Naser Shrouf, DW’s Head of Distribution Africa/ Middle East, recently conducted an interview with the Nieman Journalism Lab about the fastest-growing mobile market on the planet: Africa. DW sees a world of opportunities there to expand the reach of its programming and especially for its educational series Learning by Ear. Several partnerships with mobile providers have already been signed and DW is looking for more.

DW is using over-the-phone voice technology to deliver news. No Internet access necessary, customers just need to dial a number to access Learing by Ear content. The series covers everything from health and hygiene to politics, the economy, the environment and social issues.

Also, if you are interested in learning more about who we work with locally, check out this article from All Africa. And here is another interview with Tanzania’s Daily News about the Learning by Ear program.

Parabola Orange TV, Indonesia’s latest DTH service has included Deutsche Welle (DW) in its programming lineup. DW will be offered in Orange TV’s “Smart Package”, alongside other top global news, educational and lifestyle networks. The bew DTH service will make DW’s English channel available to viewers in suburban areas surrounding Jakarta.

“We are privileged to be included in Parabola Orange TV’s outstanding mix of nearly 60 channels,” said Petra Schneider, DW’s Director of Distribution. “The addition of DW demonstrates Parabola Orange TV’s belief that we have what it takes to satisfy their viewers. We are looking forward to sharing our brand of edutainment and insights into life in Europe.”

 

Following in the footsteps of “The Beethovn Project”, DW’s new classic music documentary “Schumann at Pier2” will run at the 2012 Montreal World Film Festival. The festival’s committee chose the 98-minute concert film directed by Christian Berger for its “Documentaries of the World” category. The festival will take place from August 23 to September 3.

“Schumann at Pier2” follows Estonian-American conductor Paavo Järvi and the musicians of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen as they offer a modern take on all four of Robert Schumann’s symphonies in Bremen. The concerts are staged at a converted shipyard.

Viewers in Europe will also have the chance to watch the film on the European cultural television channel Arte in November, following the official premiere of the film at Berlin’s film theatre Kino International. In addition, Label C Major Entertainment will sell a DVD box set featuring the documentary and recordings from the concerts.

After reaching the 100,000 fan mark on Facebook last week, DW has added yet another goodie to its array of German-language fun. With the new “Liebling” website, users can vote for their favorite renditions of German songs, by performers who are still learning German. Who is your liebling?

DW Akademie is now working with organizations in India and Nicaragua to offer journalists new opportunities for training. DW is working with Universidad de Managua, where 17 Nicaraguan journalists are taking part in a new degree program initiated by DW Akademie. The goal of the program is toi develop local journalists’ expertise in reporting on one of the country’s most pressing issues: environmental pollution and its associated problems.  The degree program encompasses five modules spread over six months, and the first two-week module was held in June.

In India, DW is working with the Robert Bosch Foundation to train Indian journalists about reporting in Germany. DW Akademie will host a select group of Indian journalists in Germany from September 10 to October 26, 2012 and provide them with comprehensive coverage of Germany and valuable  knowledge for reporting on Indian-German issues.  Journalists selected for the program will receive intercultural and journalistic training, as well as insight into Deutsche Welle’s  editorial teams.