Pubcasters Unite for Global Event on Poverty

CANNES: The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Steps International unveiled at MIPCOM plans for a global media event in November 2012 focused on why a billion people around the world are still living in poverty.

Forty pubcasters from across the globe have signed on for Why Poverty?, which will consist of eight one-hour documentaries and 30 shorts. The week of programs is expected to reach a global audience of 500 million in November 2012. The programming event is being produced by Steps International, a non-profit organization comprised of EBU members, including the BBC, DRTV, YLE, VPRO, SVT and NRK. Nick Fraser of BBC and Mette Hoffman of DR will serve as joint series editors on the project.

“For the first time, public-service media all over the world are joining forces in an unprecedented global media event to draw attention to global poverty, an issue that deserves an urgent solution,” said Ingrid Deltenre, the director general of the EBU. “The EBU encourages its community of public broadcasters to join this extraordinary collaboration.”

Fraser and Hoffman said in a joint statement: “We believe documentary on television still matters. The brilliant filmmakers and producers working on this series think it matters too—they don’t make their films to hide them away. Public broadcasters around the world are working together with major online partners on Why Poverty?, and it’s going to be a compelling combination for audiences—no question about that.”

Don Edkins, the executive producer for Steps International, added, “The Steps model proved its success with Why Democracy? in 2008—fantastic docs together with online to create big events around the big questions. It’s great to already have the support of the EBU and so many major broadcasters around the world, but we want more from all continents to join this global co-production for November 2012.”