Frequently Asked Questions 

What’s the Prix CIRCOM all about?

The Prix CIRCOM has been in existence for more than 30 years. It is the showcase for the best television programmes and video content produced, broadcast and streamed by the public service regional stations in Europe. Winning an award does not just mean a trophy – it means professional kudos for the winning or commended stations and a valuable line in a personal curriculum vitae. More about the Prix...

Who runs the Prix CIRCOM?

The President of the Prix acts as chair of specialist, professional judges. This role has the duty to identify and agree sponsorship, define categories and criteria for those categories, select qualified judges, find a judging venue and judging host, organise the judging process, confirm the verdict of the judges, arrange the attendance of the winners and commended at the gala award presentation, organise and produce the awards ceremony (often as a live broadcast), create workshops for Meet The Winners at the Conference and promote the Prix to the European television community and beyond. The President reports to CIRCOM’s Executive Committee and its European Board. Rule 30

Who sponsors the Prix CIRCOM?

The sponsors are mainly media members of CIRCOM but sponsorship is also available to associations and organisations which regard regional media, television broadcasting and video creation and production as important. Organisations – including commercial companies – who might consider supporting the Prix should contact Fernando Ojea, the General Secretary, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

What are the rules of the Prix CIRCOM?

The rules are set out (in English) on the CIRCOM web site. They change very little from year to year but entrants should always check they are reading the latest version. Any CIRCOM media member is free to make a local translation of the Rules – but the version in English is always the final and approved version. Rules of Entry

Who can enter?

Entries are only accepted from the member stations of CIRCOM Regional. If a station has not paid its subscription fee, this will need to be done before an entry can be validated. Independent producers need to contact the station which commissioned their work: only with the agreement of the member station can an independent enter. See Rule 1

What if my entry is part of a co-production with other stations?

Entries from CIRCOM member stations who are creating co-productions are welcome. If you want to enter a co-production, you will need to check with the other stations that this is OK. If the co-production wins an award, the prize money is allocated to the entering station to distribute. See Rules 23, 24, 25

How many times can I enter?

There are three categories which permit TWO entries per regional station – News Report, Video Journalism and Young Onscreen Talent. In the other categories, you can enter once. There are 11 categories, so any one station can make a total of 14 entries. See Rule 3 and Rule 25

Does my entry need to be approved?

Yes. Every entry needs to be approved by the representative to CIRCOM of the media member, normally known as the “national co-ordinator”. This is necessary to check that no region is entering twice in the same category if only one entry is permitted or more than twice in those categories (News Report, Video Journalism, and Young Onscreen Talent) in which two entries are permitted and that the media member is happy to approve an entry. If, for some reason, your country is without a National Co-ordinator, this task will be filled by the President of the Prix CIRCOM. See Rule 2

How is my entry approved?

When you fill in the online entry form, a version will be automatically sent to your National Co-ordinator, who will complete the entry process with formal confirmation. If for any reason, there is no national co-ordinator, the President of the Prix will be asked to approve the entry.

What if I am not on the staff of a CIRCOM member station?

You can still enter your programme but only if approved by the commissioning station and entered under its name. See Rule 1

What categories can I enter?

In 2025, there are 11 categories, some for content, some for skills: Digital Multimedia, Diversity in Society, Documentary, News Report, News Programme, Most Original and Innovative, Music and Arts, Young Onscreen Talent, Investigative Journalism, Video Journalism, Entertainment and Drama. If you want to enter Young Onscreen Talent, you need to be aged 30 or under.  It is not possible to enter the Grand Prix: this is open only to entries selected by the judges from among the category winners. See Rules 3 and 4

How much does it cost to enter?

It’s free. Most other competitions charge entry fees - but this competition is free to member stations. There will be costs to be borne in translation and providing a version with subtitles but this is regrettably unavoidable to make sure your entry can be properly judged. Neither translation nor subtitling need be of full broadcast standard to help keep costs low. See Subtitling and Translation.

Why must I add subtitles?

The subtitles are essential so the judges can understand what is being spoken in your entry. For practical reasons, English is the common language. We even ask the English-language programmes to add subtitling because regional accents can be confusing for non-English judges (and even some UK judges!). See Rule 8

How good must the subtitles be?

The subtitles do not have to be broadcast accurate. Nor do they have to be language accurate. They are a guide for judges only to help them better understand what is happening. Google Translate and other conversion software can help immensely, although there does need to be final human intervention – especially with the lesser-used languages. See Rule 8  and paragraph Subtitling and Translation

How do I enter?

You can enter only by using the official entry form on the CIRCOM web site. No other method of entry is acceptable. 

What information do you need to give?

You need to fill in all the spaces as requested on the entry form so we can properly identify your entry and so the judges can better understand why you think the entry is worthy of winning. Please pay special attention to the background of no more than 250 words. The judges find this really helpful. Make sure you mention why you made the programme or entry, why it is considered special and also any impact it has had. Please note there is also a section to be completed on delivery and distribution by means other than broadcast alone and on how and if you involved your audience in selecting content themes. You will also need to state the rights availability, including international distribution rights, although from this year entries on which no rights are available for distribution are acceptable.
See Rule 7 
See List of information you need to provide
See Step-by-step manual on how to use the entry form

What do you mean by non-broadcast delivery?

Delivery can be by streaming or web-site availability as well as “traditional” broadcast. These days, regional stations should not and often do not just “broadcast” content. They distribute by many means and the audience can also interact with content. From programmes broadcast in a schedule and viewed on a TV set in the home, we are now into a world of content delivered on many platforms to be viewed at any time on many devices. Indeed, much regional content is now delivered only online and not broadcast at all. This is reflected in our criteria and in our judging. The Digital Multimedia category reflects this specifically but so now do all our criteria.

What do you mean by involving the audience?

This goes beyond interactivity with completed content to involvement in selecting and creating content. Regional stations need to listen more to audiences on what they consider important. In this way, regional stations can still claim to be close to their audience. It is about “bottom up” rather than “top down”. The judges would now like to know how and why content is chosen – not just what it looks like on a screen.

By what date must I complete my entry?

Entry forms have to be completed and videos uploaded by Friday 14 March 2025. See Rules 9 and 10

How do I deliver my entry to CIRCOM?

Video entries need to be uploaded by FTP in the codec H.264. No other way of delivering entries is acceptable. When you have filled in the entry form and told that the entry is accepted, you are instructed how to upload. One tip – do not leave it to the last week to upload or you may find yourself in a very long queue as entries fight for bandwidth and capacity on the server. See Rule 10 andSee Step-by-step manual on how to enter the Prix

Who will judge my programme or entry?

CIRCOM brings together about 14 qualified production and media professionals with substantial experience of making or commissioning programmes. They have the chance to view content remotely in advance of gathering as a group for a few days of concentrated viewing and debate. They view the content in small groups and discuss what they see. If they think a programme might be the winner or a commended, they usually pass to another group to get a further opinion. If any of the judges has made one of the entries or is from the same media member, they are required to point this out to their colleague judges. If a vote is required for any reason, they will not take part.

What are the judges looking for?

Check the general award criteria section and then check the individual category criteria. This gives the best clue about what you should be offering the judges. After that, it becomes more difficult to be specific. Judges are individuals of great experience and each may have a different view on what makes “a winning programme”. Different categories require different winning qualities. Different judges place priorities on different qualities. Judging is more of an art than a science. Generally speaking, on programme entries, they look for a good story, clearly told, in a way which will entice and inspire viewers or users, with a supporting use of high quality production techniques, and some regional relevance. More tips are available in “How to Win an Award – Well, Maybe….”. But, be warned, those views from former President David Lowen are just personal and cannot be a guarantee of success. Anyway, they are worth a read!
See Award Criteria: For all categories

Must the programme be about my region?

Not necessarily. The awards are about the quality of television production and video content creation in the regions, not just programmes about regions or watched only in regions. However, there is no doubt that the judges prefer regional relevance. The programme need not have been made for broadcast in a region because we want to show how regional productions add value to networks and have the quality to travel around the world also. A programme made by a central production team about a general subject and for broadcast primarily on the national network or internationally will generally be at a disadvantage in these awards. The smaller countries, clearly, may not have regional broadcasting and allowance is made for this.
See Award Criteria: For all categories

How do I find out if I am a winner or commended?

The judges reach their verdict at the end of the judging week. You will then be contacted and told you have been recommended by the jury as a winner or commended. You then have to assure CIRCOM that you have complied with all the Rules of Entry. No public announcement will be made until such details have been checked and assurance given and accepted.  See Rules of Entry

If I am a winner or commended, when and where do I collect my award?

The winner and the commended in each category are invited to attend the CIRCOM Conference, which usually takes place about three weeks after the conclusion of the judging. The trophy (winner only) and the certificates (winner and commended) are presented (usually in front of the television cameras) at a gala awards ceremony. You should also register for the Conference on the official registration form but the CIRCOM Secretariat will be in touch to help make such arrangements as are necessary.

Can I bring a friend or colleague to the award ceremony?

The Conference is free to anyone from CIRCOM member stations. However, where relevant, any prize money is passed to the entering station. It is up to that station how any money is spent. CIRCOM only guarantees to pay the flight/travel costs and accommodation (for up to two nights) of the winner and commended, plus a second delegate (preferably a younger professional) from the winning station. Others have to pay for themselves or be paid for by agreement with their employers, not CIRCOM. Also, everyone attending must formally register for the Conference on the official registration form.    

If I am a winner or commended, what do I have to do at the CIRCOM Conference?

Most of the time you can enjoy and take part in the debates, watch the presentations, network with Europe’s top public service media executives and producers. However, we do want everyone who attends the conference to have the chance to “meet the winner” and commended and hear something about the winning entries. The usual way is to have a short workshop at which you can show some excerpts and people can ask questions. You are granted two nights’ accommodation – but can, of course, book more at your own expense. Make sure you plan your flights in good time to attend the workshops and gala.

What is a “Commended” entry?

The Prix CIRCOM is aware of the great diversity of stations throughout Europe and the differences in resource, skills, opportunity and restrictions. We are aware that the Prix CIRCOM should be an opportunity to encourage and reward effort and achievement in the broader interests of the European video landscape as well as acknowledging the highlights. For the “Commended”, the juries are asked to consider the full range and background of an entry and to identify those which send out a significant message on what can be achieved, often against the odds. Note that the award of Commended will only be made to those entries which are available rights free to CIRCOM members.
See Rules 11, 12

How do I find out what the judges thought of my entry?

Unlike any other media competition, the comments of the judges on each entry are made available to all. These will appear on the CIRCOM web-site and in the Jury Report publication available at the Conference. We think this is a valuable contribution in which many producers, reporters, journalists can see an independent and professional assessment of their work. We hope this gives encouragement and guidance as well as ensuring transparency of process. You may not always agree with the judges’ reasoning – but it is honestly and openly offered.

If I am the Young Onscreen Talent winner, how does my internship work?

We cannot be specific on how this will work each year – or even if it can work each year. The winner will state a preferred CIRCOM regional station to visit and we will request the internship from the media provider on your behalf. Some broadcasters have legal or insurance issues about hosting “guests”.  Nothing is ever simple! But, with your help and the help of our member stations, we will do our best to fulfil your dreams!

What rights are conceded by entering or winning or being commended?

For the first time in 2025, entries are permitted from programmes for which no international delivery rights are available for broadcast or streaming. However, the Rules of Entry do require limited use of video for promotional purposes and within standard news bulletins or news services. The entry form has a section in which entrants make clear what rights are available. If no rights can be made freely available for use by CIRCOM stations, no category prize money is awarded to such a winner, only to the Grand Prix winner..
See Rules 11, 2, 3, 14, 17, 18 and Restricted/Reserved Rights and Circulation of Entries

Can my entry be shown round Europe, even if it is not a winner?

That’s up to you and the entering station. Some CIRCOM stations will probably be keen to show it. All entrants are asked to offer, if they can, to make every entry available for use by member stations. The aim is to allow the widest possible circulation of programmes to the benefit of our regional citizens. However, this is purely voluntary and there is a “tick box” on the online entry form which sets out whether this can be offered free or with some fees payable. It is important that transmitting stations do ensure that all relevant rights are, indeed, cleared. The Prix is a great showcase for programming quality.

If there’s a dispute, how is it resolved?

Hopefully by discussion, explanation and mutual agreement. If not, the decision of the President of Prix CIRCOM is final. See Rule 29, 30 

ANY QUESTIONS?

Questions about or problems relating to the web-based entry form, video delivery, or other technical issues to:
Tonja Stojanac at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Questions about the Rules of Entry only to Mojca Recek at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.