Guest Speaker
Sasa Vucinic from
Media Development Loan Fund. See him speak
here.
We start with this video.
Only 18% of the world's population lives in countries with a free press. "Only 18% knows exactly what's going on, gets unfiltered views ..." Um, there went a big non sequiter? Are we going to talk about media failings in countries with freedom of the press?
Got financing from Soros in 1996. Financed 167 different projects worldwide with 70 teams in 23 countries. Current loan portfolio $23m with interest rate 2% to 10%, lowest rate to riskiest projects. Overall, 2.5% loss rate. One case of fraud, in Macedonia, involving imported chicken wings.
Funding is from large agencies, however they have inconsistent direction due to management turnover. Now offering bonds for individual investors.
How not to censor a radio station: send troops to confiscate the equipment. Very photogenic. How to censor: call the potential advertisers and threaten them.
