27th Adult education radio prize in the name of media diversity

‘Lifelong learning is simply necessary in order to be equipped to face the challenges of everyday life.’ With these words, Ö1 programme director Silvia Lahner welcomed the numerous interested parties, nominees and participants at the award ceremony of the 27th Radio Prize for Adult Education on Thursday, 23 January at the ORF Radiokulturhaus.

KEBÖ Chairman Bernd Wachter opened the evening on behalf of the Austrian Adult Education Conference (KEBÖ) and emphasised the interplay between media and adult education. In this context, he warned urgently against the weakening of democratic institutions. Anneliese Rohrer gave the award speech and addressed the alarming developments surrounding the basic skills of Austrians. She called for action and pleaded for ‘support and encouragement’.

The jury, consisting of journalists, adult educators and a media scientist, selected the productions with the greatest adult education value from the 20 nominees. The award winners were announced at a ceremony.

135 productions from 21 Austrian radio stations were submitted. John Evers, spokesman for the jury, was impressed by the variety and quality of the submissions: ‘This impressive number of programmes and radio stations reflects the vibrancy and diversity of our radio landscape. It shows how controversial topics are taken up, edited to a high standard and visualised from a wide variety of perspectives. Every single entry was a testament to the passion and creativity that can be found in Austrian radio culture.’

There was a tie in the culture category, meaning that two programmes were honoured: The ‘Diagonal’ contribution ‘50 Years of “Anadolu Pop”’, created by Roman Tschiedl and the ‘Radiokolleg’ contribution ‘Symphony of Algorithms - Between Fake and Fugue. How artificial intelligence creates music and shapes realities’, created by Sarah Kriesche, both Ö1, were awarded prizes.

Vincent Leb and Johanna Hirzberger won with ‘We can't help you there either. Stateless people in Austria’ from the programme series “Hörfeld” by Radio Radieschen, the educational station of FH Wien der WKW, in the documentation and information category.

In the Conversations and Debates category, the programme ‘Jung betroffen von Demenz’, created by Karin Schuster from the series ‘Pflegestützpunkt. How we care and want to care’ by Radio Helsinki - Verein Freies Radio Steiermark.

The Eduard Ploier Prize* (Education/Science category) went to ‘4000 Years of Defeats - The Entire Austrian History on FM4’, organised by Roland Gratzer in the ‘FM4 Morning Show’.

The prize in the series and thematic focus category went to ‘Journal Panorama’, created by Monika Feldner-Zimmermann, Astrid Plank and Elisa Vass and broadcast on Ö1.

The prize is sponsored by ten associations of the Austrian Conference of Adult Education (KEBÖ) - the Austrian Working Group of Educational Centres, the Austrian Vocational Training Institute, the Austrian Library Association, the Forum of Catholic Adult Education in Austria, the Austrian Rural Training Institute, the Ring of Austrian Educational Institutes, the Austrian Economic Society, the Association of Austrian Trade Union Education, the Association of Austrian Adult Education Centres and the Economic Development Institute of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.

*Austrian adult educator Eduard Ploier, who died in 1998, was director of the Schloss Puchberg education centre and a member of the ORF listeners‘ and viewers’ representative body and board of trustees from 1974 to 1998.

Text: ots.at