How do you create content and formats that are native to digital platforms? It is one of the biggest challenges facing Public Service Broadcasters and will be at the heart of the activities of a new expert group created on the fringes of the Media Summit in Brussels.

EBU Members attending the Media Summit have come together to form a Future Media Advisory Board (FMAB) that will work closely with the Eurovision Media Strategy Unit. It will provide a forum for Members to exchange experiences in the content, format and delivery domains.

The Media Strategy Unit has been created to strengthen horizontal linkages in the Media Department and to complement output in the domains of News, Academy, Television and Radio. In order to support Members who are facing rapid change in their industry, the Media Strategy Unit mission is to turn New Media into “NOW MEDIA” by making sense of evolving technology and fostering content innovation.

The group held their inaugural meeting after attending a workshop with the LEGO community manager, Peter Espersen, LEGO strategist Yun Mi Antorini, and social media expert Claire Wardle from the curation and verification start-up, Storyful. Participants heard about best practices and were able to discuss their own dilemmas and successes.

The record and presentations of the Eurovision Future Media meeting are available on the EBU community platform. Access is reserved for Active and Associate Members only: http://collab.go-eurovision.com/groups/media-strategy 

The new group will be content-driven and have a special focus on issues related to multimedia storytelling and production, social media, content strategy and audience behaviour. Members will identify trends and discuss ideas for exploiting the opportunities provided by new technologies and platforms.

The emphasis will be not only on creating and delivering content, but also on enhancing interactivity. The FMAB will differentiate itself from other more technically focused groups not only by putting the spotlight on content, but also by including strategic and audience-related issues in its discussions.

The FMAB will reflect the Media Strategy Unit's transversal approach by interacting with other digital media groups in the Media and Technology Departments. The group will maintain a close relationship with the Legal Department and MIS.

The FMAB will also advise Media Strategy on the future development of the EBU Media Lab.

The seven founder members are Voyelle Acker (France Télévisions), Ignacio Gomez (RTVE, Spain), Sami Kallinen (YLE, Finland), Pavlina Kvapilova (Czech Television), Marcus Schuler (BR, Germany), Thierry Zweifel (RTS, Switzerland) and Jessica Eisermann (WDR, Germany). There are plans to expand the group.