International Think Tank 2012

Internationale Who's who of radio feature discusses on the future of the genre

International Think Tank at Media Campus Leipzig from 27 to 28 January 2012

In cooperation with PRIX EUROPA and in partnership with the EBU-UER (European Broadcasting Union), Media Foundation of Sparkasse Leipzig is organizing a two-day International Think Tank on 27 and 28 January 2012. Experts from around the world, including China National Radio Director Radio Research Li Hong, Director of the BBC's UK Documentation Department, Robert Ketteridge, and the Director of the US Association of Independence Sue Schardt, will discuss on "Radio Feature in the Digital Age".

Central question of the panel of experts: will the radio feature manage to cross the border to the online media? The old world of radio faces a complex and sprawling new media world. The radio can watch the border crossing of its listeners every day and recognize that its listeners are not gone, but that they moved elsewhere, and above all that there is a new, young and much bigger potential of listeners behind these new borders. This quantum leap in the media is not just a global process, it is also a turning point in time. And no one gets past it. Neither the manager, nor the maker, nor the radio feature.

The Think Tank covers topics such as "Features and the Facebook Generation. How the Internet can serve a great radio tradition." and "The influence of technology on radio listening." It is intended to forecast the forthcoming further development of the media and to present newly emerging program forms. Find the results in the blog at http://think-tank-leipzig.blogspot.com.

"Our special thank is to Peter Leonhard Braun. Without his energetic commitment this International Think Tank would have been impossible", said Stephan Seeger, Managing Director of Media Foundation of Sparkasse Leipzig. Seeger also thanked the staff of Prix Europa and the European Broadcasting Union for their support.

On Saturday evening after the Radio Workshop, Media Foundation awards the 10.000 euros "Axel Eggebrecht Prize" 2012 to Friedrich Schütze-Quest (Press release follows on Friday, 27 January 2012).