34th Annual Conference
Annual Conference 2016: Welcome!
- Details
Fernando R. Ojea
Secretary General Elect of CIRCOM Regional
Future… and present
No doubt these days in Plovdiv we are going to talk about the future of journalism and of public service as we use to do in every Annual Conference of CIRCOM Regional. But indeed the present has burst into our discussions. The happenings in a rapidly changing Europe, marked by the terrorist attacks and the refugee crisis, cannot leave our regional journalism indifferent and these issues are going to stand out during our sessions. Let alone this unique opportunity to exchange knowledge through debates, networking and mainly the Prix CIRCOM, the best showcase of the quality standards that CIRCOM Regional members are able to reach.
Welcome everybody!
Juliana Toncheva
Vice President of CIRCOM Regional 
For the dedicated journalist today, it is becoming increasingly difficult to comprehensively cover the dynamic events taking place not only on the old continent, but also around the world. Therefore, our primary task is to unite efforts and exchange ideas on how to contribute to solving the problems we cover and examine how, by means of the practices of constructive journalism, we can inspire and attract people to be not mere spectators but also participants in what we do and in what is happening around us.
I am convinced that the conference in Plovdiv will provide us with an exceptional opportunity. It will be the forum where, through exchanging knowledge and experience, we will discuss various approaches that can address and overcome the challenges before our peoples today, and will contribute to elevating the prestige and role of public broadcasters in the regions of Europe.
Eng. Ivan Totev
Mayor of the City of Plovdiv
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am proud of being the Mayor of the sixth oldest living city in the world and the oldest in Europe, endowed with more than 200 cultural and historical sites and over 300,000 portable cultural monuments, with finds from seven archaeological periods.
Plovdiv’s rich and ancient history has left lasting traces on its architecture even to this day. Remains of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and of contemporary culture coexist, woven into the irresistible beauty of the millennia-old city. At every step, one comes across pieces of world history. The journey through the Old Town and along the streets of Plovdiv is a journey through time and civilisations.
Today, our city is successfully developing as a leading destination of culture and cultural tourism. This progress is due to the efforts of many generations of Plovdiv creators and people who are have devoted, and continue to give, the best years of their life to the city. They have all left their lasting imprint forever.
The calendar of Plovdiv includes more than 100 prestigious events—opera, chamber and symphonic concerts, theatre festivals, rock concerts, exhibitions and cultural products of all genres of art that have long received broad international recognition. The preservation and popularisation of Bulgarian traditions, culture and spirit are a mission that is passed on from generation to generation.
Plovdiv won the award for ‘Cultural Tourism 2015’ and was named ‘Balkan Capital of Culture’ at the 2015 annual BALKAN AWARDS FOR TOURISM INDUSTRY. Every year, the Parade of Young Wine Festival is held here. We developed the first map for wine tourism in the country. Our city was selected to host, in 2016, the most prestigious independent wine competition in the world—Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.
Plovdiv is the first Bulgarian city to win the 2019 title European Capital of Culture and proved, in an international context, that it can utilise its resources for cultural tourism and deserves to win titles that give it worldwide prestige and popularity.
The gates of Plovdiv are thrown wide open to people who want to immerse themselves in a special and unique city, full of a remarkable spirit and atmosphere. We will greet you with a ‘Welcome’ and with traditional Bulgarian hospitality!
There is something preordained in the destiny and millennia-old history of Plovdiv. I am sure you can all discover that for yourselves.
Welcome to Plovdiv!
Vyara Ankova
BNT director general
Annual Conference 2016: Speakers
- Details
Dr. Klaus Unterberger
ORF
Dr. Klaus Unterberger is the head of the public-value-centre of expertise at the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF), responsible for the broadcaster’s quality control system, including internal and external evaluation, audience and expert-panels. He manages communications, including the Public Value Report and an online platform. He is also a member of the ORF Board of Ethics, supervising the organisation’s code of conduct.
Laura Sboarina
Cullen International
Laura Sboarina has been Principal Analyst at Cullen International since September 2011. She previously worked as a Head of Public and Regulatory Affairs at the Association of Television and Radio Sales Houses (EGTA). Before moving to Brussels, she held the position of Public Affairs Officer in the International and EU Affairs Department of RAI.
Jiří Buriánek
European Committee of the Region
Jiří Buriánek studied law specialising in Public Sector Management at the University of Passau and has a PhD in European Law. He embarked on a legal career and for several years worked as manager in various entities in the German public sector. He started his career in European affairs in 1993 as an expert for network industries and subsequently became Secretary-General for PostEurop. He joined the European Commission in 2001, where he worked as Enlargement Manager for the Directorate-General Joint Research Centre. Since 2006 he has served as Director responsible for Research, Industry and Innovation as well as for Transport, Telecommunications and Energy in the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. In 2014 he was elected Committee of the Regions' Secretary General.
Matthias Barsk
SVT
Mattias Barsk is deputy manager of minority programs (Sami, Finnish, Jiddish, Romani chib, Meänkieli and Sign language) at SVT. With his own roots based within minorities, he has changed the perspective on many new programmes such as Sapmi Sisters, The Sauna Ballet and Love in Finland. He has produced documentary series, children’s, science and adventure programmes, working both online and in broadcast and using social media as a part of his storytelling.
Many of the programmes he has developed are what he calls mash-ups: something known is mixed with something unknown, to bring us something totally new.
Claudio Cappon
COPEAM
Claudio Cappon is a former Director General of RAI (2001–2002). From December 2009 to December 2014 he was Vice President of the EBU. In April 2016 he was elected Secretary General of COPEAM.
Carolina Källestål
SVT
Carolina Källestål is Head of News at Sveriges Television. She formerly worked with local news, and with programme development at Swedish TV4 in a variety of roles, including head of news, chief editor, news anchor and reporter.
Serafino Nardi
European Committee of the Regions
Serafino Nardi is Head of Unit PRESS at the European Committee of the Regions. He is a former member of the Cabinet of the Secretary General of the European Committee of the Regions and a PhD in Political Sciences and EU Law at the Sant'Anna High School of Pisa, Italy.
Lina Abusagr
SVT
Lina Abusagr is a reporter at the SVY local station in Gavle, Sweden. She recently completed her education in journalism at Södeertörn University, Stockholm, and has been employed at SVT since October 2015.
Annual Conference 2016
- Details
The 34th Annual Conference of CIRCOM Regional, hosted by Bulgarian National Television, took place in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from 19th to 20th May 2016.
Conference programme
Thursday 19th May
09:30 - 12:40 Public Service Media: Session A
Moderators: Johan Lindén and Jean-Marc Dubois (CIRCOM Regional)
09:30 Conference Opening Remarks
Juliana Toncheva, BNT
09:35 - 09:50 Opening Session: Defining Moment ~
presentation
Jean-Marc Dubois, President of CIRCOM Regional and Johan Lindén, Secretary General of CIRCOM Regional
Public service media, in fact the entire industry, is at a defining moment. Some question whether there is a need for journalism as we know it, and even more have questioned whether there is a place for public media in the emerging global media environment. It is time to come together and take active part in the definition of the future. It is time to show what this network of regional media really can do.
09:50 - 10:20 ECPMF Poland Fact-finding Report
Jane Whyatt, ECPMF with panellist Vesselin Dimitrov, Forbes BG
Jane Whyatt introduces the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF). Accompanied by the European Federation of Journalists and the International Press Institute, ECPMF led a fact-finding mission to Poland to investigate the changes made to the public service broadcasters TVP and Radio Polska. Her presentation presents the results of the fact-finding mission.
10:20 - 10:50 Ukraine Broadcasting in Transition: Defining a New Role for Public Service Regional Stations
Ulf Morten Davidsen, NRK with panellists: Mykola Chernotytskyi, Director General, Sumy regional broadcaster; Boris Bergant, EBU; Galyna Smirnova, CoE
Ulf Morten Davidsen, a project manager for CIRCOM Regional, presents CIRCOM's development programme for public broadcasting service in the regions of Ukraine.
11:05 - 11:25 CIRCOM's Mojo Workshop - Presentation
11:25 - 11:45 The Future of Journalism: 4 Scenarios, 10 Years on
Richel Bernsen, ROOS
Four scenarios describe plausible outlooks for the future of journalism in Europe. They reflect the tension between professional and citizen journalism, the uncertain future of media concerns and titles, the role of the internet and algorithms in the production and dissemination of news, as well as the way in which quality journalism will be paid for in 2025.
11:45 - 12:05 Does Regional PSM have a Future in the EU Regional Perspective?
Tanya Hristova, Head of Bulgarian Delegation, European Committee of the Regions
Regions and cities matter. This is where political decisions have the most impact. The European Committee of the Regions is the voice of regions and cities in the European Union. Our mission is to boost the bottom-up movement – representing our citizens and local communities in Brussels. It is from the local level that come the initiatives supported by the EU. And our members can demonstrate the impact and results within their community, with a purely local roots while defending the European project. We can encourage and help journalists to develop around those stories on regions and cities.
12:05 - 12:20 EUscreen: Making Europe's Broadcast & Audiovisual History Accessible Online ~presentation
Erwin Verbruggen, Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision
12:20 - 12:40 The Big Change? TV Regulation’s Next Step, or its Turning Point? The European Debate on Future Audiovisual Regulation ~ presentation
Laura Sboarina, Principal Analyst, Cullen International
What are the regulatory concepts at the basis of the material and territorial scope of existing EU audiovisual regulation? How, among others, are global video-sharing platforms, influential YouTubers and multimedia services putting pressure on this regulatory architecture? Would further harmonisation of national roles slow down the rise of global OTT players? An overview of the ongoing review and the main policy options for an EU audiovisual content framework fit for the digital era. Interesting initiatives at the national level to regulate audiovisual platforms.
13:30 - 15:00 Public Service Media: Session B
Moderator: Guillaume Kuster (FTV)
13:30 - 14:10 RTBF Reaction to the Brussels and Paris attacks
Justine Katz, Safia Kessas and Christine Schwarz, RTBF
RTBF colleagues explain the coverage of this dramatic period. When did RTBF have an idea of the involvement of people of Brussels in the Paris attack? How was it possible to cover the investigations, the police raids, the arrests? Safia Kessas will report in depth on the multicultural society of Brussels, Molenbeek, a breeding ground for Jihadist, the Jihadists’ families...
14:10 - 14:40 FTV 13th November: France 3 Paris at the Very Heart of the Attacks
Dominique Delhoume and Jean-François Parmentier, FTV
It’s Friday, November 13th, 9 p.m., and the weekend is beginning. The routine of the weekend – something sacred in France, even for the media. Then the so-called “Paris Attacks” begin. The social networks burst into life. We hear about one, then two, then three attacks – explosions, human bombs, many dead. That’s the beginning of a major crisis for French democracy and for the people of Paris. Faced with such a crazy event, how does France 3 react?
14:40 - 15:00 From Mass Media to Personal Content: Collect, Tailor, Serve
Juho Salminen, YLE
YLE and the two roles of data: what we learn from our Newswatch app, and how we make data journalism.
15:15 – 17:00 Public Service Media: Session C
Moderator: Michael Lally (RTÉ)
15:15 - 15:45 Block-Buster Minority Programming
Matthias Barsk, SVT with panellist: Safia Kessas, RTBF
How can we develop and expand the amount of minority programming when the topics remain pretty much the same? Where should we look to go deeper? There are two ways that aren’t even difficult...
15:45 - 16:20 Why Difference Matters: Reality Check on Values and Remit
Dr. Klaus Unterberger, ORF
The presentation focuses on the role and remit of Public Service Media, ORF’s impact on society and democracy, the importance of distinctive media quality vs. the commercial market, and how to define, evaluate, stimulate and communicate the public value of PSM.
16:20 - 17:00 The Challenge of Two-Speed News Production
David Holdsworth, BBC with panellists: Carla Verhagen, RTV Oost, Carlos Garcia Verdugo, CRTVG, Domagoj Novokmet, HRT
David Holdsworth, Controller of English Regions, responsible for the BBC’s local online, television and radio services across England shares his experience in overseeing daily regional TV news programmes in 12 regions, 39 local radio stations and a news online service to 42 areas.
19:30 PRIX CIRCOM Award Ceremony
Friday 20th May
09:30 - 11:05 Constructive Journalism: Session D
Moderator: Domagoj Novokmet (HRT)
09:30 - 09:40 What do you Mean – Constructive Journalism? Introduction and Overview
Domagoj Novokmet (HRT)
09:40 - 10:00 How Constructive Journalism Can Change and Inspire People
Felice Gasperoni, RTBF
“Alors, on change!” is a monthly magazine coproduced by the Belgian, French-speaking broadcaster RTBF in collaboration with 7 local television stations. The purpose is to provide its viewers with positive examples of behavioural changes. The aim of the team is to produce a constructive alternative to all the negative and anxiogenic news overflowing from the mass media.
10:00 - 10:30 Constructive Journalism – Giving the Power to the Audience
Carolina Källestål, Tove Hansson, SVT
Learn how to let go of power as a journalist. Share the experience of Sweden’s two most successful crowdsourcing projects. For those of you who are truly ready to let the audience have the upper hand in your journalism. Learn the lessons, watch out for the mistakes, and take our tips on how to succeed!
10:30 - 11:05 Constructive Data Journalism - a Road to the Future
Antony Dore, BBC and Robin Linderborg, SVT
Data journalism is part of the future. BBC and SVT share their best practices on the reasons behind it, and how to do it.
09:30 - 11:05 Meet the Prix Winners
11:20 - 12:45 Constructive Journalism: Session E
Moderator: Domagoj Novokmet (HRT)
11:20 - 12:00 Looking at the World Through Other People’s Eyes
Maria Cherneva, BNT with panellists: Blagoy Cicelkov, Genoveva Radeva, BNT
Constructive journalism – make sense of things by looking through the eyes of others. Even when they cannot see. The focus of the presentation is the BNT “Electronic Eyes” campaign. Inspiring stories and, as a climax – an archery competition with the participation of blind people and journalists. The aim is to raise funds for the creation of a mobile application for blind people.
12:00 - 12:20 Constructive Journalism Reporting on Refugees and Migration
Maaike van den Bosch and Richel Bernsen, ROOS
The main challenge of reporting on refugees and migration is: how to make a balanced programme on the topic? Two examples from the Netherlands show two different ways to report on refugees.
12:20 - 12:35 The Challenge of Information for Public Service Media
Claudio Cappon, COPEAM
Claudio Cappon is a former Director General of RAI (2001–2002). From December 2009 to December 2014, he occupied the position of Vice President of the EBU. In April 2016, he was elected Secretary General of COPEAM.
12:35 - 12:55 The Political Perspective: What Makes “The Ideal Constructive Journalist"?
Jiří Buriánek, Secretary General, European Committee of the Regions
From a political perspective, the European Committee of the Regions is engaging with local and regional journalists on a daily basis to bring the voice of citizens and local communities in the debate. Journalists can help regions grow and support regional culture and identity. They can develop on local success stories to defend the European project, to show that regions and cities matter.
11:15 - 12:45 Meet the Prix Winners
14:00 - 15:25 Refugee and Migration Flows in Europe: Session F
Moderator: Juliana Toncheva (BNT)
14:00 - 14:10 Statistical, Political Overview of Euro-immigration
Tonja Dimitrova, BNT
14:10 - 14:40 How to Make Refugees Watch your Stories - use FB and Phones!
Jimmy Roos and Lina Abusagr, SVT
A project developed by SVT, which began when an Arabic-speaking reporter was recruited; in this particular case, it was Lina Abusagr. This development gave fresh possibilities to reach new groups in society during that time when most of the refugees were coming from the Middle East, heading to Europe and, in particular, to Sweden.
14:40 - 15:25 Walls, Tolerance, Fear! Bulgaria’s Reaction to the Refugee Wave
Tsvetelina Yordanova, BNT with panellists: Ivo Nikodimov, Alexander Markov, Tonja Dimitrova, BNT
The focus of the session will be the coverage of the migrant crisis by BNT and the perception of the issues in Bulgarian society, as compared to other regions of Europe. Is it possible to be both compassionate and to obey European law and regulations? Why is there fear in a country where there is no massive refugee influx? Is religious tolerance greater in countries with a mixed population?
14:00 - 15:25 Meet the Prix Winners
15:45 - 16:40 Refugee and Migration Flows in Europe: Session G
Moderator: Tone Kunst (NRK)
15:45 - 16:15 The Arctic Refugee Route (Norway-Russia Border)
Morten Ruud and Ida Karine Gullvik, NRK
More than 5,500 refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries appeared along the Arctic Refugee route to Norway during the autumn of 2015. This was totally unexpected on the part of the Norwegian authorities. Their handling of the situation was widely criticised. The media were not allowed to visit the refugee camps, even though alarming reports about bad conditions had been produced by officials.
16:15 - 16:20 Closing Remarks
BNT
16:20 - 16:40 Conference 2016 Conclusions & Conference 2017 Presentation
Fernando Ojea, Secretary General of CIRCOM Regional
15:45 - 17:15 Meet the Prix Winners
Annual Conference 2016: Programme
- Details
The 34th Annual Conference of CIRCOM Regional, hosted by Bulgarian National Television, took place in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from 19th to 20th May 2016.
Conference programme
Thursday 19th May
09:30 - 12:40 Public Service Media: Session A
Moderators: Johan Lindén and Jean-Marc Dubois (CIRCOM Regional)
09:30 Conference Opening Remarks
Juliana Toncheva, BNT
09:35 - 09:50 Opening Session: Defining Moment ~presentation
Jean-Marc Dubois, President of CIRCOM Regional and Johan Lindén, Secretary General of CIRCOM Regional
Public service media, in fact the entire industry, is at a defining moment. Some question whether there is a need for journalism as we know it, and even more have questioned whether there is a place for public media in the emerging global media environment. It is time to come together and take active part in the definition of the future. It is time to show what this network of regional media really can do.
09:50 - 10:20 ECPMF Poland Fact-finding Report
Jane Whyatt, ECPMF with panellist Vesselin Dimitrov, Forbes BG
Jane Whyatt introduces the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF). Accompanied by the European Federation of Journalists and the International Press Institute, ECPMF led a fact-finding mission to Poland to investigate the changes made to the public service broadcasters TVP and Radio Polska. Her presentation presents the results of the fact-finding mission.
10:20 - 10:50 Ukraine Broadcasting in Transition: Defining a New Role for Public Service Regional Stations
Ulf Morten Davidsen, NRK with panellists: Mykola Chernotytskyi, Director General, Sumy regional broadcaster; Boris Bergant, EBU; Galyna Smirnova, CoE
Ulf Morten Davidsen, a project manager for CIRCOM Regional, presents CIRCOM's development programme for public broadcasting service in the regions of Ukraine.
11:05 - 11:25 CIRCOM's Mojo Workshop - Presentation
11:25 - 11:45 The Future of Journalism: 4 Scenarios, 10 Years on
Richel Bernsen, ROOS
Four scenarios describe plausible outlooks for the future of journalism in Europe. They reflect the tension between professional and citizen journalism, the uncertain future of media concerns and titles, the role of the internet and algorithms in the production and dissemination of news, as well as the way in which quality journalism will be paid for in 2025.
11:45 - 12:05 Does Regional PSM have a Future in the EU Regional Perspective?
Tanya Hristova, Head of Bulgarian Delegation, European Committee of the Regions
Regions and cities matter. This is where political decisions have the most impact. The European Committee of the Regions is the voice of regions and cities in the European Union. Our mission is to boost the bottom-up movement – representing our citizens and local communities in Brussels. It is from the local level that come the initiatives supported by the EU. And our members can demonstrate the impact and results within their community, with a purely local roots while defending the European project. We can encourage and help journalists to develop around those stories on regions and cities.
12:05 - 12:20 EUscreen: Making Europe's Broadcast & Audiovisual History Accessible Online ~presentation
Erwin Verbruggen, Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision
12:20 - 12:40 The Big Change? TV Regulation’s Next Step, or its Turning Point? The European Debate on Future Audiovisual Regulation ~ presentation
Laura Sboarina, Principal Analyst, Cullen International
What are the regulatory concepts at the basis of the material and territorial scope of existing EU audiovisual regulation? How, among others, are global video-sharing platforms, influential YouTubers and multimedia services putting pressure on this regulatory architecture? Would further harmonisation of national roles slow down the rise of global OTT players? An overview of the ongoing review and the main policy options for an EU audiovisual content framework fit for the digital era. Interesting initiatives at the national level to regulate audiovisual platforms.
13:30 - 15:00 Public Service Media: Session B
Moderator: Guillaume Kuster (FTV)
13:30 - 14:10 RTBF Reaction to the Brussels and Paris attacks
Justine Katz, Safia Kessas and Christine Schwartz, RTBF
RTBF colleagues explain the coverage of this dramatic period. When did RTBF have an idea of the involvement of people of Brussels in the Paris attack? How was it possible to cover the investigations, the police raids, the arrests? Safia Kessas will report in depth on the multicultural society of Brussels, Molenbeek, a breeding ground for Jihadist, the Jihadists’ families...
14:10 - 14:40 FTV 13th November: France 3 Paris at the Very Heart of the Attacks
Dominique Delhoume and Jean-François Parmentier, FTV
It’s Friday, November 13th, 9 p.m., and the weekend is beginning. The routine of the weekend – something sacred in France, even for the media. Then the so-called “Paris Attacks” begin. The social networks burst into life. We hear about one, then two, then three attacks – explosions, human bombs, many dead. That’s the beginning of a major crisis for French democracy and for the people of Paris. Faced with such a crazy event, how does France 3 react?
14:40 - 15:00 From Mass Media to Personal Content: Collect, Tailor, Serve
Juho Salminen, YLE
YLE and the two roles of data: what we learn from our Newswatch app, and how we make data journalism.
15:15 – 17:00 Public Service Media: Session C
Moderator: Michael Lally (RTÉ)
15:15 - 15:45 Block-Buster Minority Programming
Matthias Barsk, SVT with panellist: Safia Kessas, RTBF
How can we develop and expand the amount of minority programming when the topics remain pretty much the same? Where should we look to go deeper? There are two ways that aren’t even difficult...
15:45 - 16:20 Why Difference Matters: Reality Check on Values and Remit
Dr. Klaus Unterberger, ORF
The presentation focuses on the role and remit of Public Service Media, ORF’s impact on society and democracy, the importance of distinctive media quality vs. the commercial market, and how to define, evaluate, stimulate and communicate the public value of PSM.
16:20 - 17:00 The Challenge of Two-Speed News Production
David Holdsworth, BBC with panellists: Carla Verhagen, RTV Oost, Carlos Garcia Verdugo, CRTVG, Domagoj Novokmet, HRT
David Holdsworth, Controller of English Regions, responsible for the BBC’s local online, television and radio services across England shares his experience in overseeing daily regional TV news programmes in 12 regions, 39 local radio stations and a news online service to 42 areas.
19:30 PRIX CIRCOM Award Ceremony
Friday 20th May
09:30 - 11:05 Constructive Journalism: Session D
Moderator: Domagoj Novokmet (HRT)
09:30 - 09:40 What do you Mean – Constructive Journalism? Introduction and Overview
Domagoj Novokmet (HRT)
09:40 - 10:00 How Constructive Journalism Can Change and Inspire People
Felice Gasperoni, RTBF
“Alors, on change!” is a monthly magazine coproduced by the Belgian, French-speaking broadcaster RTBF in collaboration with 7 local television stations. The purpose is to provide its viewers with positive examples of behavioural changes. The aim of the team is to produce a constructive alternative to all the negative and anxiogenic news overflowing from the mass media.
10:00 - 10:30 Constructive Journalism – Giving the Power to the Audience
Carolina Källestål, Tove Hansson, SVT
Learn how to let go of power as a journalist. Share the experience of Sweden’s two most successful crowdsourcing projects. For those of you who are truly ready to let the audience have the upper hand in your journalism. Learn the lessons, watch out for the mistakes, and take our tips on how to succeed!
10:30 - 11:05 Constructive Data Journalism - a Road to the Future
Antony Dore, BBC and Robin Linderborg, SVT
Data journalism is part of the future. BBC and SVT share their best practices on the reasons behind it, and how to do it.
09:30 - 11:05 Meet the Prix Winners
11:20 - 12:45 Constructive Journalism: Session E
Moderator: Domagoj Novokmet (HRT)
11:20 - 12:00 Looking at the World Through Other People’s Eyes
Maria Cherneva, BNT with panellists: Blagoy Cicelkov, Genoveva Radeva, BNT
Constructive journalism – make sense of things by looking through the eyes of others. Even when they cannot see. The focus of the presentation is the BNT “Electronic Eyes” campaign. Inspiring stories and, as a climax – an archery competition with the participation of blind people and journalists. The aim is to raise funds for the creation of a mobile application for blind people.
12:00 - 12:20 Constructive Journalism Reporting on Refugees and Migration
Maaike van den Bosch and Richel Bernsen, ROOS
The main challenge of reporting on refugees and migration is: how to make a balanced programme on the topic? Two examples from the Netherlands show two different ways to report on refugees.
12:20 - 12:35 The Challenge of Information for Public Service Media
Claudio Cappon, COPEAM
Claudio Cappon is a former Director General of RAI (2001–2002). From December 2009 to December 2014, he occupied the position of Vice President of the EBU. In April 2016, he was elected Secretary General of COPEAM.
12:35 - 12:55 The Political Perspective: What Makes “The Ideal Constructive Journalist"?
Jiří Buriánek, Secretary General, European Committee of the Regions
From a political perspective, the European Committee of the Regions is engaging with local and regional journalists on a daily basis to bring the voice of citizens and local communities in the debate. Journalists can help regions grow and support regional culture and identity. They can develop on local success stories to defend the European project, to show that regions and cities matter.
11:15 - 12:45 Meet the Prix Winners
14:00 - 15:25 Refugee and Migration Flows in Europe: Session F
Moderator: Juliana Toncheva (BNT)
14:00 - 14:10 Statistical, Political Overview of Euro-immigration
Tonja Dimitrova, BNT
14:10 - 14:40 How to Make Refugees Watch your Stories - use FB and Phones!
Jimmy Roos and Lina Abusagr, SVT
A project developed by SVT, which began when an Arabic-speaking reporter was recruited; in this particular case, it was Lina Abusagr. This development gave fresh possibilities to reach new groups in society during that time when most of the refugees were coming from the Middle East, heading to Europe and, in particular, to Sweden.
14:40 - 15:25 Walls, Tolerance, Fear! Bulgaria’s Reaction to the Refugee Wave
Tsvetelina Yordanova, BNT with panellists: Ivo Nikodimov, Alexander Markov, Tonja Dimitrova, BNT
The focus of the session will be the coverage of the migrant crisis by BNT and the perception of the issues in Bulgarian society, as compared to other regions of Europe. Is it possible to be both compassionate and to obey European law and regulations? Why is there fear in a country where there is no massive refugee influx? Is religious tolerance greater in countries with a mixed population?
14:00 - 15:25 Meet the Prix Winners
15:45 - 16:40 Refugee and Migration Flows in Europe: Session G
Moderator: Tone Kunst (NRK)
15:45 - 16:15 The Arctic Refugee Route (Norway-Russia Border)
Morten Ruud and Ida Karine Gullvik, NRK
More than 5,500 refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries appeared along the Arctic Refugee route to Norway during the autumn of 2015. This was totally unexpected on the part of the Norwegian authorities. Their handling of the situation was widely criticised. The media were not allowed to visit the refugee camps, even though alarming reports about bad conditions had been produced by officials.
16:15 - 16:20 Closing Remarks
BNT
16:20 - 16:40 Conference 2016 Conclusions & Conference 2017 Presentation
Fernando Ojea, Secretary General-elect of CIRCOM Regional
15:45 - 17:15 Meet the Prix Winners
Annual Conference 2016: Location and Host
- Details
The 2016 CIRCOM Regional Conference took place in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on 19 and 20 May 2016, hosted by Bulgarian National Television.
Plovdiv, situated in south-central Bulgaria on Maritsa River, is the second-largest city in Bulgaria and administrative center of Plovdiv Province. Also known as The City of the Seven Hills, Plovdiv is important economic, transport, cultural and educational center.
This centuries-old city - the sixth oldest living city in the world - has rich culture, with over 200 monuments of history and culture and over 300 000 objects of cultural and historical heritage exhibited in the six city museums.
Plovdiv will be European capital of culture in 2019
Eng. Ivan Totev, Mayor of the City of Plovdiv
Dear Ladies and Gentelmen,
I am proud of being the Mayor of the sixth oldest living city in the world and the oldest in Europe, endowed with more than 200 cultural and historical sites and over 300,000 portable cultural monuments, with finds from seven archaeological periods.
Plovdiv’s rich and ancient history has left lasting traces on its architecture even to this day. Remains of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and of contemporary culture coexist, woven into the irresistible beauty of the millennia-old city. At every step, one comes across pieces of world history. The journey through the Old Town and along the streets of Plovdiv is a journey through time and civilisations.
Today, our city is successfully developing as a leading destination of culture and cultural tourism. This progress is due to the efforts of many generations of Plovdiv creators and people who are have devoted, and continue to give, the best years of their life to the city. They have all left their lasting imprint forever.
The calendar of Plovdiv includes more than 100 prestigious events—opera, chamber and symphonic concerts, theatre festivals, rock concerts, exhibitions and cultural products of all genres of art that have long received broad international recognition. The preservation and popularisation of Bulgarian traditions, culture and spirit are a mission that is passed on from generation to generation.
Plovdiv won the award for ‘Cultural Tourism 2015’ and was named ‘Balkan Capital of Culture’ at the 2015 annual BALKAN AWARDS FOR TOURISM INDUSTRY. Every year, the Parade of Young Wine Festival is held here. We developed the first map for wine tourism in the country. Our city was selected to host, in 2016, the most prestigious independent wine competition in the world—Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.
Plovdiv is the first Bulgarian city to win the 2019 title European Capital of Culture and proved, in an international context, that it can utilise its resources for cultural tourism and deserves to win titles that give it worldwide prestige and popularity.
The gates of Plovdiv are thrown wide open to people who want to immerse themselves in a special and unique city, full of a remarkable spirit and atmosphere. We will greet you with a ‘Welcome’ and with traditional Bulgarian hospitality!
There is something preordained in the destiny and millennia-old history of Plovdiv. I am sure you can all discover that for yourselves.
Welcome to Plovdiv!
Conference venue was Grand Hotel Plovdiv (ex Novotel) - more info on hotel's website