Sonya Chakarova of Playbox Neo, Daniella Weigner of Cinegy and I formed the LinkedIn Group 'Support for Ukrainian Media Professionals' in response to the Invasion of Ukraine, and were subsequently joint recipients of the IBC 2022 Special Prize for the project.

 

Our LinkedIn group brought together over 400 individuals from more than 280 companies and organisations in broadcast and media via LinkedIn 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.

 

The Group is now asking its members to consider the requirements to rebuild Ukrainian Media infrastructure when the war ends.

 

Sonya, Daniella and I would like to say a special thank you to all the companies, organisations and individuals that have made the group the success that it has become, and that have helped us.

 

Working with IBC, we were given a very rare opportunity to give special recognition to the key companies, organisations and initiatives that we have worked with, and that we feel have contributed the most to the industry’s response in the Ukraine.

 

They are:

 

• PACT, for ‘Sunflower TV’; a Children’s Channel in Ukrainian on YouTube, put together by UK broadcasters and the production industry. The channel had 1.5m views in its first two weeks.

 

• Crew United for ‘Filmmakers for Ukraine,’ a platform to post profiles, showreels and films.

 

• Avid for their support of colleagues in Ukraine.

 

• VIZRT Group for providing NDI HX solutions, enabling Ukrainian journalists to turn the mobile phones and devices into production hubs.

 

• Subtitle Next for subtitling solutions.

 

• Caspian One for offering jobs opportunities to refugees, along with many others.

 

• TVU Networks for providing transceivers.

 

• Octopus Newsroom for News and Humanitarian assistance.

 

• Kyiv based Vision House for the Stand4UA Charity.

 

Here are some links to press coverage about the group:

 

• March 2022 IBC Interview

• TVB Article August 2022
• IBC Interview August 2022

 

The Group is open to members of the Film, TV and Media sectors. You can join the Group here...