WORLD TELEVISION DAY: NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Quick Facts

The United Nations’ (UN) World Television Day is globally celebrated on November 21 each year.

Local names

Name	Language
World Television Day	English
Día Mundial de la Televisión	Spanish

World Television Day 2014

Friday, November 21, 2014

The United Nations’ (UN) World Television Day is annually observed in many places around the world on November 21. The day recognizes that television plays a major role in presenting different issue that affect people.

World Television Day helps people remember the beneficial purposes of television.

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What do people do?

World Television Day is a day to renew governments’, organizations’ and individuals’ commitments to support the development of television media in providing unbiased information about important issues and events that affect society. News about World Television Day may be shared via print, online and broadcast media. Television and radio bloggers may write comments, editors may write in the editors’ columns, and writers, academics and journalists may write feature articles about the meaning behind this event.

Educational institutions may mark World Television Day on their calendars and educators may use this day as an opportunity to invite guest speakers to discuss media and communication issues relating to television. Discussion topics may include: how television promotes cultural diversity and a common understanding; the links between democracy and television; and the role of television in social, political and economic developments.

Public life

World Television Day is a global observance and not a public holiday.

Background

The UN acknowledges that television can be used to educate many people about the world, its issues and real stories that happen on the planet. Television is one of the most influential forms of media for communication and information dissemination. It is used to broadcast freedom of expressions and to increase cultural diversity. The UN realized that television played a major role in presenting global issues affecting people and this needed to be addressed.

On December 17, 1996, UN General Assembly proclaimed November 21 as World Television Day to commemorate the date on which the first World Television Forum was held earlier that year. The UN invited all member states to observe the day by encouraging global exchanges of television programs focusing, among other things, on issues such as peace, security, economic and social development and cultural change enhancements.

Symbols

The UN logo is often associated with marketing and promotional material for this event. It features a projection of a world map (less Antarctica) centered on the North Pole, inscribed in a wreath consisting of crossed conventionalized branches of the olive tree. The olive branches symbolize peace and the world map depicts the area of concern to the UN in achieving its main purpose, peace and security. The projection of the map extends to 60 degrees south latitude, and includes five concentric circles.

World Television Day Observances

Weekday	Date	Year	Name	Holiday type
Fri	Nov 21	1997	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Sat	Nov 21	1998	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Sun	Nov 21	1999	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Tue	Nov 21	2000	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Wed	Nov 21	2001	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Thu	Nov 21	2002	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Fri	Nov 21	2003	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Sun	Nov 21	2004	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Mon	Nov 21	2005	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Tue	Nov 21	2006	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Wed	Nov 21	2007	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Fri	Nov 21	2008	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Sat	Nov 21	2009	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Sun	Nov 21	2010	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Mon	Nov 21	2011	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Wed	Nov 21	2012	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Thu	Nov 21	2013	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Fri	Nov 21	2014	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Sat	Nov 21	2015	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Mon	Nov 21	2016	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Tue	Nov 21	2017	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Wed	Nov 21	2018	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Thu	Nov 21	2019	World Television Day	United Nations observance
Sat	Nov 21	2020	World Television Day	United Nations observance

WORLD TELEVISION DAY: NOVEMBER 21, 2013