Merger Of Pacific News Organisations Close

Merger Of Pacific News Organisations Moves Closer At Pina Conference

http://www.rnzi.com

APIA (RNZI Online/Pacific Media Watch): The formation of a single news media organisation for the South Pacific has moved a step closer, Radio New Zealand International reports.

Linda Skates filed this report from the Samoan capital where the region¹s media executives and journalists are meeting this week.

"A joint statement has been issued by the executives of the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) and the Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association (PIBA).

"It states that PINA and PIBA have agreed to a timetable to ensure their planned merger does progress.

"A complete assessment of the PIBA secretariat including its audited accounts and register of assets will be undertaken next month. It is understood PIBA has been dragging its feet over the whole process.

"This is why a set timeline has been introduced. PIBA will then be dissolved in September.

"A new secretariat will be located in Suva, and positions for it will be widely advertised. Both PIBA and PINA have now expressed confidence that the merger will go ahead quickly."

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PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE http://www.pmw.c2o.org

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is an independent, non-profit, non-government organisation comprising journalists, lawyers, editors and other media workers, dedicated to examining issues of ethics, accountability, censorship, media freedom and media ownership in the Pacific region. Launched in October 1996, it has links with the Journalism Program at the University of the South Pacific, Bushfire Media based in Sydney, Journalism Studies at the University of PNG (UPNG), the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism (ACIJ), Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, and Community Communications Online (c2o).

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