Support for Ukrianian Media Professionals
IBC 2022 Special Prize – Joint Recipients: Sonya Chakarova, Daniella Weigner, and Phillip Covell
In response to the invasion of Ukraine, Sonya Chakarova, Daniella Weigner of Cinegy, and I co-founded the LinkedIn group Support for Ukrainian Media Professionals. For our work on this initiative, the three of us were honoured as joint recipients of the IBC 2022 Special Prize for Group's contribution to the industry’s response to the crisis.
Our LinkedIn group brought together over 400 individuals from more than 280 companies and organisations in broadcast and media to provide resources, solutions and hardware to Ukrainian TV channels and media outlets to ensure they could stay on air amid ongoing conflict. The group has also evacuated and supported refugees in finding media roles across Europe.
As the war continues, the group is now inviting our members to look ahead, and consider what will be required to rebuild Ukraine’s media infrastructure when peace returns.
Sonya, Daniella and I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the companies, organisations, and individuals who have supported us and helped make the group the success it has become.
In collaboration with IBC, we were honoured with the rare opportunity to formally recognise the key companies, organisations, and initiatives we’ve worked with, those we believe made the most significant contributions to the industry’s response to the war in Ukraine.
They are:
-
PACT: for launching Sunflower TV, a Ukrainian-language children’s channel on YouTube, created by UK broadcasters and the wider production community. The channel received 1.5 million views in its first two weeks.
-
Crew United: for the Filmmakers for Ukraine platform, enabling film professionals to showcase profiles, showreels, and films.
-
Avid: for their unwavering support of colleagues in Ukraine.
-
VIZRT Group: for providing NDI HX solutions, empowering Ukrainian journalists to use mobile phones and devices as production tools.
-
Subtitle Next: for offering subtitling solutions to broadcasters across Europe.
-
Caspian One: for their role offering job opportunities to refugees, along with many others.
-
TVU Networks: for providing transceivers.
-
Octopus Newsroom: for News and Humanitarian assistance.
-
Vision House: for the Kyiv based Stand4UA Charity.
Here is a link to some of the press coverage about the group:
Group Award Certificates:
The Group is open to members of the Film, TV and Media sectors. You can join the Group here...
