Draft Minutes

Friday, October 5, 2012                                Start: 14.00 / End: 17.00
                                                                Coffee Break: 15.15

1. 1.Opening of the General Assembly
   Gerhard Losher (BR), INTERMAG President, welcomed the members and especially the guests to this year’s meeting in Prague. 

1. 2.Approval of the ”Proposed Minutes”
   The Minutes of the INTERMAG General Assembly in Rome, September 30 - October 1, 2011 were approved 

1. 3.Presentation round 

During the presentation round every guest introduced their programme:

• .“Polski Reporter” introduced by Monika Sieradzka from TVP.
  Broadcast: 30’ weekly, Wednesday at 23.00. Restart in November 2012.
  The programme contains a wide range of topics. Domestic items connected with foreign items. 

• .TÉRkép (Map) introduced by Anita Janko from MTVA
  Broadcast daily. Background reports mostly non-political from correspondents all over the world. 

• .TV-Nytt (TV-News) introduced by Stefan Winiger from YLE.
  Broadcast: daily, 27’
  Items up to 5’. News programme covering wide range of themes. 

• .MDR-Aktuell introduced by Eberhard Schneider from MDR.
  Broadcast: Daily (Monday till Friday), ca 20’, items 3’-4’. News Magazine on bordering countries. 

• .Horizont introduced by Adriana Dergam from CT24.
  Broadcast weekly on Sunday 20.30, ca. 26’. Items 1’30 to 6’00. International and domestic issues covering politics, society, nature and lifestyle. 

• .Inlandsreport and Zeit im Bild introduced by Gudrun Gutt from ORF.
  Broadcast: 15’ Daily, 19.30 Items: 1’ – 3’. News Magazine. “Inlandsreport” mostly covers domestic issues (still, domestic issues are foreign issues for the other members). 

Gerhard from his side explained the INTERMAG idea. The organisation exists for almost 50 years and was established in 1966 by BBC, ARD, RTB (Belgian French speaking TV), RAI, SRT-Schweiz and CRC (Canadian TV). Although it used to be quite a significant organisation with over 70 members it has been downsized now to a low profile family like exchange programme well connected among the members.

Gerhard pointed out the There are two main purposes of INTERMAG:

- Exchanging items for free

- Networking and assistance amongst editors and/or correspondents via personal contacts (also see item 10).

In order to give the guests an idea of INTERMAG’s potential agenda item No 3 was amended by adding a therpreview of 6 reports selected from the screening list. The purpose of the screening is a kind of fair that might draw attention to reports one would perhaps not order on the basis of the offering form due to language problems or lack of time.

1. 4.Membership 

Horisont/DR left INTERMAG. The programme changed the format into a 25’ documentary with a strong brand identification hence not interesting for the exchange. But Bente Lundstrom also told us that DR2 is planning to broadcast current affairs programmes from January 2013. The presidency will follow up the matter.

1. 5.Exchange 

FTP: Some members use this internet tool to send items. The practice surely simplified and speeded up the exchange.

Offering Form: It was suggested to add the URL of the offered report so that the film can easily be found on the Website. The CC will add such a line in the form.

A new address booklet is in the making. It was suggested to add a short description of each programme as well as the facebook address.

6.        Guests and interested programmes

The guests had several questions and remarks:

Music rights: in principle music rights have to be paid. However Sweden for instance pays a yearly fee that covers all music rights

Footage: cutting the items is allowed as long as the editing doesn’t change the meaning and message of the report. However: using the report as footage to spice up other films is not allowed.

Internet rights: should be given and mentioned in the offering under remarks. Also under remarks could be mentioned if the report contains special images or extraordinary shots.

Announcing reports: is up to the members but could be interesting in case of special editions

Rebroadcasting and reruns: no problem

Important asset of the INTERMAG exchange is the lack of bureaucratic hassle and the smoothness of the practice.

At the end of the meeting all attending guests applied for membership.

Vote: The applying members were accepted unanimously.

1. 7.New Members 

All attending guests applied for membership:

“Polski Reporter”,”World for Breakfast”/TVP

“TÉRkép” (Map)/MTVA

“TV-Nytt” (TV-News)/YLE

“MDR-Aktuell“/MDR

„Horizont“/CT24

„Inlandsreport“ ,Zeit im Bild“/ORF.

Vote: Every applying member was accepted unanimously.

1. 8.Financial Situation 

In 2006 INTERMAG abolished the very expensive PES-System and the yearly fee was reduced from 1500 to 500 € a year. The administration of the new system is dealt with by Deutsche Welle. A certain sumsurplus of money was reached over the past years high enough to cover the INTERMAG expenditure for two years. and Ttherefore the presidency proposed to renounce on the yearly fee of 500 € for the next two years (2013 + 2014). To ensure financial security, Gerhard presented an agreement with Deutsche Welle stating that based on the financial surplus aAll INTERMAG expenses during these two upcoming years will be dealt with by Deutsche Welle ensuring the same services and covering conference expenses and necessary costs as in the past years.

Vote: Renouncing the fee for two years was accepted unanimously by the attending members.

1. 6.Memorandum of Unterstanding                                (Memorandum attached) 

Gerhard read out the “Memorandum of Understanding”. This paper was drafted to define future cooperation between INTERMAG and Deutsche Welle in financial terms meaning that Deutsche Welle will cover all INTERMAG expenses during the fiscal years 2013 and 2014 corresponding to the surplus funds which accumulated in the years before. Furthermore Studio Brussels commits to continue hosting the Coordination Centre at least until the end of 2015. In 2015 yearly member fees (500 €) will be charged again. A administrative fee of 1000 €/year will be paid by INTERMAG to Deutsche Welle for the administration of INTERMAG and for hosting the Coordination Centre. Furthermore according to the INTERMAG Statutes Europa Aktuell as the member hosting the Coordination Centre and administering INTERMAG is exempt from paying the member fee of 500 €.

Vote: Memorandum of Understanding was accepted unanimously.

(Note: The German version of the paper is applicable.)

1. 7.Website 

There is a new INTERMAG web address: www.intermag.tv. The site is online but still in the process of updating. It was also suggested to add a short description of the member programmes

1. 8.Additional Cooperation and Networking 

The wish was expressed by several members to enhance cooperation by networking not only with editors but also with correspondents. Gerhard told us about a Czech correspondent looking urgently for interview partners and footage on the occasion of a report on the 20th commemoration of the Munich assault during the Olympics in 1992. Gerhard managed within three hours to supply the journalist with all info and logistic assistance including interviews with survivors of the tragedy.

Gerhard gave as an example his recent experience with a correspondent of Czech TV whom he could supply with information and logistic assistance for a mega media event within the shortest time. That was possible thanks to the fact that the TV company he is employed with (BR-Munich), was organizer and pool leader of that event. Thus, INTERMAG networking could help to share experiences and logistic advantages between the members and at another occasion the favour can be returned.

Also the stations would benefit of this kind of cooperation and consequently of INTERMAG.

In return the INTERMAG members travelling abroad could have a valuable contact at the local TV station and could get assistance concerning camera crews and information.

Exchanging camera crews however is complicated since most TV stations have to hire crews themselves and the favour cannot be returned.

1. 9.Next Meeting 

Two destinations were proposed: Budapest and Vienna. The presidency will decide where our next meeting will take place.

Saturday, October 6, 2012                        Start: 09.30 / End: 13.00
                                                                        Coffee Break: 10.45
                                                                        Lunch: 13.15

9.        Screening Session        

List attached

President

Gerhard Losher

INTERMAG General Assembly Prague

October, 5-6, 2012

Screening Session

INTERMAG General Assembly Prague
October 05 - 06, 2012

Attendance

Berlin DW Euromaxx Kathrin Lemke

Brussels DW Europa Aktuell Dagmar Michel

Kiel NDR Ostsee-Report Udo Biss

Munich BRF Wir in Europa: Euroblick Gerhard Losher

Oslo NRK URIX Torstein Nilsen

Stockholm SVT Aktuellt / Rapport Ingrid Thörnqvist
   Allan Tammik

Guests:

Budapest MTVA TERkèp Anita Jankó

Helsinki        YLE        TV-News        Stefan Winiger

Leipzig        MDR        MDR-Aktuell        Eberhard Schneider

Prague CT24 Horisont Adriana Dergam
   MartinReznicek

Vienna        ORF        Zeit im Bild        Arno Pindeus
                        Gudrun-Erica Gutt

Warsaw        PTV        Reporter Polski        Monika Sieradzka

Intermag CC        Gerd Lemmens

Could not attend:        DR/Copenhagen, IBA/Jerusalem, RAI/Rome, RTV/Ljubljana