Reporter at Risk in Her Latest Exclusive Report, Antonia Rados Reports on Pirates in Somalia
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
4 November 2010 week 44 Reporter at risk In her latest exclusive report, Antonia Rados reports on pirates in Somalia United Kingdom France Sara Geater becomes CEO of La France a un incroyable Talkback Thames talent off to a good start Germany Belgium RTL Interactive launches Jean-Jacques Deleeuw on live TV app his ambitions for RTL New Media week 44 the RTL Group intranet 4 November 2010 week 44 Cover: Antonia Rados was one of the first reporters to talk to pirates in Somalia 2 Reporter at risk In her latest exclusive report, Antonia Rados reports on pirates in Somalia United Kingdom France Sara Geater becomes CEO of La France a un incroyable Talkback Thames talent off to a good start Germany Belgium RTL Interactive launches Jean-Jacques Deleeuw on live TV app his ambitions for RTL New Media week 44 the RTL Group intranet Exploring the pirate phenomen RTL Television has become the first TV broadcaster to film a report in a stronghold of Somali pirates. Antonia Rados describes her experiences in an interview with Backstage. Antonia Rados and her cameraman Jean-Jacques Feron became the first TV team to interview pirates in Somalia Germany - 4 November 2010 Danger lurks everywhere in the Horn of Africa: country. On the radio, they called on people to pirates that hijack ships with their crews and kidnap us foreigners. We were stuck in a hotel demand ransom money in the millions keep for two days, a very tricky situation I would have making the headlines. All ships wishing to very happily done without.” pass through the Suez Canal must traverse this perilous route or take a detour of several Rados travelled to Somalia with her cameraman, thousand kilometres. Although the route has two photographers, a New York Times reporter been patrolled by international naval forces and a correspondent for the French newswire since December 2008, ‘Operation Atalanta’ AFP. A former Somali militiaman assisted her has not succeeded in completely all hijackings. with the organisation and logistics of the trip. At the present time, more than 20 ships are After a several-day adventurous journey, she being held by Somali pirates. To date, and her cameraman finally arrived in the pirate’s an estimated USD 100 to 150 million have village, Hobyo. “The fact that they even agreed probably been paid out in ransom money. to see us testifies to the pirates’ new confidence,” Rados says. “Apparently, they now want power, Antonia Rados and her cameraman Jean- too. There are talks between a local government Jacques Feron have become the first TV and pirates. Ultimately, what’s happening here team to film a report in a stronghold of is that there are too many groups now. There is Somali pirates and investigate the causes infighting. Each group is trying to find allies so and repercussions of the ‘million-dollar busi- as not to go under. A dangerous new round of ness’ of piracy. Unter Piraten – Antonia violence is imminent.” Rados bei den somalischen Seeräubern (Among Pirates – Antonia Rados Visits The Because of films likePirates of the Caribbean the Somali Pirates), a report to be broadcast by word ‘pirate’ has come to have romantic over- RTL Television on Sunday 7 November from tones – as a kind of “Robin Hood of the seas”, 22:05, also provides an unprecedented insight as Antonia Rados says. “The pirates are in fact into the lives of these dreaded marauder. The regarded as heroes in Somalia,” she explains. assignment was not without danger: “We were “They are heroes defending the seas against the prepared for the fact that the pirates might foreign fishing vessels. In a mix of self-interest, kidnap us,” says Antonia Rados. “Fortunately, revenge and resoluteness, the pirates are that didn’t happen. However, what we didn’t making it clear, in their way, that the causers of know was that Islamist groups hundreds of their misery can’t just do as they please off the kilometres away had found out we were in the Somali coast.” 3 week 44 the RTL Group intranet The team filmed hijacked ships in Hobyo and met Another problem is the recent cooperation with village elders and pirates. The men, some between pirates and Islamist extremists. In the of them former fishermen, reveal the rationale beginning, the Islamist troops in Somalia fought behind their ruthless business in the interviews: the pirates, saying that piracy is irreconcilable “They told us that they are being ‘forced’ to with their faith. “But avarice has prevailed among hijack ships because the fish stocks off the coast them now, too,” explains Antonia Rados. “In one of Somalia are disappearing – emptied of fish by town along the coast, the pirates and Islamists international trawlers,” says Rados. Their means now share the ransom monies. The cooperation of survival is being taken from them right in their between Islamists and pirates gives rise to new backyard. Rados adds: “Some pirates wanted horror scenarios: the Islamists have close ties to help getting into a different line of work, with a Al Qaeda. They are extremely against the West. Somali coast guard, for example”. It’s dreadful to imagine what would happen if they were to seize a oil tanker, bring it some- “Many Somali people endorse or support their where and blow it up.” actions,” explains Rados. “But even though the pirates see themselves as benefactors of the Despite the international security force, a solu- nation, it doesn’t look as if the ransom monies are tion to the problem is not in sight. Rados reports: actually being distributed. In the pirate strong- “Somalians don’t like foreign intervention – that hold Hobyo, there is nothing, no infrastructure, was the message the population conveyed to us: no doctor – the women have to travel eight hours don’t send us warships, don’t send us weapons, to get to the nearest hospital.” Part of the money don’t send us militia. What we need is a politi- from the piracy is spent on weapons and hi-tech, cal solution for this chaotic country. My job is to the rest is apparently being squandered for show the phenomenon as a report. Of course parties and drugs. the pirates get to have their say and state their positions, but one shouldn’t take too romantic a Antonia Rados reports: “Piracy has become a view of it.” lucrative ‘branch of industry’. Word about the prospect of easy dollars has gotten out, and in a country like Somalia, which has no government, no jobs and structures this attracts a lot of young people. The dilemma is obvious: the more the countries and the shipping lines pay, the more pirate groups there will be.” The report shows this deadly cycle of violence, hijacked ships and horrendous ransom sums in Somalia. For the first time, pirates allowed them- selves to be accompanied to their strongholds, where they hide the hijacked ships. “That was where we first saw the true extent of the lucra- tive business of piracy,” Rados says. The local population is still as poor as before, while the pirates can afford beautiful new houses. “Our trip to the pirates was sobering in that we saw that this money is merely being used to buy even more weapons,” says Rados. “These are used to hijack more ships. And everyone wants to become a pirate. Greed has become rampant in Somalia.” Pirate Mohammed was Antonia Rados’ bodyguard while she was in Somalia 4 week 44 the RTL Group intranet Sara Geater promoted Sara Geater was promoted to the position of CEO of Talkback Thames with immediate effect. She will also join the FremantleMedia Operating Board. Sara Geater, CEO of TalkbackThames United Kingdom - 29 October 2010 Sara has been Interim CEO of Talkback Thames since June this year, having joined the com- pany as Chief Operating Officer in March 2007. She has been a key player in leading Talkback Thames’ Strategic Review and since taking up the position of Interim CEO, Sara has led the implementation of the company’s new growth strategy. At the heart of this strategy is a signifi- cant investment in development and a focus on creating programmes with both global and ancil- lary potential. Sara, together with Syco, was instrumental in closing the three year deal with ITV and Syco which secures The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent on ITV1 until the end of 2013. Tony Cohen, CEO, FremantleMedia, said: “Sara has a wealth of knowledge and extensive experience in televi- sion on both the production and commercial side of the business. She’s done an exceptional job in her interim position as CEO of Talkback Thames, and I’m delighted that Sara will be taking up this new role.” Sara Geater added: “I’m thrilled to be leading one of the UK’s leading independent companies with some of the most talented on and off screen creatives. Our new growth strategy will allow us to build on our successes and invest in the future whilst capitalising on FremantleMedia’s extensive global network and commercial capabilities.” 5 week 44 the RTL Group intranet Live TV to mobiles 24/7 The RTL app now allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to watch all of RTL Television’s programming, live: RTL Interactive is the first to offer a German channel app with 24-hour live TV. Germany - 2 November 2010 Right from the launch of the app in July, viewers had been able to watch a number of RTL Television programmes live – but now the channel’s programming is available live 24/7 on the iPhone and iPod Touch.