The 30th CIRCOM Regional Annual conference took place May 17th-19th 2012 in Malmö in the south of Sweden. Under the three key words Reach, Relevance and Responsibility we have put together a programme that gave something for everyone to bring back to their home station. According to the needs, specified by the members of the European Board, the sessions and panels covered the following strands:
* Strategy
* New Media
* Innovation
* Cooperation
* Training
* Finance
* Executive Summit
For the first time - The Prix Gala available all over Europe
PRIX CIRCOM Gala, the event at which the awards for the best regional programmes and programme makers in Europe were awarded, took place in Malmo on Thursday, 17th May 2012 at 9 pm. The event was broadcasted live, on Internet, in HD, by SVT. CIRCOM Member stations were free to use the signal as a whole or in part in their broadcasts and programmes.
Live stream was powerd by 
Prix CIRCOM Gala 2012
| Thursday, May 17th 2012 |
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| AUDITORIUM 1 |
| 9.00 The Mission in Malmö – reach, relevance, responsibilities |
| 9.30 Regional Public Service – too expensive or the key to success Eva Hamilton - CEO of SVT, Sweden, Jacques Briquemont – President CIRCOM Regional, Kostas Bliatkas – General Director of ERT3, Greece, Rosa Vilas – Managing Director of TVG, Spain and Gerard Schuiteman CEO of Roos, the Netherlands. |
| Regional Public Service - an expensive and shrinking business or the key to success? A discussion on reach, relevance and responsibility. In some countries the regional operations have been centralized or downsized, in others the public service companies give the regional media houses more independence and resources. Is the regional mission part of the core in a public service definition or is it just an outdated expensive obstacle in the yearly budget? Top executives from all around Europe discuss the future of regional television. |
| 11.00 Transforming Audiences Jakob Bjur, Research Director, TNS Sifo and Researcher at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden |
| How can Public Service media reach out to have an effect on and address important issues in a world of media overdose. Not only is the modern media consumer flooded with information from every corner of the world, the public itself now creates its own news. Ph.D. Jakob Bjur has done research on the media landscape and gives us some answers on how Public Services broadcasting can be more relevant to our changing audiences. |
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13.00 New Competitors, Newspaper turns TV |
| The increasing concurrence among media companies is reality all over Europe. The fact that even newspapers are now turning TV-stations as well makes it harder to succeed. There are different ways to approach this. Hear about Swedish NTM with two newspapers and five TV-channels and their strategy for each platform, meet the founder of Nordjyske, the Danish multimedia company that found its own way to survive... and learn more about a completely different way to meet the concurrence, with cooperation: Vila Web in Barcelona started by Vicent Partal gathers the media. What impact does this situation have on the audience and the content? |
| 14.00 Audiovisual Communications Bert Nordberg CEO, Sony, Sweden |
| Listen to the thoughts of one of the leading technological companies in the world. Where are the tablets and phones taking us? |
| 15.15 The 2012 BBC Olympics Charles Runcle, BBC, UK and moderator: Jonas Karlsson, SVT, Sweden |
| This session will cover four themes: The current challenging BBC environment, where does sports fit in. The session will include Delivering Quality, Sports, Rights, Sports News and OBs - how do we as broadcasters do these well with shrinking budgets? How the regions complement/fit into the BBC's sports coverage. How we make good sports stories - Using VJ skills, Working with national and regional governing bodies. Know your sports clubs, stars, Multimedia content - includes local radio and online. Regional coverage of the 2012 Olympics. |
| 16.15 Big Screens Anita Bhalla, BBC, UK |
| The Public Service Big Screens network operates large LED screens in urban cities in an attempt to engage with a diverse out of home audiences. The screens are run in partnership with the BBC and Local Councils. This session looks at the impact of the Big Screens on the BBC as the broadcast partner, the city centres, development of user generated content and Interactivity games. |
| 17.15 Summary of the day |
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| AUDITORIUM 2 |
| 11.00 BBC College of Journalism BBC, UK and Zoran Medved, RTVSLO, Slovenia |
| The interactive tool to train experienced and inexperienced journalists have been tried out by CIRCOM Regional members and found useful, fun and excellent. Now you get to try it! |
| 13.00 Financing Drama Öresund Film Commission and Ystad kommun |
| A small player turns big and suddenly attracts BBC and Kenneth Branagh to shoot the Swedish Wallander crime show in Skåne. How did that happen and how can you finance regional drama production. |
| 14.00 Social Media - the great conversation starter Nick Simons, NRK, Norway and Blathnaid Healy, WorldIrish.com |
| The days of one-way broadcasting are over. Welcome to the paradigm-shifting age of the social web. The active, PVR-owning, web-connected, multi-screen and social audience now choose what they watch and when they watch it, while simultaneously sharing, tweeting and interacting with a staggeringly broad range of media. This revolution requires us to change what we make, how we work and how we think. We have to become social and start great conversations if we want to keep our audiences. Blathanid Healy (Content Manager, WorldIrish.com, Ex RTÉ digital) and Nick Simons (NRK development producer, ex-BBC Scotland New Media Head) will talk over some principles of social media, technology, content and the people we need to start these conversations with our changing audiences. Please come prepared for discussion and live tweeting. |
| 15.15 Investigative Journalism, How to do it Uppdrag Granskning, SVT, Sweden |
| How to 'bulletproof' your investigative story by line by line editing. Uppdrag granskning (Assignment Investigate), a one hour program, broadcasted 45 weeks a year, with an editorial staff of 33, it is a major force in the development of investigative journalism in Sweden. This position has been acquired due to a methodological approach to fact finding and fact checking. Nils Hanson became the Editor-in-chief in 2003 and has been lecturing on investigative journalism for many years and has written a handbook on the subject. |
| 16.15 Prix CIRCOM Meet the Winners – Investigative Reporting |
| 17.15 Prix CIRCOM Meet the Winners – Social Interaction |
| 18.15 Summary of the day |
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| ROOM 1 |
| 11.00 Broadcasting – Cheap, Fast and All over |
| "The News Laboratory", is a small blogging and web casting group within SVT News Division. They do a live web cast three times a week, covering a broader range of topics than other News rooms. The show is highly interactive, as the audience can chat with each others, with the guests and with the reporters. "The News Laboratory" is developing a solution for extremely slim, cheap but quality TV production, as well as a TV format and a journalistic approach to an interactive live TV show. They do so in tight cooperation with the audience. At the same time SVT is testing new technical solutions for super simple and super easy broadcasting, for regional TV and web. In this workshop you will be able to test it hands on. |
| 13.00 Broadcasting in Crises panellists to be announced |
| What happens to regional broadcasters in the times of crisis? What are the effects of the Euro crises on content and organisation? Meet the colleagues who have been there and are there struggling with cuts and financial difficulties. |
| 14.00 The power of sharing Henrik Hartman, DR, Denmark |
| Talk by Henrik Hartmann, Secretary General of Nordvision and a true believer of sharing. “Public Service Media will not survive unless we can look beyond our borders and start collaborating more widely across national frontiers. We have to become much better at sharing our history, culture and television fare - at the lowest possible cost. Without international cooperation public service media around the world will most likely find it even harder to keep pace with commercial competitors in years to come. At the same time we will find it ever more difficult to maintain our distinction in the vast array of television channels unless we start collaborating across borders, perhaps even globally. We need to rethink our vision of public service, develop new ideas that are adapted to new realities, yet remain true to our ideals of diversity and independence. Global public service media collaboration may be one of the paths toward more unique and less costly public service content”. |
| 15.15 Cooperation in Broadcasting |
| CIRCOM Regional has several pending projects in order to enhance the level of co-production and collaboration among members. Listen and join! |
| 16.15 Summary of the day |
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| WORKSHOP |
| 11.00 SWOT yourself to Success Peter Sommerstein |
| At this workshop you will take part in a session on how to develop your Newsroom or TV/Station. The tool we use will be the SWOT-analyses. Together with the other participants you will discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, which are part of your daily work today. Together with your colleagues you will find some solutions to your challenges today! |
| 13.00 Broadcasting – Cheap, Fast and All over |
| "The News Laboratory", is a small blogging and web casting group within SVT News Division. They do a live web cast three times a week, covering a broader range of topics than other News rooms. The show is highly interactive, as the audience can chat with each others, with the guests and with the reporters. "The News Laboratory" is developing a solution for extremely slim, cheap but quality TV production, as well as a TV format and a journalistic approach to an interactive live TV show. They do so in tight cooperation with the audience. At the same time SVT is testing new technical solutions for super simple and super easy broadcasting, for regional TV and web. In this workshop you will be able to test it hands on. |
| 11.00 SWOT yourself to Success Peter Sommerstein |
| At this workshop you will take part in a session on how to develop your Newsroom or TV/Station. The tool we use will be the SWOT-analyses. Together with the other participants you will discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, which are part of your daily work today. Together with your colleagues you will find some solutions to your challenges today! |
| 15.15 Executive Summit by invitation only |
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| Friday, May 18th 2012 |
| AUDITORIUM 1 |
| 9.30 The Malmö Case - The Responsibility of the Media – Panel Ilmar Reepalu – Mayor of Malmö, Bernard Mikulic – SVT, Sweden |
| Many see Malmö as an example of social diversity gone bad. Media from around the world describe Malmö in negative terms. Media reports about increase in crime and unemployment in the city, often linked to the high rate of immigration particularly from Muslim countries. As a result racism and islamophobia increase at the same rate. What is the true picture of Malmö? Is the media responsible for this negative image? These important questions will be discussed by a panel consisting of Ilmar Reepalu, Mayor of Malmö, Bernard Mikulic, reporter from SVT's local television News department and other media representatives. |
| 11.00 The Utøya Massacre Stein Bjöntegård, Heidi Pleym, Ulf Morten Davidsen and Rolf Sanne Gundersen, NRK, Norway |
| On July 22nd 2011 Norway's image as a safe and peace loving country was literally shot to pieces. A Norwegian rightwing terrorist killed 77 people during dreadful hours of terror. It started with a car bomb attack on the executive government quarter of Norway, in the middle of the capital Oslo on a sunny Friday afternoon. Then the terrorist headed for the annual summer camp of the Social Democrats Youth division, on the island Utøya, where children and youngsters were cynically hunted down, leaving 69 dead and several young people wounded for life. The Utøya session tells about how the news on the deadliest attack on Norway after World War II was handled - in the NRK newsrooms in Oslo - and in the regions. Shock and action! Organizing and broadcasting a continuous news flow, dealing with lack of information, rumours, unverified news. The dilemmas in the search of eye witnesses and locations! When and what to publish? How to take care of the reporters in the middle of the storm? |
| 13.00 Involve me and I’ll understand Måns Adler, Bambuser |
| Bambuser is the world wide known application that makes it possible for everyone with a mobile phone to broadcast on internet. It has been used over and over during the “Arabic Spring” and often the broadcast reach the main stream media outlets. How will this affect broadcasting and could Bumbuser and other applications be the clue to reach and attract the audience? |
| 14.00 Diversity – What’s That? Edna Eriksson, moderator: Anita Bhalla, BBC, UK |
| Increased immigration in Europe has led to the increase in ethnical minority groups particularly in the larger metropolitan areas. Broadcasters have major problems in reaching out and understanding the needs of these media consumers. The lack of social and cultural diversity in the editorial staff rooms only perpetuates this alienation. Edna Eriksson is a journalist who for the last 15 years has devoted her time on the concept of diversity, racism and discrimination. |
| 15.15-17.30 Reaching Minorities |
| There are broadcasters who have succeeded in widening their audiences by being more relevant and reaching out to minority groups. Good examples of how to reach new audiences, people who do not watch public service TV or listen to public service radio. |
| 15.30 Arabic Game Jam Yasemin Arhan Modeer, Media Evolution, Per-Anders Hillgren, Malmö University and Victor Ollén, Malmö city, Sweden |
| A new method to visualize and acknowledge unutilized competence among the citizens of Malmö while developing and strengthening the already established industries with new skills and knowledge. Arabic Game Jam is an example of the triple helix model, in which the city of Malmö, Media Evolution and Malmö University collaborated to create sustainable development. During the last weekend in January this year, about 40 people participated in an Arabic Game Jam at Malmö University. The participants consisted of professional game developers mixed with game enthusiasts, and people with knowledge of Arab culture that has never before created games. Together, they developed six innovative game concepts specially for the Arabic speaking markets. The event received a lot of media attention. The background was an initiative from of the City of Malmö, whom through interaction with external parties, aimed for creating new development processes in the different city neighbourhoods. Representatives from the media cluster Media Evolution, and the research environment Medea at Malmö University was engaged from the start to see what needs and capabilities was found in the neighbourhood Rosengård. A process based on trust and confidence in each other's different skills took shape and resulted in a number of focus groups and workshops with Rosengårds citizens. The result was a long-term project on development of games as social innovation, which culminated in the gaming event Arabic Game Jam. |
| 16.00 Broadcasting Your Own Street Susanna Fatah and Felicia Jackson, SR, Sweden |
| "Din Gata 100,6" (Your street") is a local public service radio station in Malmö that has achieved huge success in reaching new audiences among young people with different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Susanne Fatah, 29, is one of the three anchor persons on Din gata 100,6. Susanne was headhunted by creator and producer Ulla Svensson at the age of 23. Before that she had never done radio at all. Her plans back then were to become a police officer. Now, five years later, she is still at Swedish Radio working as a radio producer. She has also taken on the task of finding new stars for tomorrows "Din gata 100,6". Felicia Jackson is one of Susannes recruits and the new voice on the channel. |
| 16.30 Sapmi Sessions/Oddasat |
| How can you reach the majority as well as the minority? Sapmi sessions is the successful example. Some of Sweden's most celebrated artists from charts met Sami artists in world class. They had three days to make an entirely new song together. Two languages and cultures met to create together something new. |
| 17.00 Miffo TV Matz Lundin and Nancy Delic |
| "Mifforadio" is as far as we know the world’s one and only national broadcasted radio show with people with intellectual disabilities as anchor persons. It’s a mainstream show about issues in life and not about disability. It is broadcasted weekly to a large audience in Sweden’s biggest national radio channel P4. "Miffo TV" is a TV documentary series about the life of the" Mifforadio" presenters. All very warm, funny and hopefully provoking. Matz Lundin is the Executive Producer and the founder of "Miffo-TV" and radio with 13 years of experience of radio and TV. Nancy Delic is one of the three show hosts of Mifforadio. She has been on the show since the beginning, in fall 2009. |
| 17.30 Summery of the day |
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| AUDITORIUM 2 |
| 11.00 Sharing Legally MEDEA, Sweden |
| What is creative commons and how can You use it? |
| 13.00 Computer based Investigative Journalism Helena Bengtsson, SVT, Sweden |
| Database journalism: What is it and how can it help regional stations to do unique stories? Knowing how to analyze databases and large amounts of facts will soon be a tool for almost every reporter. A great side effect is also that size doesn't matter - a database analyzed for the country can easily be divided and shared among the regional affiliates within the company. Crime scene Sweden and FAS3 are two examples of CAR, computer assisted reporting, (database journalism) and crowd sourcing from SVT. Both projects show how a corporation between the web, current affairs programs, the national and the regional news creates news stories and attention that also changes how society regards these subjects. SVT is in the front line in this field with a unique group of five journalists and two developers working full time with database journalism. They often cooperate with the regional stations all over the country. Helena Bengtsson, Database Editor at SVT, is the key person in this successful work. She has worked with CAR and database journalism for over 14 years. |
| 14.00 Mobile Journalism - A Future Force in News Operations? Karol Cioma, Circom Regional Training Project Manager and Glen Mulcahy, Production Development Manager, RTE News, Ireland |
| The latest news and developments in MoJo working. The workshop will be looking at how mobile journalism can affect the way journalists operate in a multi-media environment and how news gathering can benefit from this innovative technology. This session is a must for all journalists who work in television, radio and on-line and for all news managers who are interested in improving their output by "being there first". |
| 15.15 Prix CIRCOM Meet the Winners –Documentary |
| 16.15 Prix CIRCOM Meet the Winners –Sport & Drama |
| 17.15 Summary of the day |
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| ROOM 1 |
| 11.00 Prix CIRCOM Meet the Winners – Magazine & Most Original |
| 13.00 Multicultural Strategies Otto Haug and Marianne Mikkelsen, NRK, Norway |
| Europe has become multicultural. But is this visible in the regional news rooms and programmes? Multicultural journalists open up for new sources of information and can give us better access to and credibility in new groups of citizens. Every fourth citizen in Oslo is multicultural, and the regional station in Oslo, NRK Østlandssendingen, has for 15 years actively worked with recruiting and integrating multicultural journalists in NRK. They will share their experiences and successes. |
| 14.00 Prix CIRCOM Meet the Winners – Minorities in Society |
| 15.00 Summary of the day |
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| WORKSHOP |
| 11.00 How to Develop top Ideas Peter Sommerstein |
| This workshop will help you find, refine and become creative, when you go from a rough idea to the best product ever. Peter Sommerstein is a senior consultant with experience from both Public Service Television and Radio Broadcasting. He is very much engaged in the development of Media organizations all over the world. |
| 13.00 Ideas Bazaar |
| A standard session at the CIRCOM Conference. Swop your best ideas with your European colleagues. Bring one good idea and take many back. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to announce your idea. |
| 14.00 How to Develop top Ideas Peter Sommerstein |
| This workshop will help you find, refine and become creative, when you go from a rough idea to the best product ever. Peter Sommerstein is a senior consultant with experience from both Public Service Television and Radio Broadcasting. He is very much engaged in the development of Media organizations all over the world. |
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| Saturday, May 19th 2012 |
| AUDITORIUM 1 |
| 9.30 CIRCOM Training |
| Meet the trainees of the Malmö TV Journalism Training and see the productions. |
| 10.45 How to tell Investigative Stories Kenny Adersjö, SVT, Sweden |
| How to bring it all together to tell a compelling TV-story. Kenny Adersjö, Executive Producer at the Department of Current Affairs at SVT. Kenny has got a history as an Editor at the most established program for investigative journalism in Sweden, "Assignment Investigate" (Uppdrag granskning). He has worked on numerous stories with big impact on the Swedish society. With a unique combination of experience from both qualified investigative journalism and storytelling he is a frequent educator at journalism educations and in editing rooms around Sweden. |
| 11.45 Summary of the Conference |
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| AUDITORIUM 2 |
| 9.30 The Challenges of an Interactive Audience |
| 10.45 Social Sustainability – the responsibility of the city Malmö City and MEDEA |
| 11.45 Summary of the Conference |