(Left to right) Marco Simeon Director of the Institutional and International Relations of RAI,
Ugo Cappellacci Sardinian Regional President and Pier Luigi Malesani, Secretary General of COPEAM

EBU partner body the Permanent Conference of Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators (COPEAM) opened its 20th annual conference today in Cagliari, Sardinia, with an agenda led by the power of public media to drive positive socio-political change in Mediterranean countries.

Organized in cooperation with Italian EBU Member RAI, the regional government of Sardinia and Italian energy firm Eni, the conference will welcome around 200 broadcasters, many from Africa and the Middle East.

The first two days will include screenings of documentaries on Palestine, Turkey and Sardinian jazz musician Paolo Fresu. And a special tribute will be paid to Italian master Caravaggio through the reproduction of three masterpieces from Rome, Naples and Malta.

On Saturday (23 March), a day of debate will be opened by RAI president Anna Maria Tarantola; President of COPEAM and the French National Audiovisual Institute (INA), Mathieu Gallet; COPEAM Secretary General Pier Luigi Malesani and Sardinian regional president Ugo Cappellacci.

Three plenary sessions will examine how the media, in particular public service media, can enhance their role as a vital conduit for reliable news and information – especially during profound and protracted economic crisis.

Stimulating the debates will be prominent international figures, including Italian Foreign Ministry Secretary General Michele Valensise and Samir Al Kassir, the Deputy Secretary General of the Arab League and EBU Vice-President Claudio Cappon.

This week COPEAM announced that of many stands on display, one by RAI would demonstrate automated translation into sign language, developed at its research centre in Turin, and TV-web-social media integration.

Founded in 1996 in Cairo, COPEAM includes more than 100 associates from the Euro-Mediterranean region and 40 public broadcasters, many of them also Members of the EBU.