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The 3rd World Electronic Media Forum (WEMF3) will bring together broadcast executives, policy makers, academics, journalists, visionaries and decision makers from around the world. They will look at the fundamental changes taking place in the global information society, and discuss how these will affect the role of the electronic media as well as the dissemination of knowledge, economic and business practices, political engagement and other aspects of society.

WEMF3 follows the first and second World Electronic Media Forums, which were held in Geneva in 2003 and Tunis in 2005, in conjunction with the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The Forums are World Broadcasting Union events and this third Forum is being organised in Asia by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) and the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC). The event is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) as cooperation partners. WEMF3 will be held at the new Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre next to the Petronas Twin Towers in the centre of Malaysia's thriving capital city.

Confirmed speakers to date include Genichi Hashimoto, President, NHK Japan, and President, ABU; Fritz Pleitgen, President, EBU; Cesar Gerbasi, President, OTI; Edwin van Huis, President, FIAT/IFTA; B. S. Lalli, CEO, Prasar Bharati, India; Richard Porter, Head of News, BBC World; Lieven Vermaele, Technical Director, EBU; Mano Wikramanayake, Group Director, The Maharaja Organisation, Sri Lanka; and Matt Locke, Head of Innovation, BBC Future Media & Technology.

Please visit www.wemfmedia.org for more information.

Background information for editors
The first and second World Electronic Media Forums were held in conjunction with the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) which was held in two phases in Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005). WEMF is fundamentally a World Broadcasting Unions (WBU) event. In association with host organisers, the World Broadcasting Unions and World Electronic Media Forum Association, the European Broadcasting Union hosted WEMF1 and the Arab States Broadcasting Union WEMF2. The ABU is serving as lead organiser of WEMF3, with partners, on behalf of its sister unions in the WBU.

The WSIS was organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in conjunction with the Swiss and Tunisian Governments and various UN agencies. The objective of the WSIS was to bring together Heads of State, executive heads of United Nations agencies, industry leaders, non-governmental organisations, media representatives and civil society in a single highlevel
event to share views on how the accelerating convergence between telecommunications, broadcasting multimedia and information and other communication technologies (ICTs) could best be harnessed to benefit the world community.

In conjunction with the WSIS, the two-day WEMF was held to examine more closely the impact that these changes may have on "traditional" ICTs such as radio and television broadcasting, and to discuss how the fundamental transformations that were taking place in the global information society may affect the role of the electronic media in knowledge dissemination, social interaction, economic and business practices, political engagement, media, education, health, leisure and entertainment.

WEMF1 in Geneva affirmed the vital importance of radio and television in the information society and produced a report that was distributed to public broadcasters around the world.

WEMF2 in Tunis built on this affirmation through focused discussions on the role of the electronic media in the digital age  for example in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, in guaranteeing cultural diversity, in preserving audiovisual archives and in promoting the safety of journalists in zones of conflict.

Although the WSIS concluded in Tunis, it was recommended that the WEMF continue to be held every two years, and it was suggested that it be held in Asia in 2007 and Latin America in 2009.

Following the success of WEMF2, the leaders of the World Broadcasting Unions decided to organise further meetings in the series independent of the WSIS. After WEMF3 in Kuala Lumpur, WEMF4 is expected to be held in Latin America in 2009.

About the WBU
The World Broadcasting Unions (WBU) is the coordinating body for broadcasting unions who represent broadcaster networks across the globe. Members include: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), Asociación Internacional de Radiodifusión (AIR), Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), North American Broadcasters Association (NABA), and Organizacion de Telecomunicaciones Iberoamericanas (OTI). For more information, please see http://www.worldbroadcastingunions.org

About the ABU
The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) is a non-profit, non-government, professional association of broadcasting organisations, formed in 1964 to facilitate the development of broadcasting in the Asia-Pacific region and to organise co-operative activities amongst its members. It currently has over 170 members in over 53 countries, with its broadcaster members reaching a potential audience of about 3 billion people. For more information, please visit www.abu.org.my

About the AIBD
The Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) is a unique regional intergovernmental organisation servicing countries of the Asia and Pacific region in the field of electronic media development since 1977. It is hosted by the Government of Malaysia. The AIBD is mandated to achieve a vibrant and cohesive electronic media environment in the Asia- Pacific region through policy and resource development. The institute has 26 full members and 53 affiliate members. More information is available at www.aibd.org.my

About AMIC
The Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) is Asia's premier media research, publication and resource centre. For over thirty six years, AMIC has spearheaded the development of Asian media through its wide range of publications, training workshops and events. More information is available at www.amic.org.sg

About the SDC
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is Switzerland's international cooperation agency within the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). In operating with other federal offices concerned, SDC is responsible for the overall coordination of development activities and cooperation with Eastern Europe, as well as for humanitarian aid. SDC employs a staff of around 550 people to carry out its activities in Switzerland and abroad, with an annual budget of CHF 1.3 billion (2006). The Agency undertakes direct actions, supports programmes of multilateral organisations, and helps to finance programmes run by Swiss and international aid organisations in the following areas:
- Bilateral and multilateral development cooperation
- Humanitarian aid
- Cooperation with Eastern Europe
Bilateral development cooperation concentrates on 17 priority countries and eight special programmes in Africa, Asia and Latin America. At multilateral level, SDC collaborates in particular with UN organisations, the World Bank, and the regional development banks. For more information, please visit www.sdc.admin.ch

About the GKP
Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) is an international network of over 100 organisations from all sectors - public, private and civil society - bound by the two common principles of sharing knowledge and building partnerships. Members and partners work in concert through the GKP network to promote innovation and advancement in Knowledge for Development (K4D) and Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) in seven operating regions: Africa, Central & Eastern Europe, East Asia, Latin America & the Caribbean, Middle East & North Africa, Oceania and South Asia. For more information, please visit
www.globalknowledge.org