More than 400 delegates from broadcasting organizations in 39 countries will attend a three-day meeting starting Wednesday in Tokyo to discuss issues facing the broadcasting industry, including cooperation in the areas of news and technology.
The General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union convenes every year in a member country, with Japan hosting the event for the first time in eight years.
"Amid drastic changes in the global environment, the information and telecommunications industry is facing a turning point," said ABU President Katsuji Ebisawa at a news conference prior to the event. Delegates will have opportunities to fully discuss the role of broadcasting, he added.
Representatives of Radio-Television of Afghanistan will return to the conference this year after an absence of 10 years. The Taliban regime restricted and banned broadcasting in Afghanistan.
The assembly is scheduled to discuss how member organizations can assist the reconstruction of Afghanistan's TV infrastructure as a great deal of the country's broadcasting equipment was destroyed during the U.S.-led campaign against al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
As well as the discussions, the conference will include the presentation of awards for the year's best TV and radio programs and a concert.