Media Center

Beijing, 19 September 2008 – China Central Television (CCTV)'s TV special "On the Road" and Radio Beijing's "Listen to Children, Listen to Nature" have been nominated for the global UNICEF International Children's Day of Broadcasting Awards (ICDB). The awards are given by UNICEF for the best work produced in 2007 for ICDB, as well as a commitment to youth participation in media. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony dinner on 18 November 2008 in New York.

The International Children's Day of Broadcasting encourages broadcasters to dedicate the day to focus their programming on children's rights related issues and encourages young people to get involved in television and radio broadcasting. The 2007 ICDB theme, "The World We Want," asked young people to explore the world around them - its joys, its problems and possible solutions.

CCTV and Radio Beijing have been working with UNICEF China for years to advocate for children's rights, including their right to participate in the media. Both of their entries have won ICDB Regional Prizes and will now compete against nominees from other regions for the global honour later this year.

CCTV's special feature "On the Road" examines children's hopes and dreams as they make their way to school. Both children from China's most remote rural villages and children from more prosperous urban areas are featured in the programme.

Radio Beijing's entry "Listen to Children, Listen to Nature" encourages children to search for and record the sounds of nature, which are all too frequently lost amid urban hustle and bustle. The radio show also appeals for a greener world for future generations.

CCTV and Radio Beijing are among the thousands of broadcasters in more than a hundred countries to participate in the ICDB since the year 1991 to raise awareness for children's issues. Regional judging took place between June and August and entries were evaluated by teams of broadcasters, radio and television experts, and communications specialists. The judges looked at content, execution, and year-round youth participation.

The ICDB Regional Prizes for television went to Channel I (Bangladesh, "The Winner"), CCTV (China, "On the Road"), KI.KA (Germany, "TRICKBOXX in Arabia"), Channels TV (Nigeria, "ICDB 2007 – The World We Want"), Asociacion Nacional de Television Red TV (Peru, "Napa"), and Spacetoons (UAE, "The World We Want"). The ICDB Regional Prizes for radio went to Angola National Radio (Angola, "The World We Want"), Radio MEC AM (Brazil, "Radio MEC no Dia Internacional da Crianca no Radio e na TV"), Radio Beijing Corp. (China, "Listen to Children, Listen to Nature"), Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (Ghana, "Curious Minds"), IRIB – Tehran Radio (Iran, "Hi Children. Hi Tinv."), and Equal Access Nepal (Nepal, "Chatting with my Best Friend").

The next ICDB will fall on the first Sunday of March, which is 1 March 2009, with the theme "Unite for Children: Tune in to Kids!"

About UNICEF in China
UNICEF first assisted China between 1947 and 1951, providing emergency services, food and nutrition, health and hygiene training during and after the Revolutionary War. In 1979 UNICEF officially commenced its cooperation with the Government of China to support child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. 

For further information, please contact:
Dale Rutstein, UNICEF China, +86 13910973801, drutstein@unicef.org or Liu Li, UNICEF China, +86 13701066671, liliu@unicef.org