in concentrating

Dr.  Mike McCluskey, International Media and Broadcast Consultant from Australia told delegates of the 3rd International Conference on Broadcast Training in Kuala Lumpur, that as audience’ attention span and capacity to take everything is reduced, broadcasters need to try and reach the audience on multiple platforms with multiple versions.

“You have to share your audience with other activities and other media. Your content has to stand out,” he said.

In his presentation Dr. McCluskey suggested a ten-point plan for broadcasters and journalists to capture multitaskers in the media world.

These include, among others, making the content matter to the audience; using attention grabbers at regular intervals and good storytelling techniques such as story mapping; knowing how to use digital broadcasting tools effectively to produce quality content in a timely manner; collaborating with colleagues and the audience for richer and more powerful stories, and knowing about your audiences to help shape the content to meet their interests and aspirations.

Mr. Turan Ali, Ms Wan Wizana Hashim, Dr. Ramachandran Ponnan, Dr. Mike McCluskey, Ms Keiko Bang (From left to right)

The future of broadcasting lies not only in producing creative content that is relevant, innovative, and engaging, but also in adopting formats that keep pace with the demands of various platforms and shifting audience preferences.

The future of broadcasting lies not only in producing creative content that is relevant, innovative, and engaging, but also in adopting formats that keep pace with the demands of various platforms and shifting audience preferences.

To ensure success in the multimedia environment, broadcasters must also work towards combining Internet with the TV screen and promoting the development of smart TV to attract more viewers and improve their business performance.

Various speakers delivered these key messages before participants of the 3rd International Conference on Broadcast Training in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

At the session on “The Future of Broadcasting Depends on Today’s Creative Content”, Mr. Zhao Wenjiang, Deputy Director of Programming Office, China Central Television (CCTV), China, introduced the concept of ‘Internet-oriented operation of industrial chain’,proposing that from each point on the industrial chain, from content to delivery, and from market operation to organisational structure, broadcasters need to take the Internet as a key factor.

“By combining the TV screen and the PC screen as well as  mobiles phones, we will help establish a new communication framework that integrates different screens to meet the users’needs in the Internet era”, he said.

Mr. Jaehon Song, Executive Director of KBS Content Business, Korea Broadcasting Systems, Korea, said the essence of creative content will be the same stories of human happiness, love, and tragedy, using humor and satire, among others.

What must change, he said, is the delivery of formats that keeps pace with various platforms.

“People want moving stories in digital area and there are still opportunities we can exploit”, he said.

Another speaker, Mr. Anothai Udomsilp, Director of the Academic Institute of Public Media Thai Public Servicing (Thai PBS), Thailand, said that in the knowledge-based society or innovative society, broadcasters need to produce “content that excites the audience and inspires them to select and make use of for their own development, to share   or to further generate their own content.”

“Creative content must also be interesting to the users, clever, thought-provoking, easily understood, comprehensive, and digestible”, he said.

Ms. Keiko Bang, Mr. Zhao Wenjiang, Mr. Anothai Udomsilp, Ms. Poonam Sharma, Mr. Jaehon Song (From left to right)

Dato’ Jailani Johari, Honourable Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia, has urged broadcasters to be open and present non traditional approaches based on best experiences of their home regions in providing training to meet the demand for creative content.

Dato’ Jailani Johari, Honourable Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia, has urged broadcasters to be open and present non traditional approaches based on best experiences of their home regions in providing training to meet the demand for creative content.

Let us “address practical ideas to unlock the economic value of creative multimedia content for broadcast practitioners, besides finding new and exciting ways to engage with the audience”, Deputy Minister Jailani told participants from 19 countries who attended the 3rd International Conference on Broadcast Training in Kuala Lumpur from 5 – 6 February 2015.

During the inaugural session, Dato’ Jailani said since 2010 the Malaysian government has taken many steps to develop the country as a hub of converging multimedia platforms and creative content, offering support and funds for local talents who are keen to pursue and make a living in this industry.

“This year, the government through the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia (MCMM) has allocated a 100 million dollar fund to support the three major sectors of the industry, namely, creative multimedia, arts & culture and cultural heritage”, he pointed out.

The Minister formally opened the conference, which is hosted by MCMM and jointly organised by the Tun Abdul Razak Broadcasting and Information Institute (IPPTAR) and AIBD. The conference theme deals with ‘Creative Content – Maximising business value and audience experience’.

For her part, Dato’ Adilah Shek Omar, Director Tun Abdul Razak Broadcasting and Information Institute (IPPTAR), Malaysia, said there is a need to expose participants to the latest trends across traditional and new platforms as creativity has been the backbone of content for broadcasters.

She said the conference will hopefully “empower trainers and practitioners with up-to-date knowledge, so that they can in turn become the dominant source of compelling content, and expose participants to the latest trends across traditional and new platforms”.

Mr. Marcel Gomez, AIBD Acting Director, emphasised that broadcasters should create an “atmosphere where creative expressions and out of the box thinking can flourish”.

“Every broadcaster knows that innovative content is the key to handle the ever-changing audience taste”, he said.

More than sixty trainers, practitioners and managers of broadcast organisations from Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa are expected to participate in the 3rd International Conference on Broadcast Training in Kuala Lumpur from 5 – 6 February 2015.

More than sixty trainers, practitioners and managers of broadcast organisations from Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa are expected to participate in the 3rd International Conference on Broadcast Training in Kuala Lumpur from 5 – 6 February 2015.

In her message to both local and foreign delegates, YB Dato’ Dr Sharifah Zarah Syed Ahmad, Secretary-General, Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia, said the conference “will give opportunities to participants to access, explore and review latest techniques and practices that will create an impact on the broadcast scenario”. The Ministry serves as host of the two-day conference.

“We believe that the exchange of information, ideas and experiences during the conference will improve our understanding of issues and prepare us to face bigger challenges emphatically, she said.

Dato’ Adilah Shek Omar, Director, Tun Abdul Razak Broadcasting and Information Institute (IPPTAR), co-organiser of the two-day event, said the conference will offer delegates trends in broadcasting and the opportunities available for using new technologies to create content as the region pushes towards the digital switch over.

“The conference will specifically address topics related to building audience for our business in the new world of interactive multi-platform media, she said.

For his part, Marcel Gomez, Acting Director of Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), the conference co-organiser, said the conference “will not only look into creative content, but will also discuss shifting audience preferences, technology that impacts such content and the need for focused training”.

“As online content aggregation, distribution and branding become key players, creative content is also taking a new avatar. With this change, the audience expect a lot more from radio and television programmes”, he said.

KKMM, IPPTAR and AIBD have assured delegates that there is so much to gain from this conference. They have prepared well to give participants an opportunity to explore wonders of Malaysia and cherish the people’s warm hospitality in Kuala Lumpur.

YB Datuk Jailani Johari, Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Malaysia, has called on broadcasters in Asia-Pacific to offer new channels generated by the advent of digital terrestrial TV broadcasting with programmes that cater to the different needs of their audience who want variety.

YB Datuk Jailani Johari, Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Malaysia, has called on broadcasters in Asia-Pacific to offer new channels generated by the advent of digital terrestrial TV broadcasting with programmes that cater to the different needs of their audience who want variety.

He urged them to use the forthcoming 3rd International Conference on Broadcast Training in Kuala Lumpur as a platform “to form a consensus on the best approaches to training” to help achieve the objectives of their respective media organisations.

Deputy Minister Johari’s message was contained in the programme guide of the conference that will be held from 5 – 6 February 2015. With the theme ‘Creative Content – Maximising Business Value and Audience Experience’, the event is hosted by the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia (KKMM) and organised by the Tun Abdul Razak Broadcasting and Information Institute (IPPTAR) and AIBD.

Deputy Minister Johari will deliver the keynote address beforetrainers, practitioners and managers of broadcast organisations in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa who need to lead their staff into the new world of interactive, social, multi-platform media.

This conference will expose participants to the latest trends in creative content across traditional and new platforms, critical for success in today’s multimedia environment. It will also generate discussion and debate and expand networking among broadcasters in producing compelling content for diverse programmes.

Day 2 – Friday, 6th February 2015, 1100 – 1230

Session 5: Creative Content for Capacity Building and Training

This session will connect broadcast training with the demand for creative content. In particular, it will look at new ways of thinking and working in a media converged world. What are the offline and online content and approaches needed to enliven training of broadcasters, particularly in a digital world. How can we build a multi skilled broadcast professional, one who values interactivity with audiences, and takes risks to develop new ways to expand audience reach?

Day 2 – Friday, 6th February 2015, 1100 – 1230

Session 5: Creative Content for Capacity Building and Training

This session will connect broadcast training with the demand for creative content. In particular, it will look at new ways of thinking and working in a media converged world. What are the offline and online content and approaches needed to enliven training of broadcasters, particularly in a digital world. How can we build a multi skilled broadcast professional, one who values interactivity with audiences, and takes risks to develop new ways to expand audience reach?

Moderator
	Dr. Mike McCluskey International Media & Broadcast Consultant, Australia
Speakers
	Mr. Turan Ali Director Radio Netherlands Training Centre (RNTC), Netherlands
	Ms. Cosmalinda Simanjuntak Programme Planning Manager, TVRI Training Centre, Televisi Republik Indonesia, Indonesia
	Ms. Munira Murad Head of Radio Training, Tun Abdul Razak Broadcasting and Information Institute (IPPTAR), Malaysia
	Ms. Liu Ying Vice President of Research Training Institute, State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People's Republic of China (SAPPRFT), China