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Week ending October 17, 2009

EHDRA - Boosted Interest in HD Radio™-Technology - October 16, 2009
from Yvonne Dettling for EHDRA

On the occasion of the 3rd HD Radio™ Day on 15th October, 2009, in Lucerne, Switzerland, the organizing European HD-Radio-Alliance (EHDRA) welcomed 100 experts and regulators from ten countries. Renowned speakers from various markets shared the latest tendencies and achievements for the digital transmission of radio programmes. The main focus was on opportunities and stakes for private commercial broadcasters. 1st September 2010 was announced as the launch date for HD Radio services operated by Swiss private commercial radio broadcasters. Furthermore, participants were shown the wide range of HD receivers and were able to field-test HD reception themselves by driving a test car across the Lucerne area.

The third HD Radio™ Day took place on 15th October, 2009, at the Continental Park Hotel in Lucerne, Switzerland. Various speakers presented recent developments and achievements of HD Radio™. Many presentations focused on the upcoming operational start-up of HD Radio™ in Europe. Speakers from Clear Channel (Len Konecny) and Cox Radio (Steve Fluker) shared their experiences with HD Radio™ in the U.S. where the technology was introduced a number of years ago.

A variety of test vehicles were at the participants‘ disposal to get an impression of HD Radio™-Technology’s advantages on the road. A presentation of receivers showed that there is already a wide range of devices available on the world-wide market, reaching from powerful home stereo hi-fi-systems to car radios and portable devices. HD Radio™ receivers are even incorporated in the new Microsoft media player ZUNE and the Insignia Walk-Radio.

Several experts who were involved in the numerous field tests in Europe (D/F/CH/RO/UKR/PL/CZ) during the last three years confirmed that HD Radio™ for private broadcasters can easily be implemented in these countries on the basis of the existing FM network infrastructure, generally with only few and small adaptations needed. Nevertheless, a number of administrations as well as the public service broadcasters gathered in the EBU still make formal and regulatory reservations against the implementation of HD Radio™ in Europe. The European HD Radio™ Alliance (EHDRA) is actively involved in the clarification of these questions, e.g. as a member of the ECC working group FM PT 45.

The Swiss Regulator OFCOM chose a pragmatic approach, as OFCOM’s head of department Marcel Regnotto explained in his welcoming speech. Switzerland is planning to introduce a dual system for digital radio broadcasting, by having the public service broadcaster and new private stations (targeting at a complete linguistic region) transmit their programmes on DAB+, while the existing - exclusively local or regional - FM stations digitize their programmes using their FM frequency. The latter’s new programme licences already include the right to digitally simulcast the original programme on FM, under so-called Secondary Service Terms. A regulation allowing additional programmes and data services will shortly be adopted by the Swiss Government.

In the coming weeks, a task force of 4 to 7 leading Swiss private stations will start the concrete planning of the operational implementation of HD Radio™ in Switzerland. Their objective is to launch the first commercial HD services on the air on 1st September, 2010. The definite go/no go-decision will be made in April 2010, based onthe results of the current planning activities.

Generally, the digitization of radio broadcasting Europe resembles rather a stuck evolution than a revolution. Especially for private broadcasters there is no sure formula that would offer a solution for digitization which can actually be refinanced from the market. The representative of the leading German radio association VPRT, Sebastian Artymiak, stated that Germany is still far away from a digitization of radio broadcasting, as DAB+ (favoured by the public service broadcasters) is not an appropriate solution for the majority of private stations.At the time being, HD Radio™ represents by far the most inexpensive option for the digitization of radio broadcasting (besides IP-radio, which however cannot replace a digital terrestrial distribution for licenced radiobroadcasters). At one go, local and regional stations for the first time get the possibility to broadcast additional complementary programmes in their licenced area. These benefits were made very clear during the HD Radio™event.

EBU - Eurovision Song Contest format – Just what Putin needs - October 16, 2009
from Sietse Bakker/Eurovision

Geneva, 16 October 2009: The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), organiser of Europe’s favourite live TV show, the Eurovision Song Contest, welcomed Russian Prime Minister Putin’s idea to hold a song contest with China, and Central Asia (suggested by Mr. Putin in a speech at a recent meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation). The EBU said that it would be delighted to license Mr Putin the Eurovision Song Contest format.

The EBU owns and sells the format for one of the most-watched annual television events in Europe to countries across the world.

“Why not have the Song Contest in China, and Central Asia? We own the rights to an international song contest. We would be happy to sell the format to Prime Minister Putin”, said Bjoern Erichsen, Television Director, EBU

“Investors have already signed a deal to make a version of the contest in the Middle East and North Africa. We are close to finalising a deal for a contest called Songs of Africa in sub-Saharan Africa”.

PRIX EUROPA goes On-Air! - October 15, 2009
from Susanne Kettelfor/Prix Europa

On the 17 October, PRIX EUROPA Festival Director Susanne Hoffmann and EU Commissioner Leonard Orban will open Europe’s largest media festival with 231 high quality productions for Television, Radio and the Emerging Media from 35 countries which will run until 24 October. An energetic, fast paced tone will be set for the festival week with the concert by the French band Babylon Circus which will be broadcast across Europe. Powerful sounds and fast rhythm have become one of the trademarks of this band consisting of multi-instrument talents.

A broad range of current programme trends in the European media landscape will be shown in the eight competition categories. More than 1,000 media professionals from across the continent will use PRIX EUROPA as a cross-border platform for the exchange of ideas and professional experience – irrelevant of language borders.

Susanne Hoffmann, Festival Director: “Our different languages are the centrepiece of our cultural diversity in Europe. At PRIX EUROPA we pose the question of how we are dealing with this immense cultural wealth. Especially the youth should have the chance to hear the languages of their neighbours on radio and television to get an insight in their daily lives. Here we offer a platform to programmes that open the horizon to a broader point of view, even in these economic difficult times.”

In this sense, the Radio Day of European Cultures will be taking place for the fourth time on Sunday, 18 October in co-operation with the European Broadcasting Union – EBU. All European radio stations have been challenged to build a bridge across the language borders under the motto “Languages through Microphones” on the Radio Day. Running up to the Radio Day seven production grants were awarded to multilingual radio productions for the first time. The Radio Day stands under the patronage of Leonard Orban, EU Commissioner responsible for Multilingualism who will also open the online voting for 15 short films made by students from European art institutes with the theme “Languages through Lenses”. From 17 – 23 October internet users are invited to vote for these videos on the PRIX EUROPA website.

PRIX EUROPA 2009 is a meeting place of the international media scene with several panel discussions, workshops and special events. One of the most important talks will take place on the 20 October and will tackle the topic of the changing role of journalists in the digital age under the title “Journalism went online – do we need a new job description?”. Jörn Kabisch, Vice-Chief Editor of the weekly magazine der Freitag will interview and discuss with top experts like Danny Schechter – a controversial media critic from the USA, Silvia Costeloe from the BBC News and Leo Busch, presenter of busch@ntv.de, one of the first interactive television talk shows in Germany.

Another programme highlight will be the public debate titled “European points of view 20 years after the opening of the borders: Historical plurality or a globalised perception?” which will be hosted by the rbb cultural journalist Harald Asel who will talk with prominent guests like the Austrian publisher Lojze Wieser, the Pulitzer Prize winner from Hungary György Baló and the historian Agnieszka von Zanthier from Berlin about their very personal experience and point of view on Europe from 1989 till now.

The core of the festival naturally lies in the PRIX EUROPA competition: the TV, Radio and Emerging Media nominees have raised the bar for the competition week with themes and exciting insights into everyday life in Europe. The difference in the genres are steadily becoming less obvious – for example the Docu-Musical “Eisenwurzen” by Eva Eckart from Austria played by non-professional actors – or the French production “Twenty Show the Film” a cross-media production where fictitious and real characters are mixed to create a picture of the twenty somethings.

A clear trend towards international co-productions is visible in the competition. Creative team work functions well even across national borders. The Dutch/German/Polish/Finish/ co-production “Mauerhase” by Bartek Konopka and Piotr Rosolowski and the Swiss production “La Forteresse” produced by several partners from Switzerland, France and Belgium give proof of this fact. PRIX EUROPA is the perfect environment to intensify this European collaboration and to start the dialogue with possible new partners.

The glamorous highlight of the week will be the Prize Giving Ceremony on the 24 October where the twelve best productions of the different categories will be announced and awarded the PRIX EUROPA Taurus trophy and the €6,000- prize money. Additionally, the winners of the “Languages through Lenses” online video competition will also be announced. The Irish TV star, Derek Mooney will be the host of the evening once again. For the second time he will guide the audience with his ready witted humour through the night.