The best of public service media television, radio and online content from the past year was profiled during “Proud to Present” as part of the 2013 Eurovision Media Summit Focus Day in Brussels (30/5). 
The event brings together European public service media (PSM) experts and decision makers to discuss trends, share information, network and agree strategies on the future of public service programming.
Proud to Present featured a cross-section of inspirational content from EBU Members: 

Denmark

‘Why Poverty?’ – a documentary series developed by DR as part of a unique cooperation between 40 EBU Members – grabbed the attention of 70 per cent of the Danish audience. More than 70 broadcasters in 180 countries engaged in the project, generating a staggering 33 million tweets and attracted 500 million viewers worldwide.
Mette Hoffman Meyer, who heads the documentaries and coproductions unit for Danish broadcaster DR and was last week honoured with an American Peabody public service media award, said ‘Why Poverty?’ had enabled international broadcasters to cooperate closely.
Children’s radio programme Ramasjang was feted for launching a ‘donut-shaped island’ on air that encourages imaginative thought among kids. Gustav Lutzhoft explained that the programme was made in collaboration with child-carers and kindergartens.

‘Detektor’, which examines claims made in the media, has been so effective that politicians and media figures have grown cautious about appearing on the show. Programme host Thomas Buch Anderson said viewer figures have doubled.

“We hold the person who made that claim to account and invite them to reconsider or change their opinion,” he said. “In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need this programme; but in a world of retweets and instant messaging, we do.”

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, radio station 3FM locked their presenters inside a glass house for six days playing requests for money. All proceeds went towards famine relief in Africa. The campaign, 'A Serious Request – let’s hear it for the babies,' raised more than €12m. Program producer Wilbert Mutsaers described the stunt as a “feel good do good event” with universal appeal.

Netherlands’ NTR programme ‘Anything Goes’ set challenges for people with special needs to show them – and audiences – their potential. Presenter Johan Overdevest said the programme genuinely seeks to stretch participants. “Reactions are usually tears and laughter. Let these people participate. It’s good for them and good for us,” he said.

Children have become familiar with radio thanks to the ‘One Minute Small’ programme developed by NPO Netherlands radio. The programme has since spawned an app that will include music and news for children and soon feature some of the original short stories with animation.

UK

Channel 4 documentary 'Make Bradford British' depicted the lives of eight people who had failed the British citizenship test.

Heenan Bhatti of Love Productions said the documentary had come at the right time: “We are forging a national identity,” he said. “The audience wanted to hear the question asked and answered. It resonated with youth audiences and is now being shown in schools.”

With three million viewers, the documentary trended for days on Twitter.

Sweden

Swedish Radio featured stories on racism during a weeklong campaign entitled ‘How does it feel?’ Listeners submitted more than 600 stories, posing questions such as Who’s racist and who isn’t? How do we differ in what we say on radio from what we say at home with our friends? And what is racist to say out loud?

Producer Anna Alexandersson said she was astounded by the response. “We asked and they kept on answering.”

France

FT France aimed to expose viewers to classical music by getting more modern-influenced bands to cover those classics. After a national survey was conducted that revealed the public’s top ten classical pieces, candidates voted to cover those in any modern music style of their choosing. Jean-Baptiste Jouy saw it as an opportunity to offer “entertaining access to classical music on prime time. In season one; we had some difficulty convincing some symphonic orchestras to get involved, but not anymore.”

‘Un Village Français’ (The Line) was a fictionalized account of residents living near the German border during WW2.

The initial thought of Jean-Francois Boyer of Tetra Media was that viewers may prefer a feature-length movie; 72 episodes later, with a following of four million viewers, it was clear the format had resonated with audiences. “It’s not so easy to speak about World War II in France," he said. "What did our grandparents do?  Did they collaborate or resist?”

Radio France decided to open up its enormous archive of more than half a million vinyl records and invite respected musical personalities to discuss the albums that had changed their lives.

The interviews were also videoed for their website and received more than 140,000 downloads via iTunes.

Producer Christilla Huillard-Kann said, “There is something about the deep feelings associated with music choices, and they were happy to be given time to talk about it at length.”

Belgium

A radio programme devoted to music inspired by specific works of art was an opportunity for VRT to showcase Dutch-language musical talent. The programme proved so successful it was later televised, released on CD and launched on a website. VRT's next project? Songs inspired by Dutch-language literature.

VRT’s ‘Ketnet Checklist’ is a radio programme targeting kids. A wish list of 97,000 things was eventually whittled down to form a list of the ‘top 50 things to do before you reach 12 years of age.’

Producer Wouter Quartier explained that the programme has now extended to television, summer camps and a world record for the most number of people doing somersaults simultaneously. “We learned what kids really wanted to do and radio needs to be in their world, to grow up along with these kids.”

The programme has now extended to television, summer camps and led to a world record for the most number of people doing somersaults simultaneously.

Germany

ZDF expanded the visual knowledge of science and nature through the creative use of super slo-mo cameras. Featuring falcon-cams, wet dogs and explosions and floating bees, the cameras enabled viewers to enter a previously hidden world.

Producer Sonja Timbush said that the use of cameras able to take up to 300,000 frames per second meant that they were never sure of what they would see. “The response was our reward – the tech crew, staff, scientists and viewers. It’s a new entrance to science.”

Radio station WDR travelled across the width of America in the lead up to the 2012 elections, speaking to the real people who are not usually featured in mainstream media coverage. Host Jochen Schliemann appreciated that it ranged beyond radio to a website following their journey and an interactive map. “Our listeners could view over 60 videos. They could decide what and how long and who they wanted to know more about.”

Embracing cross media initiatives, NDR used radio, television and online tools to invite fans to dance along to a pop song. Producer Philipp Goewe explained that on “Show me you can dance” the winners got to dance with their pop idol at a concert in front of an adoring audience of thousands. 

Austria

Austrian Radio embraced silence, but not as we know it. In the programme ‘Uncage Cage,’ they celebrated the 100th year of experimental US musician John Cage by inviting listeners to record and submit their own recordings.

More than 70 recordings were featured, including sounds such as vacuum cleaners, babies and tooth brushing. “Music for, and by a Swedish birch tree bark,” is the byline, but producers were amazed at the creativity, intelligence and wit of their listeners, reminding us “Never underestimate your audience.”

Austria Sings was a mammoth effort by ORF, bringing together singers from over 60 choirs across the country with the finale being televised from Vienna’s city hall.

Sandra Marchant said that the success of the programme saw singing being celebrated by all ages. “People wanted to see and hear those that they had followed and got to know on television.”

ORF and the EBU have plans to celebrate Europe Day, 9th of May 2014, with choirs across Europe linked to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of world war one.  “It will be a highly emotional symbol for Europe and what better way to commemorate that than by singing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy?”

For more more on Europe Sings! click here

Finland

‘Power of Music’ is a radio programme that featured individuals selecting music and discussing its influence on their lives. Host Timo Asikainen explained that it is precisely the mystery of music that gives it the power to affect us. “We’re dealing with something that often can’t be verbalised. Music evokes so many emotions.”