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Feyçal Caunhye, Mauritius
Broadcasting Corporation (2006 Fellow)
One of the most highly regarded programmes run by the One World Broadcasting Trust is the annual Fellowship Scheme. Aimed at senior radio and television
broadcasters from developing countries, the Fellowship Scheme brings a select group of broadcast professionals to the UK for a
two-week period. During this time they take part in a packed programme of discussion sessions and location visits,
all of
which are tailored to meet the interests of those selected to participate.
The scheme has been running since 1996, and has involved over 60 fellows
in total. Every year, around six fellows are invited to participate.
Currently, the scheme is supported by the Elizabeth R Fund, the
Commonwealth Media Development Fund, and the British Council (read about
their involvement
here).
The aims of the programme are threefold:
The fellows can learn information which they will find useful in
their posts back home. The visiting broadcast professionals meet and
discuss broadcast issues, technology, management and development on a
two-way basis with their senior counterparts in the UK - from leading
executives, to regulators and politicians. This also helps the fellows
build up useful contacts with, for example, the people who work on
foreign desks in broadcasting organisations.
The fellows can provide insight into their own countries, and the
role of the media globally. They provide senior UK broadcasters with
insights about British coverage of their countries and global
broadcasting issues, which in turn helps inform UK programming and editorial
decisions.
And the fellows also exchange ideas among themselves, which helps them
find common solutions to problems they may face within the broadcasting
field. For example, those who come from post-conflict countries can compare
the role of broadcasters in rebuilding society.
To advertise for candidates, the Trust uses regional offices of the
British Council, plus some other international broadcasting networks.
The Trust then assembles a panel to select the fellows each year. The
panel focuses on individual talent,
experience, career potential, commitment to influencing the broadcast
media and evidence that the candidate will benefit. It also aims to
create a balance in the group in terms of gender, region of origin,
broadcast medium, and area of expertise.
(See specific
criteria at
How to
Apply).
 The
fellowship programme is different every year. The
Trust speaks with each
individual fellow to learn about their field of broadcasting, and the
specific areas in which they wish to gain experience. The programme is
then planned in cooperation with numerous UK broadcast professionals,
many of whom have been involved with the scheme in previous years.
As well as meeting broadcasters, the fellows also meet organisations
like Ofcom (the media regulator), the Department for Media, Culture and
Sport, the Reuters Foundation and others.
The most personalised elements of the scheme are the one-to-one
sessions, in which each fellow spends around half a day in the workplace
of an organisation which is particularly relevant to them. This might be
at the BBC World Service, a commercial radio station in London, or an
independent TV production house.
Successful applicants have their international travel
and accommodation expenses paid for the duration of the programme, and are given
a daily living allowance. They are guided throughout the programme by
representatives from the One World Broadcasting Trust.
The Fellowship Scheme has benefited its participants in many ways - and
it has also had an impact on the broadcasting professionals they meet in
the UK. Find out more at What They Say.
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