RTBF, which broadcasts in the French language, has won the Most Original Programme category with Tout ça ne nous rendra pas le Congo: Solange et ses Jules (All this won’t bring us back the Congo: Solange and her guys) and also the category for Minorities in Society with Vogelpik.
Other category awards have been won by Tom Brown, BBC East Midlands (Rising Star), France 3 Paris Ile-de-France (Documentary), Czech TV Ostrava (Music), HR Frankfurt Main, Germany (Investigative Journalism), MTVA, Hungary (Magazine and News Magazine), Katja Højbjerg of TV Øst, Denmark (Video Journalism).
Fourteen international TV executives judged the 211 programme and skills entries from 22 countries over four days in Ljubljana, Slovenia, hosted by RTV Slovenia.
The awards were presented at a gala event in Dundalk, Ireland, on Thursday 21 May in a ceremony which was streamed live. At the ceremony, RTBF also received the Grand Prix award for “the best of the best” in the competition, for their programme Vogelpik.
The category winners each receive 2000 euros in cash, plus a trophy, plus travel and accommodation expenses to attend the conference and gala. The Rising Star receives, instead of cash, a similar amount as grant to enable an internship at a regional station in another country.
In addition, each category has a commended entry selected also: France 3 Aquitaine (Documentary), Televisión de Galicia (Music), RTV Slovenia Koper/Capodistria (Investigative Journalism), France 3 Haute Normandie (Magazine and News Magazine), Radio Televisión Castilla y Leon (Most Original), John-Inge Johansen, NRK Nordland (Video Journalism), Emila Papadopoulos, BBC London (Rising Star), Czech TV Brno (Minorities in Society). The category commended receive a certificate and travel and accommodation expenses to attend the conference and gala.
In addition, there is an award for the best feature in the CIRCOM co-production on European Citizenship. This was won by France TV with BNT Bulgaria commended.
The judges were Jean-Marc Dubois (France TV, France), Ulf Morten Davidsen (NRK, Norway), Zoran Medved (RTV Slovenia, Slovenia), Lout Donders (Omroep Brabant, The Netherlands), Máire Aoibhinn ni Ogáin (TG4, Ireland), Hajnalka Buda (RTV Vojvodina, Serbia), Wojciech Malinowski (TVP Wroclaw, Poland), Mattias Barsk (SVT, Sweden), Jane French (BBC South, Southampton, UK), Daniela Drastata (HRT, Croatia), Zsuzsanna Antala (MTVA Szeged, Hungary), Cristian Acatrinei (TVR, Romania), Galia Kraychovska (BNT, Bulgaria|), Alexandre Pletser (RTBF, Belgium).
David Lowen, chairman of the judging panel, said: “There were some very high quality programmes in all categories. Regional public service needs to make sure it invests in quality output – and the signs are improving.”
Johan Lindén, Secretary General, said: “CIRCOM is delighted the Prix CIRCOM goes from strength to strength. It is an important benchmark of quality for our 245 members in 32 countries.”
Full list of winners and commended by category:
Documentary
WINNER: France 3 Paris Ile-de-France, France : Les dames de Choeur / The Choirgirls
COMMENDED: France 3 Aquitaine, France: Le papa des poissons / Daddy Fish
Magazine and News Magazine
WINNER: MTVA, Hungary: City Folk, Szeged
COMMENDED: France 3 Haute Normandie, France: The Breton sushi lover (Littoral - life on shore and at sea)/ The Breton Sushi Lover (Littoral - life on shore and at sea)
Minorities in Society
WINNER: RTBF, Belgium: Vogelpik
COMMENDED: Czech Television, Television Studio Brno, Czech Republic: Mária & Mária
Video Journalism
WINNER: Katja Højbjerg, TV ØST, Denmark
COMMENDED: John Inge Johansen, NRK Nordland, Norway
Most Original Programme
WINNER: RTBF, Belgium: Tout ça ne nous rendra pas le Congo - Solange et ses Jules / All This Won't Bring Us The Congo Back - Solange And Her Guys
COMMENDED: RTVCYL - Radio Televisión Castilla y León, Spain: Tormenta de Nieve: Yo estuve alli / Snowstorm: I Was There
Rising Star
WINNER: Tom Brown, BBC East Midlands (Nottingham), UK
COMMENDED: Emilia Papadopoulos, BBC London (Elstree), UK
Investigative Journalism
WINNER: Hessischer Rundfunk Frankfurt Main, Germany: Die Recycling-Lüge / The Recycling Lie
*Notice: preview clip of the winner is not available at the moment - CIRCOM was instructed by Hessischer Rundfunk that The Recycling Lie is not currently available for viewing because of a legal dispute in Germany.
COMMENDED: RTV Slovenija - Center Koper/Capodistria, Slovenia: Koalicija Sovraštva / The Coalition Of Hate
Music Programme
WINNER: Czech Television, Studio Ostrava, Czech Republic: Můj pokus o mistrovský opus / My Efforts To Make a Masterpiece
COMMENDED: TVG, Spain: No bico un cantar / A Song In Their Mouth
Citizenship Co-production
WINNER: France 3, France: Noncitizens of Latvia (Theme Democracy)
COMMENDED: BNT, Bulgaria: Refugee Children in Bulgaria (Theme Integration and Separation)
The sponsors of the categories are:
ORF Austria, sponsor of Grand Prix Award
Dutch Cultural Media Fund, sponsor of Documentary Programme Award
Council of Europe, sponsor of Investigative Journalism Award
SVT Sweden, sponsor of Magazine and News Magazine Award
France Télévisions, sponsor of Minorities in Society Award
TVP Poland, sponsor of Most Original Programme Award
TG4 Ireland, sponsor of Music Programme Award
TVR Romania, sponsor of Rising Star Award
BBC UK, sponsor of Video Journalism Award
CIRCOM co-production on citizenship is supported by the European Parliament