Africa

A selection of educational programming from DW Transtel was purchased by Channel ED, a new knowledge and education channel based in South Africa. Channel ED was launched in December 2013 and is produced  in Johannesburg at Urban Brew Studios. The channel is a part of a programming package offered by the Pan-African digital satellite broadcaster DStv, which is operated by the South African digital media company, MultiChoice. Channel ED targets young adults and will broadcast to 49 countries throughout Africa.

Asia

The Pakistani business news channel Business Plus has just purchased an extensive programming package from DW Transtel. The channel has also carried the popular DW format Euromaxx since November 2013. Starting in 2014, Business Plus will be broadcasting nationwide 50 hours of DW Transtel’s travel and culture programming. Around 12 million households in Pakistan have access to the channel.

DW has also added three new partners in the Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. New Rakaposhi, Garden Cable Network and Shaheen Cable Network provide television service to around 10,000 households in the city of Gilgit. The Pakistani channel Zaiqa TV will also be broadcasting DW’s lifestyle and fitness program In Good Shape via satellite to a potential audience of 12 million households.

Latin America

DW has a new TV partner in Peru. Since October 2013, RPP TV, the news and information channel from Gruppo RPP has been broadcasting DW’s  En forma, Claves, Enlaces and Reporteros en el mundo. Around 1 million subscribers of the Pay-TV service, Moviestar TV currently pick up RPP TV. The channel will also be available via terrestrial television until the end of 2014, which should considerably increase the exposure of DW (Latinoamérica) to potential audiences in Peru.

Europe

The mobile livestream from DW (Europe) is now available in the Republic of Moldova on the country’s leading mobile carrier, Orange Moldova.  Since the end of 2013 content from DW (Europe) can be uploaded on iOS and Android mobile devices with the Orange TV App. DW is also available on Orange Moldova’s television news package and online at tv.orange.md.

Online

The complete video archives from DW in German, English and Spanish can now be accessed on Google devices via a Smart-TV App.

DW(English) is also available on Google Newsstand and Google Play Kiosk. Google Newsstand for Android mobile phones can be downloaded at the Google Play Store.

 

How do societies around the world develop into functioning democracies and what does it mean for a country to succeed? It is easy to get lost when trying to learn about these issues, either in the endless lists of numbers or in the complicated explanations of history and bureaucracy.  But behind the numbers and world news headlines are real people who face the consequences of governance and are striving to improve their lives and societies.

The Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) gauges the quality of a democracy by evaluating how developing and transition countries are transforming their societies towards democracies and market economies. The index measures both the status of political and economic transformation along with the management of economic and social growth by governments. The BTI is published every two years and covers 129 countries. You can learn more about how the BTI index works here.

In cooperation with the BTI, DW has created a new internet series called Secrets of Transformation comparing how eight transition countries have succeeded or failed in four categories across eight years of observation. The project introduces you to the ordinary people on the ground and takes you below the surface with personal stories and interviews with officials, journalists and social critics. Secrets of Transformation uses a unique multimedia format combining data journalism with visual effects and video reporting bringing the numbers to life.

The first segment, Separation of Powers, is already online and compares Indonesia and Hungary to see weather or not branches of government are being allowed to function independently or if power is being consolidated and controlled. Every two weeks two more countries will be featured. Issues still to be addressed are Fighting Corruption, Economic Growth and Freedom of Expression. Be sure to check in and get valuable insight on how the world is transforming. After exploring the issues you can share your reactions and thoughts in the feedback section and also learn more about what went into creating the project.

The series was introduced on January 22 by DW Director General, Peter Limbourg and Bertelsmann Foundation Chairman, Aart de Geus during a presentation and discussion session at DW Headquarters in Bonn.

DW is teaming up with photo-sharing app EyeEm for an exciting new mission: Creative Living. From tents and containers to underground basements and miniature rooms – the spaces we’re living in are getting smaller and smaller, especially in big cities, and we’re getting more and more creative to make the most out of it.

We want to know how you are making due with little space! Take photos of the creative ways in which you’re living and submit them by going to eyeem.com, downloading their app for free, and tagging your pics with “Creative Living by Deutsche Welle”, they will then automaticaly be added to the mission’s album (all infos can also be found here).

The jury of Deutsche Welle will select the most creative, awe-inspiring shots and feature them on our new interactive website together with your story behind the photo.

Deadline: Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

Creative Living is the first project that #DW30, the broadcaster’s think tank that explores new forms of digital storytelling, is kicking off. And you can be a part of it from the very start! It’s your chance to get published on an international news platform and show the world the power of telling stories through your images and your eyes. We can’t wait to see the world you’re living in!

PopXport is now working with Spotify to provide a playlist for the online streaming service’s 24 million users worldwide. The playlist will be updated each week according to the latest episode of PopXport, giving users an interactive mix of the latest hits, new releases and classics. In addition, the show’s hosts will also be adding songs that are currently in rotation on their personal iPods. Users can find the playlist directly on Spotify, or just go to the PopXport website in English, German and Spanish.

Also in music news, listeners can now join Kate Müser and Natalie Muller in the Pulse studio for the latest on youth culture in Germany and across Europe by subscribing to a free podcast.

For a half-century DW has delivered quality news and information to Hausa speaking audiences in West Africa. To celebrate the occasion, a delegation of directors and editors from DW traveled to Niamey, Niger and Abuja, Nigeria to meet with local leaders and media representatives. Highlights of the events included keynote speeches and discussions centered on the role of international media in Africa and what can be done to assist with human rights and conflict resolution.  DW has been praised for providing a voice of freedom in times of political struggle as well as providing an example for the local media to follow. “We can’t always trust our own media,” said a representative from Dallol FM, a local radio station.

As one of the few international broadcasters with Hausa content tailored for local populations, DW plays a unique role in helping people improve their lives by providing them with a world-class news service alongside programming that advocates learning. A new part of this mission is Crossroads Generation, the latest series from the successful educational radio program, Learning by Ear. The new series was presented at both locations and received much acclaim. “With its educational programming and informative broadcasting, DW makes an essential contribution to education in Niger,” said Brigi Rafini, Prime Minsiter of Niger at the meeting in Niamey.

DW will also be seeking to expand its services for African audiences that comprise more than half of DW’s total global audience of 100 million.  “Deutsche Welle has been a large part of the media landscape in Africa for decades where we are seen as a reliable source of information” said DW Director General, Peter Limbourg, “Africa is a successful market for DW with excellent prospects.”