Brussels, 07/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - A regular Mediterranean broadcasting conference (COPEAM) will take place in Paris on 8-11 April, organised by the Institut National Français de l'Audiovisuel (INA), which says that the conference aims to bring together the huge range of stakeholders from broadcasting and culture in the EuroMed area.
COPEAM was set up in Cairo, Egypt, in 1996 and its website says it currently has more than 130 broadcasting companies from 26 companies as members, including EuroMed region public broadcasters and two big chains, UER (Union Européenne de Radio-télévision) and ASBU (Arab States Broadcasting Union).
Emmanuel Hoog, INA chair and acting chair of COPEAM, points out that the Paris conference will be exceptional because three projects will be presented there that were endorsed at the previous COPEAM conference (in Cairo in April 2009), namely the creation of a multicultural, multilingual satellite broadcasting channel; a website on Mediterranean broadcasting heritage, “MeD MeM”; and a Mediterranean Broadcasting University formed of a network of universities, broadcasting colleges and film schools from the Mediterranean area. Other projects are being considered, like support for the transfer of skills, a stronger training and dialogue policy among professionals in the region, introducing a shared legal framework, setting up a Mediterranean Media Monitoring Centre, an agreement to increase multilateral co-production projects, supporting production through extending multilateral co-productions and setting up a professional production aid system. COPEAM will be actively promoting the introduction of a tariff policy to encourage access to Mediterranean archives. INA says projects were chosen to “accompany the changes taking place in the current digital revolution and novel future communication and media consumption prospects, which are causing a seismic shift in the Mediterranean broadcasting landscape”. (F.B./transl.fl)