The CIRCOM Regional conference in Timisoara, Romania, 4-7 May 2011, addressed the key current issue for all broadcasters and producers: How to maintain programme quality under today’s exceptional money problems.The conference, hosted by TVR Timisoara, was entitled “Doing It Better, Spending Less”
The first morning heard from senior regional and national broadcasting executives on issues such as revenue generation, public service, programme creation, production improvements and new ideas in a session chaired by Bob Collins, former DG of RTE, Ireland. This followed a Management Summit, by invitation only, on the previous day.
The keynote session was followed by a discussion on how CIRCOM Regional needs to adjust to changing circumstances and the creation of a business and strategy plan for the next few years.
On Thursday afternoon, there was an extended, open workshop on how best to achieve exchanges of news between regional newsrooms. This was attended by Middle East journalists, following the political turbulence in North Africa and the Middle East. A parallel workshop, run by RTBF Belgium, brought together station producers and executives who wish to establish and develop programme exchanges and co-productions. The following day, there was a similar “open ideas session” – the Ideas Bazaar.
Also on Thursday afternoon, there was a review of the issues facing regional broadcasting in Central and Eastern Europe, where financial and market issues are having a particular impact, possibly threatening public service to regional viewers..
On Friday 6 May, there were two extended workshops: one on documentary production and the other on social interaction and viewer support. The documentary workshop followed a series of documentary training workshops, by separate reservation, in Timisoara in the days preceding the conference. The social interaction workshop was led by SVT Sweden.
These and sessions on drama, magazine programmes, video journalism, co-productions on a European theme, sport, original and unusual programmes – were all based on the Prix CIRCOM Regional winning entries. The Prix Gala was on the evening of Thursday 4 May, when the winner of the Grand prix was named.
On Saturday 7 May, there was a key workshop on career skills for young people based on TVR’s new Rising Star award in the Prix, , with special speaker Mr Claudio Cappon, Vice President EBU, followed by the review of the work of the news trainees, who had a week’s training in Timisoara.
The conference opened with a reception for delegates at the Art Gallery in the Piata Unirii on the evening of Wednesday 4 May.
Descovering Timisoara
As a city with a calm pace of life, breathing an air of petit-bourgeois leisure, Timişoara reveals itself a little at a time, as if always keeping in reserve the surprise of some new encounter...
The Letter of Agreement for 29th Annual Conference of CIRCOM Regional was signed on November 20th 2010 in Timisoara.
from left to right:
Michael Lally, CIRCOM Regional President,
Marija Nemčić, Interim Secretary General and
Elena Spanily, Vice President and conference host
