Eurovision Creative Forum 2007

The second Eurovision Creative Forum takes place on the 17th of September in Berlin. “It is a good place for Members to network in the field of formats”, says Björn Erichsen, EBU.

The Eurovision Creative Forum event consists of a large number of programme presentations in various categories (entertainment programming, factual programming, religious programming, sports programming etc.) and a number of programmes in pre-production. During the Forum, the most exciting formats produced by EBU members will be screened, developed and debated.

The participants select their 7 favourite programmes out of the programmes which are going to be presented on the Creative Formats Forum and a show reel (“The 7 best of 2007”) is going to be made, which can be screened at MIP COM in Cannes.

The event is exclusively reserved for EBU Members – public service broadcaster within Europe and from abroad. 

Programme ideas for 2007

For 2007 we will be widening the categories of programme ideas we are looking for and we will also welcome “pilots” and “archive programmes” for presentation to the Forum.

We are looking for:

  • unique and exciting TV programmes currently on air which could be adapted in other countries (and of which you are partly owning the rights)
  • programmes of all kinds which extend the range of PSB programmes and can stimulate ideas
  • TV programmes from your archive which are ready to be dusted down and relaunched
  • pilots for new TV programmes which other members can view and acquire for adaptation in their countries

The Eurovision Creative Formats Forum 2006

Bettina Brinkmann, Head of Format & Special Events Unit at the EBU, about the first Eurovision Creative Formats Forum:

– The first Eurovision Creative Formats Forum was an experiment. A lot of networking happened and several deals were done after it. Now we know that it was a good and effective opportunity for our members to speak about their in-house formats. As different as the markets may be, PSB’s all over Europe are immensely creative and they have more or less all the same needs, advantages and disadvantages.

Brinkmann says that The Eurovision Creative Formats Forum provides an opportunity for public service broadcasters to exchange experience and to present their ideas and programmes to other pubcasters rather than to wait till a commercial rival is inspired by the idea and offers a similar format to the international market:

– The first Forum last year was the first step for a big networking within PSB in the field of formats and new entertainment and factual programmes. I hope public broadcasters will cooperate as intensely as their commercial rivals already do.

The Best of the Eurovision Creative Formats Forum 2006

Last year the showreel “The Best of the Eurovision Creative Formats Forum 2006” contained:

  • “The Pyramid”, a mix of debate and game from HRT Croatia
  • “The Prison Choir”, a reality show on Spain’s TVE
  • “Over My Dead Body”, a Dutch factual show
  • “The Little Difference”, a factual programme about women and men from Denmark’s DR
  • “The One & Only”, a musical competition from VRT Belgium
  • “The Ex-Files”, a dating show from Irish RTE
  • “Frag doch Mal die Maus”, a primetime family show from Germany’s WDR
  • “People’s Countdown”, an entertainment show from Swedish channel SVT

So start thinking and watch out for the deadline dates for the most exciting format event of the year – The Eurovision Creative Forum 2007 – and put 17th September 2007 in your diary now!

More information:
Eurovision Creative Formats Forum
Bettina Brinkmann, tel: 0041-22-7172417, brinkmann@remove-this.ebu.ch