Daniel Brouyère (URTI), Saidi Fethi (Algerian TV) and Micol Pancaldi (COPEAM)

The intercultural role of international audiovisual exchange programmes amongst broadcasters was highlighted during the Media Lunchtime Talk held today in the EBU Brussels office.

Presenting the leading role in TV and radio programme exchange played by International Radio and Television Union (URTI) since its establishment in 1949, Deputy Director General Daniel Brouyère underlined how documentaries “convey human values” and “facilitate mutual understanding amongst peoples.”

Exchange of documentaries between broadcasters at international level is a focal point of URTI’s mission. This Paris-based organisation has in this regard set up an online catalogue of over 6000 programmes, all available in English, French and Arabic.

Exchanging audiovisual works is nevertheless confronted   by another challenge: different languages. In this light, Algerian television’s Saidi Fethi presented the Terramad Plus project, an impressive translation and sub-titling enterprise. Over the course of 18 months, a dedicated team created and synchronised sub-titles in English, French and Arabic for over 100 hours of audiovisual works.

The Terramad Plus project also has an online platform of its own which allows the viewer to “go beyond the constraints of the TV programme schedule.” As a close supporter of the Terramed Plus project, Micol Pancaldi of the Permanent Conference of the Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators (COPEAM) was on hand to present the Terramed Plus website that makes available documentaries, series and short and feature films from Algeria, Morocco, France, Spain and Italy with sub-titles in three different languages.

For the European Commission, which offered financial support for the Terramad Plus project via the Med Media funding programme, it is essential to perpetuate such audiovisual exchange projects through a long term partnership rationale.

In this light, Hristo Hristov of the Directorate General for Development and Cooperation underlined the importance of a conducive regulatory framework for media independence in the EU’s Mediterranean neighbourhood, in particular for public service media organisations. The European Commission wishes to deepen this dimension with the pursuit of the Med Media programme.