Domenico Affinito started working as a journalist in 1991. He's the travelling and war correspondent of Agr, the Rcs radio tv agency (the same group of Corriere della Sera). Since 2002 he was in Iraq four times and before, since 2000 to 2001, he was several times in Kosovo, Serbia and Macedonia. He worked also in Albania, Libya, Syria, Lebanon and Cuba from where he wrote several reportages published by Italian magazines and reviews. In 1999 he became a member of the Italian section of "Reporter sans frontières" and he was named Vice President in January 2003.

Gábor Bányai is producer for the Hungarian Laralla Productions since 2002. After completing his studies of philosophy as well as dramatics and literature in 1973, he worked for several Hungarian TV channels and production companies on a decision-making level. In addition to his engagement as a producer, Gábor Bányai lectures at Eötvös Lorand University, at the Budapest Media Institute and at the European Media Institute (holding the chair for Production, TV Programming and Communication). He is also active in the journalistic field.

Ross Biggam is General Director of ACT (Association of Commercial Television in Europe) in Brussels since April 2000. ACT represents 25 media companies active in 21 European countries and includes television broadcasters, multimedia groups and digital TV platform operators. After studying law in Exeter and Saarbrücken, Ross Biggam worked as Legal Advisor to the House of Lords EU Select Committee. He was subsequently Head of European Affairs for ITV, the leading television channel in the UK.

Oleksandr Bohutskyy is General Director of ICTV (International Commercial Television) since 2000. Before that he was General Director of the first private TV station in Ukraine from 1992-2000. Oleksandr Bohutskyy is Member of the TV Industry Committee of "Emmy Academy" and expert in Media Market.

Petr Dvorák is CEO of TV Nova, the leading Czech commercial television station. He studied Commercial Administration at the Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, (MBA). At the Technical University in Prague he majored in Technical Cybernetics. Following graduation he gained international experience in the media branch. Petr Dvorák is member of the board of managers of the PPF group, the biggest private financial enterprise in the Czech Republic, active mainly in insurance, finance and media.

Sigrid Eck is Editor of the trade magazine "w&v - werben&verkaufen" with the main focus on television broadcasting and program development. She is also responsible for the new branch "w&v innovations" since January 2005. After passing her state examination in German literature and history in 1994, Sigrid Eck worked for the Pay TV channel Premiere (former DF1) as well as for Entertainment Media Verlag in Munich. She is also active as a freelance journalist and writer for several magazines.

Piotr Fajks is Managing Director Acquisitions for the Polish TV channel Telewizja Polska since November 2004. Piotr Fajks studied film at the Jagiellonski University and in 1992 founded his own media agency TVP Advertising in Krakow. One year later he became director of POLSAT Advertising Office. Up to his present position he gained more than twelve years of experience, amongst others as Managing Director for PAI-MEDIA and as Director for TV POLSAT.

Mark Galenko studied artist-graphic at the K. Ushinsky University Odessa. He had over 50 international exhibitions, e.g. in Poland, Czech Republic, USA, France, Russia, Denmark, Italy, and is one of the internationally most renowned artists from the Ukraine. Mark Galenko is member of the National Guild of Artists of Ukraine and of the exhibition "Decorative Arts" in UNESCO.

Erwin Huber is Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery and Minister of State for Federal Interests and Administrative Reform. As of 1963, Erwin Huber worked for the Bavarian State Ministry of Finances and the Bavarian Financial Management, completing at the same time his studies of economics at the University of Munich and finishing with a diploma in finance. Since 1978 he is member of the Bavarian Parliament, from 1987 to 1988 he was Vice Secretary General and from 1988-1994 Secretary General of the CSU (Christian-Social Union). Furthermore, Erwin Huber is Head of District of the CSU Lower Bavaria since 1993.

Patrick Jucaud is the founder and Managing Director of the DISCOP Organization, a company that has been facilitating TV business in the emerging television marketplaces of Central & Eastern Europe for the last 15 years. The DISCOP Organization also produces the annual Budapest-based DISCOP content market founded in 1991 and now attended by 150 major international content Sellers and 500 Buyers representing the television, mobile, DVD, theatrical distribution, licensing and broadband forces of Central & Eastern Europe.

Reinhard Klimmt was Chairman of the SPD federal executive's Media Commission from 1990 to 2001. In 1964, during his studies of History, Reinhard Klimmt becomes a member of the SPD (Social-Democratic Party of Germany) He was i.e. Head of the SPD in the Saarland parliament, Prime Minister in Saarland and Federal Minister of transport, building and housing. Reinhard Klimmt is consultant of the board of the Deutsche Bahn AG since 2002.

Jens Kollat is founder and CEO of Kollat Media Team GmbH, an international consultancy dedicated to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its clients' media investment. Before starting up his own business he worked from 1995-2003 as Media Manager with Procter & Gamble. Within this role, he led media affairs in several countries in Asia and Europe and worked until end 2003 in the 'Western European Leadership Team for Media & Communication' in the European Headquarters. During his career Jens Kollat gained extensive experience in negotiating media rates with TV stations, in developing new advertising formats and in establishing barter deals with media companies.

David Linn is Managing Director for TV and radio acquisition of Aegis Media GmbH & Co. KG in Wiesbaden since 1996 and took over additional responsibility for print in 2001. Finishing his studies of philosophy in Cambridge, UK he worked for Dorland Bates (now part of Zenith) in London until 1988 and then went to Aegis and there has been operating since in a variety of functions.

Rudolf Matter is Head of the business news department of the German news channel n-tv and Managing Director of TV Media, a company of the leading German news channel n-tv. n-tv is a joint-venture of RTL and CNN. As a production company, TV Media specializes in business content for television and internet. It produces the business programs for n-tv, e.g. "Teleboerse" and "Handelsblatt-Ticker". Before joining TV Media in 1997, Rudi launched "CASH-TV", the first national private tv program in Switzerland, and worked as a communication specialist for an international management consultancy. At the beginning of the Nineties, he developed several business programs for tv stations in Germany and Switzerland. He got his professional training as a journalist at the "Basler Zeitung" and the national Swiss Broadcasting Company SRG. Rudi Matter graduated from Zurich University with a Master (lic. phil. I) in history, philosophy and journalism, and completed the Stanford Executive Program (SEP).

Marianne Mikko is a member of the Estonian Faction in the European Parliament since 2004 and sits in the committee on culture and education. Awarded as Best Female Writer in Estonia (1995 and 2002), Marianne Mikko was substitute member in the executive branch of the European Federation of Journalists and Chair of the Estonian Journalists' Union. After finishing her studies of journalism at Tartu State University, she gained experiences as editor, presenter, freelance journalist and author not only in Europe but also in South Africa.

Vladimír Repčík works for the Slovak TV channel TV Markiza since 1995 and was appointed General Director in 2000. Prior to this, he was a producer, script editor and program director for the Slovak television (STV) in the area of entertainment and programming. During his years of studies, Vladimír Repčík concentrated on media-management, economy and philosophy, gaining experiences in the United States and Great Britain.

Jens Richter is Managing Director of the worldwide operating distribution arm of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, SevenOne International. He has more than fifteen years experience in the media industry. He was previously employed at Beta Film, Munich, where he was Managing Director in charge of the worldwide distribution of free/pay TV, home video and theatrical rights. Before that he worked as senior vice president at Prisma Sports & Media, London, where he markedly improved business performance in the sports sector with his innovative ideas. Richter has a degree in business administration.

Alexander Rodnyansky is CEO of CTC Media Inc., which operates two Russian national TV networks and 25 local TV stations since 2004. He started his career in 1983 as a documentary film director. From 1994 he produced feature films and since 1998 produces TV series. In total, he has received more than 30 international movie awards and was nominated for an Oscar in 1996 and 2000. Alexander Rodnyansky started and developed the TV company 1+1 in 1995, which now is the largest independent commercial TV channel in Ukraine. In 2002, he acceded to the position of the General Director of CTC Network. As recognized documentary and film producer, Alexander Rodnyansky is President of the Ukrainian TV Academy, Secretary of the Board of the Ukrainian Union of Moviemakers, Member of the Russian Academy of Movie Arts and of Russian TV Academy and Associated Member of the International Council of the National TV Academy (USA). Alexander Rodnyansky was awarded the Grand Prix of the Russian National Media Award in 2004.

Dr. Arnold Seul worked for several magazines and broadcasters as an author and editor before moving to MDR in 1996. Since 1999 he is in the Programme Management and takes care of issues regarding media's policy and programme strategy for digital television. He is also in the committee of the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM). The MDM supports films and multimedia projects with the objective to further develop the media place of Middle Germany and to increase the cooperation with Eastern European partners.

Ryszard Sibilski graduated from Warsaw School of Economics with a degree in Business Administration. In 1988 he joined ITI Poland where he launched Polish commercial home video and theatrical distribution and secured exclusive distribution rights for Poland from American major studios such as Warner Brothers, Universal, Paramount, MGM, Columbia. In the 1990's Ryszard Sibilski created and managed Poland's leading film distribution company, ITI Cinema. In addition, he co-produced and distributed several Polish theatrical films including highest grossing title of 1997 and the most successful Polish commercial release, "Kiler", the rights of which have been purchased by Disney for a Hollywood production. In 1998 he joined the management board of TVN, a newly emerged commercial TV station, currently in the leading position in the highly competitive Polish TV market. His responsibilities involved: programming acquisitions, production, airtime sales and finance. Responsible for Polish adaptations of numerous successful foreign TV formats: "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire", "Big Brother" and many others. In 2002 he left television to head the merger of ITI Film Studio and ITI Cinema.

Dr. Jaroslav Sonka is director of studies at the European Academy Berlin in the field of European Integration, Media and Post-Totalitarian Transformation Processes in Middle and South Eastern Europe. Furthermore, he is guest lecturer in the field of Mass Communication (focus: ethics, politics and media) at Karls-University in Prague. Since 1990 he works for the Deutsche Welle and for the BBC (Czech section) and is present with other contributions to the print media, radio and TV in Germany and Czechia. Jaroslav Sonka studied biology, philosophy as well as Czech literature and language in Hamburg and Prague.

Miodrag Soric is Chief Editor of DW-RADIO and since January 2000 Head of the Central and Eastern European Editorial Department "Deutsche Welle". He studied politics as well as German and Slavic studies in Munich with study visits to Cologne, Moscow and Kiev. After completing his degree in 1987, he worked as freelance journalist and presenter for "Deutsche Welle", WDR and several local papers in Munich and Düsseldorf. In 1991, Miodrag Soric was awarded the "Kurt-Magnus-Preis" by the ARD and is member of the board of "Reporter sans frontières".

Martin Stadelmaier was appointed Secretary of State and Head of the State Chancellery Rhineland-Palatinate in July 2003. Graduating in Spanish and History at the University of Cologne in 1985, he worked for the SPD Federal Board until 1991 and then became Expert Advisor to the Head of the State Chancellery, Rhineland-Palatinate. In 1994, Martin Stadelmaier became Permanent Deputy to the Representative of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate to the Federal Government of Germany and to Europe.

Wolfgang Vietze is Director of MDR since 2001 and feature film coordinator for ARD since 2004. After completing his studies of cultural sciences and aesthetics at the Humboldt University of Berlin in 1972, Wolfgang Vietze also worked as scientific assistant, chief editor and head of the editorial department for DFF, the state television of GDR. Since 1991 he worked for MDR, initially being responsible for program disposition and central programming coordination and became vice-director in 1996.

Dr. Christian Ziegler is tax partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers Russia, is a member of the Board of Tax Experts of the Austrian Chamber of Accountants and an Austrian delegate to the FEE Banks Working Party and Indirect Tax Working Party. Beginning his career in 1978 with Exinger Gmbh (Austrian branch of BDO), he became certified public accountant in 1982. In 1984 he founded TPA (Treuhand Partner Austria), an audit and consulting firm where he was a partner in charge of establishing and working with subsidiaries in Hungary and Czechoslovakia until 1996. Subsequently he worked for the Austrian Raiffeisenverband for one year. In 1998 Christian Ziegler joined the Austrian practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers providing tax and legal advisory services to multinational companies and being responsible for the financial sector for a period over six years.