The 24th JAMCO Online Symposium was about the current state and challenges of television broadcasters in Asia. We had a highly informative discourse from relevant people about the television-centered media and the issues they face in a number of countries with differing political and economic situations.

The discussions provided key details about the systems, broadcasters, programming, viewer ratings, and so on, in each country, and they also expressed a common awareness of the major changes that the spread of the Internet and so on, are bringing to developing countries.

Nevertheless, many fundamental questions remain. Although technological advances are important, there is also the issue of using broadcasts to help improve people’s lives and the level of education. And broadcasts can play a major role in nurturing freedom of thought and developing the freedom of expression.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the likes of terrorism, refugees and civil strife have brought the world to its biggest crisis since the Second World War. Afghanistan was embroiled in civil war following the Soviet invasion, and was ravaged by Taliban rule. Mr. Abdul Rahman Panjshiri, the Director of International Relations at Radio Television of Afghanistan (RTA), mentioned that the media were a “war driver in the last three decades”, but that they can be “used as major tool for re-conciliation and dialogue, by obliterating the ideas of war, suicide and anguish from the mind of the people.”

Mr. Panjshiri was alluding to the good and the bad in the media.

Today we must co-exist with different thinking, religions and lifestyles.

I believe that JAMCO, through its software, has an important mission to play in international understanding.

In this increasingly turbulent world of ours, I believe it is increasingly important to continue an exchange of opinions with people in developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and elsewhere through this kind of symposium.

In closing this symposium, I would like to express particular thanks to Mr. Ken-ichi Yamada and Mr. Takanobu Tanaka from the NHK Broadcasting Research Institute, who played an important part in putting together and negotiating for this event, as well as to all of the participants providing reports and taking part in the discussions, and those who accessed this site.