CURRENT Coproductions: BALKAN TV MAGAZINE

Short Description

The ”Balkan TV Magazine” is the first main co-production in the Balkan countries and is a success in the way that politically different stations can work on a common cooperation. It started at the end of 1994 under the initiative of the Macedonian TV and with the participation of six national Balkan TV Stations at the first meeting. Each station offers a five- minute report and then during an editorial meeting every three month of representatives (usually the Head of International Relations) of the nine - nowadays - participating stations/countries an edited version is produced lasting form 45-60 minutes.

Each edition of the magazine has another topic. Examples :

Monasteries and Monks, Traditional Professions under extinction, Traditional Drinks in the Balkans or Alternative Tourism.

This programme is broadcasted by all stations involved, terrestrially or by satellite, and since 1998 on EbS, European Union Broadcast Satellite.

In 1997 the same team started a new co-production under the titel Balkan-Video Clip-Magazine. This programme promotes video clips of hit songs showing each country’s best or new and aspiring talent.

In 1998 there was a new addition, the Balkan Sports Magazine, which is an ambitious plan that besides this production will involve all the sports departments of the public TV Stations of the Balkans, who will exchange programmes, offer technical facilities and negociate better rates for escalating high costs of sports events.

The Balkan Magazine Consortium constituted the Pegasus Award for the best material produced in the frame of the Balkan TV Magazine wich was given 3 times.

Participants

TV stations participating in these various Balkan co-productions represen : Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey, Greece and FYRO Macedonia.

Latest Development

The first Balkan Music Festival will take place in September 2001 in Thessaloniki with the participation of all partners.

Contact

Lefty Kongalides, ERT3, 6 Angelaki, Thessaloniki 54621, Greece, Tel +30 31 299611/610, Fax +30 31 299655, E-mail: pr@ert3.gr .