International Press Institute (IPI)

(IPI/IFEX) – According to sources, in February 1998, the Nation Printers and Publishers Limited, through its subsidiary, African Broadcasting Limited, purchased a majority stake in the East African Television Network (EATN), a company holding licenses to broadcast on television and radio, from its director, Sam Shollei. Shollei is also owner of 100 per cent of […]

(IPI/IFEX) – IPI is most concerned about the safety of Eugen Korda, Slovakia correspondent for the Prague-based TV station, Nova Television. In what appears to be the latest incident of harassment against the journalist, Korda’s new car was seriously damaged by unidentified persons on 18 March 1998. The tires of his new Opel Corsa were […]

(IPI/IFEX) – According to IPI, on 5 March 1998, a court sentenced Aydin Koral, a journalist for the pro-Islamic newspaper “Selam”, to nearly two years in prison. The judge ruled that an article written by Koral, which criticized growing ties between Turkey and Israel, was a threat to national security. IPI believes that the jailing […]

(IPI/IFEX) – IPI strongly condemns the killing of former radio journalist Didier Aristizabal in the Colombian city of Cali. Aristizabal, 32, a well-know reporter for Todelar and other local radio stations, was gunned down by unidentified assailants on 2 March 1998, as he left the Santiago de Cali University where he taught. There has been […]

(IPI/IFEX) – According to IPI, the satirical program Hashove (Rebels), which ran sketches parodying key members of the government, was officially taken off the air last week “due to irregularities in its sponsorship contract.” This decision, however, was made in the wake of a heated media debate as to whether Hashove undermined state authority. IPI […]

(IPI/IFEX) – IPI is concerned about the Liberian government’s continued refusal to give the “New Democrat Weekly” a permit to resume publishing. The “New Democrat Weekly” existed and was registered with the Ministry of Information before the destruction of the newspaper’s offices in April 1996, which occurred when leaders of the warring factions competing for […]

(IPI/IFEX) – IPI is launching a report on the media in China one year after the death of Deng Xiaoping entitled “A Year After Deng Xiaoping: Asian Values and Obstacles Facing the Chinese Media”. IPI says the death of Deng Xiaoping on 19 February 1997 heralded a period of uncertainty regarding China’s future. While some […]

(IPI/IFEX) – On 5 February 1998, Boubacar Gaye and Ebrima Sillah, the proprietor and news editor respectively of Citizen FM radio, were arrested by members of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and brought to NIA headquarters for questioning. The following day, NIA officials and more than a dozen armed soldiers sealed off the Citizen FM […]