Thursday 5 May: Plenary, Athens Room

9.30am - Welcome to the conference
Michael Lally, President of CIRCOM, welcomes delegates and sets out the main tasks of the conference. David Lowen, conference organiser, add details of what is happening and when.

9.45am - Doing It Better, Spending Less
Bob Collins, formerly Director General of RTÉ and now chief executive of the governing body of Irish broadcasting, chairs a debate on the key theme of the conference. This follows the Management Summit yesterday at which senior executives discussed the main issues facing regional broadcasters. Those taking part will include Alexandru Lăzescu, Chairman and CEO of TVR but all delegates will contribute, ask questions and, hopefully, offer solutions.    

12 noon - A Strategy for CIRCOM Regional
How might the issues facing regional television, impact on how CIRCOM might serve its members and contribute to their future and growth? Michael Lally, President of CIRCOM, chairs as Gerard Schuiteman, Boris Bergant, Acting General Secretary, and the new General Secretary – elected on Wednesday - set out strategy themes discussed by the Board. All delegates are invited to contribute to the next stage of the strategy preparation.

1pm Lunch

2pm - News Summit and News Exchange workshop
A new journalism may flourish in the wake of political developments in North Africa and the Middle East, so it is a good time to re-visit the “news exchange” roots of CIRCOM. Joe Reddington, Deputy Editor Nuacht at TG4 Galway, sets out the opportunities for exchanging news between CIRCOM member stations to enhance station output and improve service to viewers.

5pm Close of session

Thursday 5 May: Workshop, London Room

2pm - Focus on Central Europe
What is happening in the fast-changing and challenging broadcasting landscape of Central Europe? Representatives of MTV (including MTV Szeged and Hungarian independents), RTV Vojvodina, TVR, TVP, RTVSlo, CTV, STV, ORF and others have been invited. This session will appeal to all who work in or with stations in Central Europe. Zoran Medved, RTVSlo Maribor, chairs.

3pm - Coproduction and Exchange
Alexandre Pletser, of RTBF Brussels, sets out ways in which CIRCOM stations can work more closely together to create new and better programmes and also save money: the “top value” solution for survival, growth and public service.

3pm - Results of the CIRCOM coproduction survey
3.15pm -Regional exchange platforms and possible links through CIRCOM’s exchange future new platform, with guests from Nordvision, ERNO, RAI
4pm - Current projects following cancellation of ETVN (RTBF/EBU/CIRCOM)
          Balkan Seven EU project (RTBF/RAI/TVV/ERNO)
          Danube (TVR)
          Euromagazin (HRT/TVSlo)
          Sortir l’Europe de la Crise (RTBF/TV5/EP )
4.45pm - Questions to Cine Regio and further project proposals from member stations

5.30pm End of session

Thursday 5 May: Prix CIRCOM Gala Awards

All delegates, award winners and commended, award sponsors and judges are welcome to an evening of celebration of regional television production.

7pm - Leave Hotel Timisoara by coach
7.15pm - Arrive at Chamber of Commerce Craft Hall for drinks reception
8pm - Prix CIRCOM Awards, presented by David Lowen, President of the Prix CIRCOM and Irina Pacurariu, TVR. Music from the Philharmonic Orchestra of Timisoara.
9.15pm - Gala Dinner at the invitation of TVR

Friday 6 May: Plenary, Athens Room

9.30am - Social Interaction and Viewer Support workshop
Hanna Larsson, of SVT, explains why service to viewers does not end with a programme transmission as regional stations seek ideas to get closer to their audience. We hear about the BBC Yorkshire “Symphony for Yorkshire” - winner of the Prix category, sponsored by SVT.

11.30am - Coffee break

12 noon - Grand Prix: Meet The Winner
The winner of the Grand Prix was announced at the awards gala. Find out more about how the winning programme was made and who made it. David Lowen, President of Prix CIRCOM, chairs. The sponsor of the Grand Prix is SES-Astra.

1pm Lunch

2pm -The Best Magazine and News Magazine Programme
Most regional stations have a magazine programme but how good are they at winning today’s audiences and satisfying viewers? Is your magazine in need of an overhaul? Meet the winner and commended in the second most popular category after Documentary. The category sponsor is TVP.

3pm - The Best Video Journalist
Video journalists can add quality to regional news output. But the job requires a strong mixture of a camera operator’s eye and a journalist’s inquiring mind. Find out how to be successful by meeting the winner, Nicola Rees of BBC Yorkshire, and commended in the Prix category.

4pm - The Best Fiction/Drama Programme
Regional stations need to spend wisely and think creatively to achieve quality regional drama. Tight budgets mean no money can be wasted. Find out how your station might make drama and view the winning entry from NDR Hamburg. Máire ni Chonlain, from sponsoring station TG4 chairs.

5pm End of session

Friday 6 May: Workshop, London Room

9.30am - Documentary workshop
Crafted documentaries are a genre under threat from spending cuts, the changing pace of viewing and the way video is consumed. How can creativity and quality in regional documentaries flourish? Documentary makers have attended a CIRCOM training course before the conference. Tony O’Shaughnessy, ex-BBC, ran the course and chairs this session. He introduces the winners of the Prix Documentary category, from TG4 Galway. This session must interest all who value the unique nature of regional production and broadcasting. The Documentary award is sponsored by the Dutch Cultural Media Fund, which supports good documentary making.

11.30am End of session

2pm - The Most Original Programme
Find a new type of programme or, at least, one which is a bit different to the others by hearing from BBC Scotland, winner of the Prix category, and the commended producers. Category sponsors are RTVSlo.

2.30pm - Vivre l’Europe
Meet the winner of the Vivre l’Europe category, sponsored by France TV (France 3) and hear how the winning entry, Euphoria, from MTV Pécs, Hungary, was made.

3pm - The Best Sports Programme
What was the best regional sports programme in a year in which a European country won the football World Cup and as we look forward to year with an Olympic Games in Europe? Meet the winner and the commended producers in the Prix category sponsored by ERT3.

3.30pm - Ideas Bazaar
This is where we join together and trade ideas, big or small, to help each other. It could be a faster way to send pictures back to base, or a slick new way to improve programme presentation, or….well, anything you like. Listen, watch, learn, speak, show and help. Leading the session are Sarah Wilkins and Ivor Carroll, both from RTÉ/TG4 in Galway.

5pm End of Session

Evening: Dinner party at Giroc Restaurant, with entertainment  (please meet in the lobby of the Hotel Timisoara at 7.30pm)

Saturday 7 May: Plenary, Athens Room

9.30am - The Rising Star Award: How To Be a Success in TV
What does it take to be a success in television? We hear from Spas Kyosev, BNT Sofia, winner of The Rising Star category, on the struggle to build a career, when still aged under 30. Leading the session: Anita Bhalla, BBC and responsible for CIRCOM’s training strategy, and Dan Ratiu, of TVR Timisoara, chair of The Rising Star category, sponsored by TVR.

10.30am - Trainees: The Future of Regional TV
Trainees who have been hard at work for more than a week, show what they have done – and say how they see their future: always a fascinating and inspiring session. Karol Cioma, organiser of CIRCOM’s training, and trainers try to keep control.
   
11.30am - CIRCOM Annual Meeting
Training. Prix. Coproductions: the lifeblood of CIRCOM. But what else has it done and what might it do for its members and for regional television. All delegates are invited to have their say. Claudio Cappon, Vice President of the EBU, speaks on Europe’s television issues. The President, Michael Lally, is in the chair.

12 noon - Closing Ceremony
The President chairs the final session, summing up the main achievements and memories of the conference and thanking TVR, our hosts. We look ahead to the conference in 2012.

12.30pm - End of conference sessions

1pm - Excursion, lunch and wine tasting at Recas Vineyard (please meet in the lobby of the Hotel Timisoara at 1pm)