Update October 1999: Romania
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Update October 1999: Romania |
Particularly interesting actions / initiatives were the Summer School: "The Public Administration Reform and the integration into the EU" and "Visions For The Future", the Fourth National Cable Communication Convention.
1. Summer School: "The Public Administration Reform and the integration into the EU"
Local name Scoala de vara: Reforma
Administratiei Publice si Uniunea Europeana
Start date: 25.07.1999
End date: 01.08.1999
Development effort scope: National
Place: Mangalia
No. of participants: 25
There was present a solid core of the target audience, namely, mayors and senior local government officers. Despite the language difference, communication was well achieved, largely because of the excellent simultaneous translation provide by the course organizer.
"The apprehensions about whether there was sufficient common ground between the two countries (Romania and the United Kingdom) to make the course meaningful were set to rest: There were shared many of the same problems and perceptions". (Opinion expressed by Mr. B W Thompson, one of the two lecturers of the event).
The subject of the seminar was well chosen for its importance and current relevance to the situation of local government in Romania, the role of Information Society for internal communication and data dissemination (the Local Area Network, the Internet and WWW). The overall judgement (according to the participants’ opinions from the "Evaluation Form" received at the end of the course) was of a successful enterprise which could usefully be repeated.
2. "Visions for the Future", the 4th National Cable Communication Convention
Local name: "VISIONS FOR THE
FUTURE", A IV-a Conventie Nationala de
Comunicatii prin Cablu
Start date: 08.09.1999
End date: 10.09.1999
Development effort scope: Mainly national, both trans-regional
and European regarding problems referring to the harmonization of
the Romanian legislation with the European one, and the CATV best
practices in CEEC.
In September 8-10, at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Sinaia, the 4th National Cable Communication Convention "Visions for the Future" took place with 200 participants.
The event was organized by APRCC for the fourth year consecutively and joined together the CATV operators within the association, representatives of the State institutions related to the CATV operators (ANCI - National Agency for Communications and Informatics, CNA - AudioVisual National Council, ORDA - Romanian Organization for Copyrights) members of the legislative body, members of European bodies and organizations (APEC, EMA) as well as main programme producers in the world (National Geographic Channel, Eurosport, BBC Prime, TV5, Columbia Pictures, The Discovery Channel, Turner Broadcasting, Fox Kids, etc).
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The problems approached were complex covering general matters of CATV operator industry in the Romanian society, the future of this industry in the following millenium, the role of APRCC on the cable market, European harmonization of media legislation as well as the importance of CATV networks as communication alternative networks. These things were also emphasized in opening speech of Mr. Mircea Suciu, president of APRCC: |
After 1990 Romania has chosen the solution of developing through market mechanisms. The change of the economy type is performed with people, therefore in apolitical context and, by this, in a regulatory-judicial way. The legal frame is not only a matter of systematic, well-balanced and coherent construction, but it is to a great extent a problem of institutional practice, but also of public morals.
Among the private initiatives the most spectacular in point of dynamics and consequences on changing the quality so many Romanians' life, the one that joins together is not only exemplary in an autochthonous context but also well-known in a European context.
The history of forming and, we hope, of consolidating the cable industry in Romania may be a very interesting case study representative for the evolution of the private sector and for the manner in which it has complied with the consumption, service needs, on the one hand, and with an integration in the Romanian and European media, communication and entertainment industry, on the other hand. The industry of media, communication and entertainment services, to which the CATV distribution belongs has its reason and the main efficiency criterion in the consumption value of its demand. Let us imagine that the cable operators would stop their activity for one night. Only then should we realize how necessary CATV is for each of us.
Seen from outside the Romanian cable industry appears as a praiseworthy, exceptional achievement. Its successes are qualified in repeated international recognitions. The cable distribution is a premise for other services and developments of the media industry. From the inside we are obliged to see the "empty side of the glass", also as a result of a plurality of factors: a critical economic situation generating irritated pressures from the subscribers, increasing and overwhelming taxation policy, overregulatory development, attacks in the press.
The respect regarding the subscriber supposes a permanent launching position, an increasing attention paid to any critical remarks or deficiencies, even if these ones will prove to be exaggerated or malicious.
We invite you to take advantage of out annual reunion for finding solutions in the dialogue with all the institutional factors, to consolidate competencies and argumentations publicly accreditable, to outline our future strategy and not lastly, to make of this meeting a celebration of the Romanian cable communication industry.
Session 1 "Cable Industry in an Infoprenorial Society"
Where the main problems of the cable industry in the Romanian society were presented and discussed: "Cable Industry in an Infoprenorial Society" - aspects related to CATV operators, consumer and association protection, easy adaptation to future modifications were touched upon.
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Mr. Marcel de Sutter spoke for APEC dwelling upon general problems and their reflection at a local level, authorization obtaining, and programme distribution, the role of the association at European level. The role of association in the spirit of communication, the importance as alternative networks as well as the importance of interconnecting CATV networks with those of national operators were emphasized. |
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The aspects related to the communication liberalization and convergence for various operators were presented by Prof. Sergiu Iliescu, president of the National Agency of Communications and Informatics in his speech "Liberalization and Convergence: key words for the Romanian Telecommunications at the third millennium eve". He underlined the importance of the cable communication development together with the GSM networks. Another important aspect was that of the convergence between informatics and communications. The educational aspect "of those above us" and "of those below us" respectively was dwelt upon, an important support being expected from the university milieu. |
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Through the light of the "The ESIS Project and the alternative communications networks", Professor Dan Dascalu, General Manager of the National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnologies (IMT-Bucuresti), manager of ESIS II - Romania project, presented the importance and the role of alternative networks in the future millenium, comparative data at the level of the European Union, Central and Eastern European countries, being also given. The importance of the ESIS project for the Information Society in Romania and the field of alternative networks serviced by CATV operators were also dwelt upon. |
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The penetration of CATV in the countries of the European Union as well as the convergence towards the new telephonic services, data transmission was approached by Mr. Marcel de Sutter for Mr. Richard Whoolam, General Manager of European Communications Network in the speech "It's 1 o'clock: Do you know where your target is?". |
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The media industry is the most dynamic industry in Romania, and CATV is the most dynamic within this industry. This aspect was pointed out by Mr. Calin Anastasiu, media research Director at IMAS. |
The debates at this session centered on several topics:
Session 2 "Beyond the Screen" aimed at presenting the television channels, and Session 3 "Enter the Broadband Millenium" constituted in a technological session where manufacturers of equipment specific to CATV took part in it. Within Session 4 "Profile" where Andrej Ostrovski, President of OSTVK participated as invited speaker: "First step in the age of cyberspace". He dwelt up the digital revolution (development of digital platforms); the future in CATV-telephony, VOD, Fast-INTERNET; Cable communication regulation.
Another invited speaker who took part in this session was Ibrahim Ajanovici (Tellabs): "Technology and services in the cyberspace age; focus on Central and Eastern Europe". He pointed out the technological aspect for passing to CATV communications, various regulations within the EEC countries.
Session 5 "Dialogue. Round Table focused on four panels", including:
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Session 6 "Priorities and European alignment in the Media Laws"
Within this session there were discussed the problems referring to the harmonisation of the Romanian legislation (Mrs. Mona Musca-member of the Committee for Culture, Arts and Mass Media) with the European one, the new law of the audiovisual (Mrs. Cristina Ciuca-CNA) and the copyrights, the representatives of ANCI (Dipl.Eng Ioana Slavescu, director for strategy and development in communications; Vice Chairperson-European Committee for Telecommunications Regulatory Affairs-right-last photo) and ORDA (Manager Rodica Pirvu-center-last photo) analysing the aspects related to the specific of the two institutions.
From the part of EMA ( EURO MEDIA ACTIVITIES) Mrs. Genevieve Toussaint (left) approached the problems of boundless television, liberalization of services, communications, tax reduction through competition as well as copyrights and programme and signal piracy, respectively.
The 4th National Cable Communication Convention "Visions for the Future" met through organization, participation, participants' fields of activity, the requirements of a high class event, an aspect also pointed out by the representative of EMA, Mrs. Genevieve Toussaint. In the Romanian spectrum of promotional events within the Information Society, this action fully accomplished its aim, being classified as excellent.
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