1998

RIAS RADIO AND TV AWARDS 1998

Awards were given for radio and TV productions which made special contributions to the mutual understanding between the people of Germany and of the United States of America.


THE AWARD WINNERS

1st Radio Award
Ulrike Ebenbeck, Roderich Fabian

 

Second Hand America (BR Zündfunk)

This program is based on the unusual idea of asking young Germans — who have never been to the United States — what they think of America. The special appeal of the report lies in its mixture of spontaneity, imagination, reality and the usual stereotypes and clichés. It makes the audience curious to visit the United States and see the country for themselves.


2nd Radio Award
Bernd Hefter

 

Arbeit für alle — der neue amerikanische Traum (Südwestfunk 1)

Bernd Hefter visits several employment agencies, including one on the internet and another for temporary positions, in order to explore the “job boom” in the United States. The author deals with the mul-tiple aspects of this complex issue in an informative, realistic manner that is particularly well-suited to radio.


3rd Radio Award
Jim Wallace

 

West Virginia’s Place in Europe (West Virginia Public Radio)

Jim Wallace informs the audience of West Virginia Public Radio about the motivation of the mostly German foreign investors in their region. The economic, political and personal relations of West Virginia and Germany are presented in a very understandable way.


1st TV Award
Claus Kleber, Tom Buhrow, Sabine Reifenberg

 

Pioneer Square (ARD-Studio Washington)

This feature shows how entrepreneurs in Seattle use original ideas to create new jobs. An internet bookstore and an ice cream business in Siberia are only two examples of new enterprises making fortunes for their investors.


1st TV Award
Klaus-Peter Siegloch, Elmar Theveßen, Michael Schmitz

 

Job-Maschine USA (ZDF Washington)

The three Washington ZDF correspondents compare and contrast the different marketplace attitudes in the United States and Germany. They cite better service and more communication as American approaches that would serve Germany’s managers well.


2nd TV Award
Katrin Altmeyer

 

Ein bißchen Heimweh gehört dazu (Deutsche Welle-tv)

The story of two exchange students — an American girl and a German boy. Once they overcame their initial difficulties, which included bewilderment both gained a lot from the experience.