The Euroradio Committee is excited to announce the first 4 broadcasters to receive funding from the new Euroradio Innovation Fund.

Projects from RTBF (Belgium), Czech Radio, RTVSLO (Slovenia) and the BBC (United Kingdom), will all benefit from the Fund to help develop specific projects.

EBU Head of Radio Graham Dixon said “The Radio Unit at the EBU is delighted to have made funds available to foster creativity and development of this flexible medium. This advances the potential of radio through providing funding for particularly innovative projects, and ones which have the potential for sharing with other EBU members, whether as software, elements, or learning from the process of production.”

He added: “There was an extremely strong field of fourteen proposals, and the EBU Radio Committee had the difficult, but rewarding job of choosing between them at its meeting in Brussels in September.  The selected projects are extremely diverse, and reflect different parallel paths for the development of radio, both content and technology.” 

The following projects will benefit from the Euroradio Innovation Fund:

RTBF 

Storyboard

Major social media platforms do not allow sharing of audio files. Storyboard allows broadcasters to take an audio file and share it as a video on social media.

The Storyboard concept was first explored at a Hackathon competition in Stockholm where it picked up awards for "Most Relevant Product" and "Most Innovative Product".  Swedish Radio worked hard to develop the first incarnation of the tool which has now demonstrated the proof-of-concept on a variety of big sporting events last summer. Storyboard's potential for other kinds of content such as news or music is clearly obvious.  For near-live production it allows the user to create a video from a single still image. Producers with more time available can layer images and text to create advanced compositions and slide shows.

Users access Storyboard via web browsers and there is no special software to install.  Unlike many software packages that have high start-up or subscription costs, Storyboard is available to all EBU members at no cost.

At the end of development,  any EBU member can take the Storyboard code and develop around it to suit their own requirements.

CZECH RADIO

1968 in Prague, in Paris, and on the Radio

The year of 1968, May in Paris and August in Prague, is retold and relived by the participants of the events themselves with relevance to the happenings of current days and their younger family members in 2018.

The content is developed by means of surround sound and archived material both audio as well as graphical, as the storyline develops across all platforms – on-air, online, virtual reality – and the main focus is put on the immersive sound experience. Radio gives rise to personal thoughts and feelings, and works with the latest technology and sound work to create an audio space not focused primarily on visual elements. The immersive experience will be delivered to the listeners in their cars, online and on mobile devices; main focus will be the binaural sound and the visual content will be treated as a complement to the audio experience.  The aim of the project is to help transition radio forward towards the era of binaural sound and VR environment without losing its main focus on audio experience and audio delivery.

RTVSLO

PLAY DJ

Some Snapchat-using teenagers may not find radio so cool, but will agree, however, that working for radio could be cool.  Play DJ is here to make that a reality.  To some, working for radio will be their first ever experience of radio, public or commercial.  We will go looking for talented teenagers who dream of becoming DJs. We will brainstorm with them, give them some radio training and prepare them for half an hour of live radio show in which talented youngsters will be able to express their passion and knowledge for music.   Play DJ will take the Snapchat audience and bring them closer to radio. We will help them create their own radio.  Because it's hard to find a better way to share the passion…

BBC

Quake (working title)

Since the 2011 Haiti earthquake, mobile and open source technologies have revolutionised International Search and Rescue. Inspired by this unassuming global revolution, Quake is a life-affirming audio drama with a ground-breaking fragmented non-linear format. Designed for today’s on-line, digital savvy audiences and reminiscent of the concept LPs of the 70s with their short tracks and unifying themes, this format offers an exciting new audio drama experience. Twelve tracks of varying lengths (under 6 min) will be available simultaneously for self-scheduling, any order, any time. Each stand-alone track follows a character caught up in the aftermath of an earthquake but rather than the traditional dramatic climax, the 12 tracks build to a 360° dramatic experience and in the process show digital humanitarianism in action. Bespoke elegant visuals will accompany the dramas for multi-platform listening and the intention is to create a VR radio drama experience with at least one of the stand-alone tracks. With global rights and several years' international availability, the goal is to share with EBU members the processes involved in all the elements of this project and to see all 12 dramas available through the EBU as well as BBC Radio 4 website with promo tracks on YouTube.