FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.feb.org

• FEB MEMBERSHIP: The beginning of a new year is a good time to join the Fellowship of European Broadcasters, either as a Corporate or Personal Member. To find out the benefits of FEB Membership and for more information visit www.feb.org
  
  
• EURONET: Register your Ministry or Organisation on FEB's EuroNet Database free by emailing feb@feb.org with your address details and a brief paragraph about the main activities of your Organisation. This information is available to FEB Members.
  
  
• EUROPEAN COMMISSION: The European Commission decided on 3rd January 2008 to give a new boost to Europe's online content sector by encouraging the content industry, Telecoms companies and Internet service providers to work closely together to make more content available online, while at the same time ensuring a robust protection of intellectual property rights. They aim to facilitate copyright licences for online content covering the territory of EU Members States. This could strengthen the competitiveness of Europe's music, film and games industry and allow retail revenues to increase.  
  
  
• EUROPEAN COMMISSION: EU Commissioner Viviane Reding has welcomed the determined intervention by Dutch regulator OPTA against spyware and malware on millions of computers and called on other regulators to follow this positive example.
  
  
• ITALY: The European Commission  has sent Italy a letter of formal notice for violating EU advertising rules under the "Television without Frontiers Directive". Italy has not yet taken the necessary steps to ensure effective compliance with the Directive rules.  
  
  
• UK: INSPIRE Magazine is the UK's fastest growing Christian title. Launched in March 2006 it now goes to over 75,000 people in the UK via churches and individuals. Churches can order it from www.inspiremagazine.org.uk This website also offers Christian news, a UK Events guide, downloadable podcasts and a Christian TV and Radio guide.
  
  
• UK: John Pantry and Cindy Kent are heading up the new Premier Radio breakfast talk show, "Inspirational Breakfast"  from 7.30am to 10.30am each weekday morning. The programme includes a daily devotional by Peter Kerridge, news from a Christian perspective as well as phone-ins, interviews and music. For more information and to take a look at the re-vamped Premier website go to www.premier.org.uk
  
  
• ROMANIA: "Little Samaritan Radio", the Christian network in Eastern Europe, has begun broadcasting "Thru the Bible"  via satellite to 25 stations in Romania and 13 in Moldova, in a programme known as
  "Itinerar Biblic". For more information visit www.twr.ro or contact
  Nick Vandici on nickvandici@gmail.com  
  
  
• ITALY: Congratulations to CRC Italy who have just celebrated 50 years of Christian broadcasting in Italian. Founded by a Scottish Missionary Jack Murray, their first broadcast was in 1957 with the help of Trans World Radio's Radio Tangier. Today CRC is broadcasting via satellite on Eutelsat Hotbird in southern Europe, by several evangelical FM stations all over Italy including CRC's Milan FM station, and via the internet on www.crcmedia.it
  
  
• BULGARIA: Christian programmes from STUDIO 865 are being broadcast 24/7 on the internet through a contract with www.iptv.bg Programmes can only be watched in Bulgaria. STUDIO 865 continues to produce weekly programmes in the Romani language aimed at the Gypsy population. For more information about their work go to www.studio865.org
  
  
•  RUSSIA: Trans World Radio's Russian ministry commemorates its 50th anniversary this year. They launched two new websites last year - www.twrradio.ru:80 for Russia and www.twr-ua.org for Ukraine. Johann Wiens, TWR's Director of Russia/Ukraine/Belarus Ministries said: "We step into the new year with hope and faith that God will continue to open doors for us that we have not seen so far."
  
  
• USA / FRANCE : Inspiration Ministries has launched its first international global broadband partnership by introducing "Inspiration Global" on the French language web portal TopChretien.com. Video content can be viewed in the "Top TV" area of the website www.toptv.fr
  

• INTERNET TV: The BBC have launched a new service called "Iplayer" which allows you to watch programmes online up to seven days after they are broadcast. Categories include Children's programmes, Religion and Ethics, Drama, Factual, Entertainment and Music. This is just one of several similar systems now available. Apple are expected to sign a deal with Fox to allow their movies to be available for rent digitally.
  Internet TV has two distinct strands - watching material over the web on your computer - but also it will soon be possible to have shows sent straight to your television via broadband. As downloading becomes more popular this is likely to cause problems for broadband providers in the UK who will require more space than is currently available.

DIARY DATE:

Plan to visit FEB Booth 258 at the NATIONAL RELIGIOUS BROADCASTERS' CONVENTION, being held from March 8-11 2008 at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Centre, Nashville, USA. We will be delighted to meet you.

If you have news that you would like included in the next edition of FEB News Snippets please email the FEB Office on feb@feb.org. We look forward to hearing from you.

"SNIPPETS"   is distributed FREE OF CHARGE – but contributions towards FEB's costs are welcomed and appreciated.