Broadcast Onliner - What's on your mind? - New Media Meeting October 17, 2006

After five years of Internet at Prix Europa, we would like to take stock of our medium the Internet. We want to compare notes from across Europe - Onliners from the whole continent are filling out a short questionnaire - which will serve as the basis for the New Media Meeting on Tuesday, 17 October 2006, at 19:00.

Background

The development of the Internet is unparalleled in the broadcasting history. Radio and Television in Europe developed with little or no competition from the private sector. When changes were made to either of these media (rollout of Stereo or colour TV for example) it was done in a gradual process with little or no headwind.

As Internet is not merely a third pillar in the broadcasting family, its development has not always been in the framework of broadcasting, but also in its uses as a marketing tool, a mass communication tool… the list of the possibilities it offers seems endless but practically it is the information era backbone.

In Europe, the first broadcaster opened up a web presence in 1994 (Hrvatski Radioteleviszija - HRT) and by 2000, no broadcasters could afford not to be represented online in some form. After the 2001 industry crash, many broadcasters became wary of the Internet – due to high expectations and even higher investment costs – and have stayed wary of the New Media till today.

In the dawn of Internet 2.0, not all broadcasters have set up clear strategies as to how they see the development of this medium within their own given frameworks.

For some broadcasters it has become clear, that the brands they have been building on for years, still have validity online. Their public responsibility is clearly also situated on the online medium – even though the competition is different. They have delved into all the possibilities of the “New Media” and try to offer their audience new ways of entertainment, education and other public services.

Other broadcasters have grasped the medium to reach new audiences, and to offer their programming to a wider audience base. Internet has been transformed to a new carrier of the content they produce. It has become an easy way to reach a younger audience – and the Internet is a relatively cost effective marketing tool.

Some broadcasters have decided to give their audience the possibility to use their online services as a “narrowcasting” medium, to offer each individual user exactly that what they need.

Most broadcasters in Europe have however decided to offer a mixture of all of the above, thereby scattering the possibilities and offers available to the audience.

The development of Web 2.0 are putting broadcasters to the test again. Not only do broadcasters have to worry about monitoring forums, and not infringing digital rights, but suddenly the user is becoming a broadcaster himself (youTube, Vodcasting and Podcasting etc.). How to brace this relatively new user activity on the Internet gives broadcasters the chance to see what their audience is interested in more than ever and it also shows how important quality content is – not only to the broadcaster but also to the audience.

Call for Participation

If you are working in the New Media at a broadcaster in Europe, we would urge you to fill out the questionnaire. We have put together a short set of easily identifiable questions, and would be thankful if you could answer them as simply and honestly as possible, and send it back to us.

To receive the questionnaire, please send a short mail to the organising team who will send it to you. Check the Event Website for all relevant addresses.

The findings from the questionnaire will be the basis of the discussion which will be led by David Wood (Head of New Technology, European Broadcasting Union - EBU).

The three days following the meeting, Onliners from across Europe will take part in the Internet category of the PRIX EUROPA. The winners in this category will be awarded the "PRIX EUROPA Exploration Award".

The event will take place in English and is free of charge. Registration is however neccesary on the PRIX EUROPA Website.

Official Website: http://prix-europa.de/publish/n_article.html?lang=GB&id=1501