Media Innovation Fund

THE 2024 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS IS NOW CLOSED!

The call for applications for the 2024 cycle of EBU Media Innovation Fund is now closed.  

The next call of applications will open in March 2025.

The Media Innovation Fund, previously known as the Radio Innovation Fund, has been setup to encourage and support Members to explore innovation projects that would benefit their organizations and the community at large.

The Fund is under the supervision of the Radio Committee and Digital Committee and is being managed by a working group from within the EBU.

 

WINNING PROJECTS 2024 (RADIO)

 

BNR (Bulgaria): Shadow of the Balkans

This podcast series aims to fill the gap in fictional crime audio stories inspired by the rich folklore and legends of Bulgaria and the Balkans using AI narration. The project will be developed utilizing existing resources, including voice actors and sound engineers from EBU partners, demonstrating efficient and cost-effective collaboration.

 

ERT (Greece): Future Soundwaves - Teens Talk Today 

This project will feature a 15-episode podcast series of interviews with young adults, providing a platform for them to discuss issues that matter to them and bridging the generational gap. This will offer an opportunity for broader audiences to hear the voices of underrepresented young people in mainstream media. The promotion of the podcast will include popular social media platforms to engage with young adults and cultivate the next generation of radio audiences. 

 

ORF (Austria): Digital Traffic News on ORF Sounds

This project tests an additional function of the PSM application in cars which interrupts the user's program with trustworthy and human-voiced traffic reports. Using geo-information, this new application feature will provide relevant traffic information based on the user's current location. The aim of the project is to take traffic news that have been traditionally connected to live radio broadcasts and explore innovative ways to include them also in the connected dashboard environment. 

 

RTVSlo (Slovenia): The First Time – Friendship

The purpose of this project is to organize in-person expert-supported events for young audiences from diverse backgrounds. It addresses their healthy development within an increasingly digital society. The whole project is conceived as highly interactive, engaging the youth in the creative process of producing audio content that can be widely spread across various channels popular among young people to showcase the respectful ways of communication in digital world and for educational purposes. 

 

DW (Germany): What’s STRONG with you?

This podcast aims to address the issues faced by individuals with visible and invisible disabilities in Central and Eastern European countries, giving them a voice. In addition, the series will include interviews with professionals from various fields who will provide evidence-based information. Part of the project will also test the use of synthetic voices on YouTube in the target regions. The podcast will be accompanied by a vodcast on YouTube with the aim to reach broader audiences and break down prejudices.

WINNING PROJECTS 2024 (DIGITAL)

 

Suspilne (Ukraine): Brave Tales

This project creates new modern fairy tales in a multimedia format on the struggles of Ukrainians in the aftermath of the Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The aim is to take the existing audiovisual format and give its heroes new lives through animation and the use of innovative technologies such as AI.

 

NPO (Netherlands): Audio-to-Video generator for Podcast Marketing

This project develops a video generator to convert short audio clips from podcasts to visually interesting video shorts to give podcasters the tools to find their audiences in different (new) ways.

 

SWR (Germany): Open AI Chatbot Platform

This project develops a technological foundation for creating conversational products and services (AI-powered voice/chat apps) to empower editorial teams to offer their content in an interactive manner.

 

SVT (Sweden): Sami language model

This project aims to train a Sami language model using the available Sami language archives within the Nordic Public Service Media (PSM) companies.

Projects in development

We have numerous projects that are currently in development, if you'd like to get in touch with any of the project owners, please let us know.

 

VRT (Belgium), Yle (Finland) and DR (Denmark): EURoblox

For the first time since we launched the fund, 3 Members will collab from the start to build inter-connected worlds in Roblox

Watch Gregg Young (VRT) present the project during the 2022 Digital Media Day.

 

OMROEP ZWART: HQ in the Metaverse

One of our newest EBU Members are looking at building their HQ in the Metaverse.

Watch Akwasi Ansah (OMROEP ZWART) mention the project in his opening keynote speech during the 2022 Digital Media Day.

Completed Projects

To give applicants or prospective applicants an idea of what the fund is about, we’re really happy to share some summaries of previously funded projects that have now been completed. These are not all the projects that have been completed, but the most recent ones (from 2019).

AMPTV (Armenia): Alter Ego

This project created AI avatars and AI tools to integrate artificial intelligence into a TV show to help audiences understand the impact of modern technology, especially AI. Watch the pilot episode of the show here. 

 

RTVSlo (Slovenia): Use of AI in creating news for different platforms

This project aims to integrate artificial intelligence tools into news production and adapt them into various platforms with the goal of having AI prepare concise news content for different platforms with a journalist overseeing the accuracy of the news content. Read more about the project in their detailed report

 

DR (Denmark): Reviving an Icon: Grundtvig AI

This project brought back a notable Danish historical figure to life as a realistic digital version via AI offering audiences a different way of engaging and interacting with him. Watch the creators Kåre Vedding Poulsen and Lars Bastholm speak about the project and share the lessons learned from it during the 2024 Big Digital Meet-Up.

 

BR (Germany) : NOIR AI

This project will use AI to develop a radio crime drama. AI will be integrated at each step of the creation process, from production to story development, by way of recording and post-production. The objective of this project is to understand where the current AI applications can be helpful and where they make the work harder. The final podcast will help understand how AI can support the radio production landscape in the future.
Have a look at the project's report to learn more.

 

SR (Sweden) and FTV (France): Public Service Algorithm (PSA)

As part of “A European Perspective”, this project aims to create a Public Service algorithm that provides reassurances to audiences that selected PSM news content meets industry standards for credible, trustworthy, and verified information. The project will strengthen the ability of PSM to deliver high-quality, trusted news and information to European citizens searching for credible content. From January to June 2024, the EBU Media Innovation Fund supported the research to create the algorithm incorporating the key public service values the EBU's membership agreed upon in 2012. The findings of this research, a partnership between Swedish Radio and France Télévisions, is available to all EBU members in this report. 

 

BR (Germany): Drive by Bavaria

BR have worked to populate its Radio app with rich Bavarian history from its archives, so that users will have audio content for specific regions as soon as they are getting close to them (geolocalization), especially when approaching signs along the motorway indicating places of interest. The project aims at evaluating the acceptance of location-based content and providing EBU Members with a proof of concept regarding the location-based distribution of content. The team have also secured that “Drive by Bavaria” will be accessible in several in-car-entertainment stores. You can read their final project report and contact the team for more.

Watch Florian Thoma & Martin Zöller (BR) speak about the project and the developments they've made during the 2021 Digital Media x New Radio Days.

 

BR (Germany): Munchen '72 Social VR (2022)

"Munich 72" is an immersive experience in Social VR, which provides a documentary insight into the 1972 Olympic Games and the tragedy of the Munich massacre. With this project, BR want to open up the worlds of Social VR for public service content: technically, curatorial and journalistically. The project has also won two won two awards at Raindance Immersive 2022 for  "Best Debut" and "Best Immersive Experience for Social Impact".

Read more about the project on their one-pager and watch Matthias Leitner, Eva Deinert, and Annick Buhr (BR) speak about the project and the developments they've made during the 2022 Digital Media Day.

 

NRK (Norway): Audience Interaction on Radio Apps (2022)

How can the traditional “calls from the audience” be brought into the digital era? How can audience interaction be used to enhance the advantages of live radio, and at the same time add value to audiences in an on-demand or podcast setting? How can the feeling of togetherness be achieved without having to moderate free-form comments on a large scale? These are the questions that the NRK Audience team is working to answer through their project. Interactive features integrated into the NRK Radio app/website will include ways in which the listeners can interact with the studio, with each other and with the content, both in a live setting and for on-demand audio.

Read more about the project on their detailed report and watch Marrit Rossnes, Project Owner (NRK), talking about the project and recent developments at the 2021 Digital Media x New Radio Days.

 

VPRO (Netherlands): Archive for the Future (2022)

A rich and large archive of audiovisual content for one of VPRO’s oldest documentary series. VPRO plans to work closely with the National Archive for Sound and Vision and other partners to apply the latest artificial intelligence (AI). interventions to create innovative archival applications and connections. You can read more about their project in a one-page document that they have prepared. 

Watch Bregtje van der Haak (VPRO) speak about the project and the developments they've made during the 2021 Digital Media x New Radio Days.

 

NRK (Norway): Design Tools (2022)

NRK’s new design profile, implemented in code, and utilized in tools for designers, developers and content producers. They’re in the process of implementing the design as code and this project will function as a pilot and proof of concept. You can read more about their project in a one-page document that they have prepared. Final report coming soon.

 

ORF (Austria): Musikprotokoll Dynamic Streaming (2022)

In 2021, the musikprotokoll offered dynamic streaming of its concerts. Listeners’ head movements are tracked in real time, altering the spatial reproduction of what is heard – the result is an astonishingly realistic acoustic experience.

Watch Frank Zimmer speak about the project during the 2021 Digital Media x New Radio Days. You can also read a detailed report on their approach and learnings as well as visit a dedicated website for EBU Members.

 

BBC (United Kingdom): Adaptive Podcasting (2022)

The BBC R&D team has built an app that uses object-based audio to create a better podcasting experience for the listener. They've created a simple editor and made some source code available for EBU Members. 

Watch Ian Forrester, BBC R&D Project Owner, talk about the work during the 2021 Digital Media x New Radio Day and take a look at the special session on adaptive podcasting that took place in April 2022.
 

VRT (Belgium): Synthetic Voices (2022)

The team at VRT is working to create an environment to experiment with all aspects of storytelling with a voice service. This will include — but is not limited to — the creation of a convincing, recognizable voice, setting a tone of voice, adjusting timbre and using dialects. 

You can read the full detailed report and the process overview that the team at VRT put together.

 

RTS (Serbia): Synthi 100 (2018; completed in 2022)

The team at RTS (Serbia) has been working on collecting, digitizing, and curating 100 sounds from the mighty EMS Synthi 100 (a large analog/digital hybrid synthesizer made by Electronic Music Studios Ltd). These sounds are available to EBU Members to use, experiment, and play around with. You can explore the database and all the sounds on the Synthi Radio website; you can use your EBU log-ins to download the files!

 

BR (Germany): Smart Radio, Smart Conversations (2019)

• Creating better, more emotional conversations with radio hosts over the smart audio device
• Hybrid of broadcast radio and conversational smart audio connectivity
• Embraced the complementary strength of simulcast radio and new features that can be used on smart speakers
• Open-source code available for EBU Members

Check out the report.

 

NPO (Netherlands): Radio 1 To-Go Pilot (2019)

• NPO radio stations produce a large amount of on-demand content, but it is difficult for users to find the content they want
• Personalizing what the user’s favorite topics are then filtering the choices into a customized playlist from NPO Radio 1 programmes

Check out the report.

 

Radio France (France): La Récré à Sons (2018; completed in 2022)

An audio skill for smart speakers, designed for kids (from 4 years old) and their family, in a secure environment. It is a new way to discover and browse a consistent catalog of contents, in all audio genres: bed time stories, music, education, information, gathered around 3 main themes:

• Listening Stories
• Learning Things
• Listening Music

There are 350 episodes available, from famous radio shows but also original podcasts produced by the channels of Radio France. You can check out the report for more information.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

We've put together some of the questions we get asked regularly to help our Members better understand what we're after.

Q: Who can apply? I work for an organization that is considered an “Associate Member” or “Approved Participant”. Can I still apply?

A: The Media Innovation Fund is currently set up for Members (aka Active Members) only. Should this change we'll make sure to inform you.

Q: What exactly do you mean by “Media Innovation” or “Innovation Projects”?

A: We’re after a project that works towards improving, reinventing, or creating solutions to be used in an app, widget, plug-in, website, prototype or formats that will not only benefit your organization but the EBU community at large. A project can be experimental as long as it is measurable, has well-defined goals, and a structured timeline.

Q: What do you mean by impact and shareability?

A: Impact is our biggest driver for expanding the Media Innovation Fund. Our main goal is to find projects that can benefit other Members more practically. This means being able to share knowledge beyond a presentation or report such as open source solutions, detailed how-to manuals, or clear and replicable processes.

You can find additional questions and answers here.