TV and radio must build bridges for developing world

In the Millennium statement, Kofi Annan acknowledged that the internet and ecommerce may turn out to be as significant as the industrial revolution. He was concerned, however, that significant knowledge is not disseminating to all parts of the world.

Robert Kwiatkowski, president of Polish Television's TVP, cautioned against single information channel approaches and said TV and radio must play an important role in conjunction with the internet in spreading learning. He said: "This is a real challenge to keep the universality of the delivery of information so that the unsophisticated can learn and be informed."

Supporting the role TV and radio must play, ahead of the internet, Annan said: "You must help the spread of literacy and other basic skills. Connecting the poor to the internet will hardly improve their lives if they cannot even read or write."

The UN estimates that TV and radio currently reaches three-quarters of the earth's population, while the internet only currently reaches 5 per cent.

By Nik Hole