[spectre] fmedia

Mon Feb 23 17:49:29 CET 2004

Announcement and call for your participation:
--------
FM at dia FORUM 04: Connecting Free Media.
Exchange within and beyond Central and Eastern Europe.

Meeting and workshops of Free Media Initiatives on framing diverse
strategies for sustainable cultural cooperation and exchange.

http://www.fmedia.ecn.cz
Prague (CZ) 10-11th June, and Freistadt (A) 12-13th June

Organised by Radio Jeleni, Econnect (Cz), European Civic Forum, VFRÖ -
Federation of Austrian Free Radios, Radio FRO (At), Radio Z (Germany)
and others
--------

The FM at dia Forum 04 in Prague and Freistadt will encourage a wide range
of free media and community projects to discuss potential common
strategies and shared interests (eg. Media policy), to improve mutual
awareness, sharing know-how and content exchange.

The rapid social, political, economical and technological shift of terms
of the expanded "United Europe" pose a challenge to discuss, reframe and
compare such  topics as "free speech", "public access", "independence -
media ownership", "creative  commons", "digital divide" or "content
exchange". All this and more requires a cross- referencing for
establishing a common base and functioning platform for better
collaboration among media activists, artists, free radios, 'zine
publishers, internet publishers etc.

While the region is characterised by a relatively high potential of
growth of media and civic activities, the inter-connectivity reaching
beyond the borders remains by comparison rare.

Easier access to new digital technologies open new chances (as well as
threats) for civic and community media as opposed to mass media and
corporate structures. Activating and intensifying mutual communication
and collaboration between different regions, languages and cultures is
the aim of the "FM at dia" forum.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The "FM at dia" forum invites you to send submissions of texts and
proposals for participation (in-person or via web cast, weblogging,
collaboration audio and/or video broadcast, etc.).

Please specify your individual interest in:

- discussions, thematic blocks

- presentations, performances, screenings

- participation in or
- organisation of work groups / workshops:
* I could offer a workshop for the topic / in the area of _ _ _
---------

Several speakers from national and international political structures
will be invited to formulate and present their visions on following
topics (the themes are still subject to discussion):

1.// Media Landscapes - Media Wars

Curators: Milos Vojtechovsky (Radio Jeleni/Cz), Alexander Baratsits (FRO/At)

How have the Media-Landscapes developed since the fall of Berlin Wall
(in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Poland, Germany and
Austria)?
How to define a role for European Free and community Media networks,
what is their relation to corporate and governmental mass media? Different
circumstances result in a multitude of  approaches to the term  of  "Free
Media", still are there corresponding aims/ideals? What impact do the free
and community media and initiatives have on the public debate and civic
rights? What extent and impact of statutes related to community media and
civic
free media initiatives are and will be included in the European Union
media policy (Community Media Fund)?

-> 2 panel discussions

2.// Survival Kit For Independent Media

Curators: Helmut Peissl (European Civic Forum, VFRÖ/A), Mojca Plansak
(Radio Mars/Sl), Wally Geyermann (Radio Z/De)

Conditions, experiences, and possibilities for community-media in the
extended European Union: a survey from different countries. Used
practices and strategies, issues of legality and laws. Solidarity,
interactivity, broader awareness and understanding of diversity of local
dilemma, transcending the conforming and "national" attitudes. What
changes do the
electronic networks  bring forth and how are they currently
(dis)functioning? How are they rooted in the local social patterns and
specific conditions of different national and political entities?

-> 3-4 work groups (best practice presentations and debate)

3.// Content Exchange - Free Flow Of Information

Curators: Thomas Kupfer (Radio Corax/De), Dejan Ubovic (B92/Belgrade),
Peter Barbaric (Radio Student/Sl)

Content-exchange within Free Media in the new European Union. What are
the advantages and interests of potentially cooperating parallel
cross-national oriented broadcasting and information initiatives? Their
accessibility, openness and will for strategy implementation,
multi-lingual media channels, broadcasts, media jamming, etc. Can media
solidarity and media education empower the sustainable models and democracy?

-> 1 Panel discussion
-> Work groups

4.// Cross Border Media & Local Development

Curators: Veronika Leiner (FRO/At), Otto Tremetzberger (FRO/At)

Community media as an intercultural communication tool - the emerging
field of mobile media transmitters explores the convergence of data and
location in environments, which are aside the main communication
highways. Nowadays it is possible to use cheap, portable, networked,
location aware computing devices for user-led mapping and interventions
in which geographical and cultural minority expression can be voiced and
integrated in the media landscape.

Can these tools of locative media contribute to the social and cultural,
political and ecological multi-layer projects? How can local community
media benefit from them and in which way can this technology stimulate
the interconnectivity, alternative channels for cultural exchange
and collaboration across "the borders"? (eg. issues of migration,
immigration, "recovering" of the dialogues between the recently
disconnected regions such as of Upper  Austria, Bavaria and South
Bohemia, Hungary and Slovakia or former Yugoslavia)?

-> 1 Panel discussion
-> 1 Workshop
----------
Any discussions related to the FM at dia Forum 04 can be carried out on the
forum's mailinglist fm-connected-l at list.ecn.cz
Subscribe at http://list.ecn.cz/mailman/listinfo/fm-connected-l

Proposal mail to the coordinator of the project Thomas Kreiseder
thomas.kreiseder at fro.at 0043-699-10273256
----------

The main venue in Prague-centrally located Experimental Space NOD, offers a
conference room, two large exhibition spaces, broadcasting infrastructure,
internet cafe
http://www.roxy.cz/nod

// Travel Support:

The extent of support for people who otherwise would not  have the financial
capabilities to make the way to FM at dia depends on the process of funding.
However, in special situations it will be possible.
---------

Accommodation in Prague:
Hotel Prokopka
address: Prokopova 9, 130 00 Praha 3
phone: + 420 - 222 781 647
fax: + 420 - 222 782 185
e-mail: info at prokopka.cz
internet: http://www.prokopka.cz

// Concept:
Alexander Baratsits (At) and Milos Vojtechovsky (Cz)
alexander.baratsits at fro.at, milos.vojtechovsky at fcca.cz

//Production:
Thomas Kreiseder (At), Alexander Baratsits (At), Dana Recmanova (Cz).
---------