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Press Release

Brazil's TV Cultura Wins Third International Council/UNICEF Award

Wednesday, 6 December 2000: TV Cultura of Brazil won its third straight special award from the International Council of NATAS, the group that awards International Emmys, and UNICEF for its outstanding participation during the 1999 International Children's Day of Broadcasting. The award was presented at the International Emmy Awards in New York.

The International Children's Day of Broadcasting (ICDB) takes place every year on the second Sunday in December. Through its 160 field offices, UNICEF urges broadcasters to open their airwaves and broadcast studios to young people so that they can produce programming from a child's perspective. ICDB celebrates the huge energy and creative potential of children around the world. Over 2,000 broadcasters from over 170 countries participate.

TV Cultura dedicated over 18 hours of special programming to ICDB in 1999, which included variety, music, chat shows and documentaries. One documentary, "Banished Lives," focused on the challenges of helping young people in jail return to more constructive lives.

TVCultura was one the three nominees for the award, along with Canal Capital of Colombia and ZDF of Germany.

"It is imperative that today's children are given access to the airwaves, where they can share their concerns and their dreams," said Dee Searle, Chief of UNICEF's Broadcast Unit. But she added that a focus on children should not come just one day a year. "By presenting quality educational programming all year long, broadcasters can play a fundamental role in improving the lives of children everywhere. Children have rights – and it is up to the world's broadcasters to provide a forum where young people can express themselves and share information with their peers."

The award was created six years ago by the International Council of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which, along with UNICEF, created the International Children's Day of Broadcasting in 1992.

Previous winners were Sabado Chiquito de Corporan of Dominican Republic (1995), TV Ontario, Canada (1996), Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (1997), and TVCultura (1998 and 1999).

This year's International Children's Day of Broadcasting will take place on Sunday, 10 December. UNICEF is asking top leaders in politics, religion, sports, the arts and the media to engage in a dialogue with children in front of the cameras.

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For more information, please contact :

Dee Searle, UNICEF Broadcast Section, New York, (212) 824 6127
Email: dsearle@unicef.org