Capacity Building in Community Television

No local television station, including OTV, provides daily or weekly newscasts. Other than TV, there are no opportunities available for television journalists. Nearly every household, in even the most remote areas of Palau, has a television and receives OTV through the National Cable system. OTV is Palau's only television station that operates with public/private cooperation and provides both commercial programming and public access. OTV is the most watched channel in the nation and has absolutely no political affiliation. Capacity building of community news media will allow OTV to train and equip young Palauan men and women to become news journalists and to begin bi-weekly news broadcasts that will encourage freedom of expression in Palau. Moreover, people living in rural areas will be engaged in participation of pluralistic and community media. The project aims to modernize OTV's news facility to allow for proper reporting and to archive stories, as well as to help local television professionals to acquire the skills and training to help self-sustain a bi-weekly news telecast that will source information to the entire community.

Location and contacts
Project contacts: 
Kassi Berg, Executive Producer,
Project place: 
Koror

Project country:

Project region:

Project details
Year when project approved: 
2009
IPDC Bureau meeting nº: 
53

Implementation status :

Project evaluated:

Project scope:

IPDC Priority:

Beneficiary
Beneficiary name: 
Oceania Television News Network
Beneficiary address: 
1724 Media Lane Koror 96940

Beneficiary country:

Beneficiary phone: 
680-4881838/ fax 680-488-6235

Beneficiary type:

Budget
Approved budget: 
US$36 300.00
Budget code: 
354 PAU 5081

Source of funds:

UNESCO
Responsible UNESCO Regional advisers: 
Abel Caine, a.caine@unesco.org;

UNESO Field Office:

Follow-up and achievments
Summary of the project implementation: 
The project was initially delayed as a result of political interference by a prominent government official who sought to restrict OTV's efforts to disseminate information to the pubic. The official was ultimately restrained by a court order. Thereafter, the project moved forward with success beyond expectation and managed to complete its activities on schedule. All equipment has been purchased and installed, training conducted and regular news production continues. This project implementation is now completed and has achieved its goals of training staff and providing regular, quality local news content. The stories reported by OTV continue to be picked up by local and regional newspapers and accessed world-wide through OTV's website (oceaniatv.net). The success of this project is catalyzing efforts to develop more local content in other Micronesian countries. Other countries in the Micronesian group have now called on OTV to work with them to assist them in replicating this model and OTV has begun working with potentials partners to support these efforts.
Achieved outputs: 
The twice weekly news broadcast and open forum talk show launched as a result of the IPDC grant have quickly become an integral source of information in Palau. While traditional rating services are not available in Palau, surveys by OTV show nearly total aturation among the target audience, Palauans (survey's also indicate 50% of foreign residents are watching OTV's news broadcasts regularly). OTV has been able to provide quality reporting on a range of controversial issues involving corruption, court cases involving government officials, social issues, health and other human-interest stories. OTV has often been the only media available to report on key issues such as a recent Tsunami warning where OTV provided live updates and information until the watch was cancelled. They have also gained exclusive access and provided international coverage on the arrival of six Uighur detainees from Guantanamo as well as the visit of a royal party from the United Arab Emirates.
Documents
Full project description: 
Palau - Capacity Building in Community Television.pdf
Full implementation report: 
PALAU - CAPACITY BUILDING IN COMMUNITY TELEVISION TO ENHANCE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN THE REPUBLIC OF PALAU THROUGH BI-WEEKLY TELEVISION NEWS PROGRAM.pdf