Panel guests 2006 in Munich

Züli Aladag is Director and Producer. His studies of theater sciences were only short: he preferred to exercise. Six months of traineeship at Roland Emmerich's "Moon 44" were the beginning to a large tourney with different jobs in short movies, commercials, movies and documentaries. From 1993 to 1996 he produced documentaries at Erasmus Film in Munich, before returning to studies of direction at the University of Fine Arts in Media at Cologne. During his studies he shot several award-winning short movies ("Zoran", "Bevor der Tag anbricht", "Hör Dein Leben" and "Ausbruch"). After leaving university, Aladag founded the initiative "junges europäisches kino" (jek - young European cinema) and produced an edition of five short movies. 2002 Züli Aladag had his debut in cinema with the drama "Elefantenherz" which won several prices and shot the two Tatort-Thrillers "Mutterliebe" and "Erfroren". After directing for RBB/ARTE the documentary "Die Türken kommen" (Turks are coming) about the EU-entry of Turkey, he took over the direction of the WDR-TV-movie "Wut" (rage). Together with his wife Feo, he founded 2006 the production company "Independent Artists", which will produce Feo Aladag's cinema debut "Die Fremde" as well as Züli Aladag's next cinema movie "Die Rückkehr".

Erkan Arikan is Head of the Turkish editorial department of the WDR broadcasting center Europe. He studied Law at the free university (FU) in Berlin and worked along the way as editor and moderator at the radio station Kiss FM. Later on he worked as free-lance program analyst for he media authority Berlin-Brandenburg (MABB). In March 1999 he became editor in charge at the satirical magazine "Nachschlag", started a traineeship at n-tv and was promoted in 2001 editor in the news department and moderator. Since September 2003 he is head of the Turkish editorial department of the WDR broadcasting center Europe. In the same year he passed his studies of communication, social and political sciences at the journalist course of lectures of FU Berlin. Erkan Arikan moved from Turkey to Berlin when he was one year old and is still living his two cultures.

Finn Batato is Managing Director of the airtime sales house ARBOmedia Deutschland. After an apprenticeship as advertising manager and studies at the Bavarian Academy of Advertising, he started his career as sales manager and later sales director at United Screens, before moving to Smart TV Networks. In 2005 he joined ARBOmedia Deutschland as a key account manager and was promoted managing director after seven months.

Prof. Dr. Kurt Biedenkopf was Minister-President of the Free State of Saxony, Germany from 1990 to 2002. Since 2003 he is Trustee of the School of Governance in Berlin and also practicing law in Dresden since 2004. After his studies of Liberal Arts, Economics and Law in the USA and Germany he worked in the 1960s at the University of Bochum, first as full professor, then three years as dean of the Law faculty and three years as president of the university. From 1971 to 1973 he was member of the executive board of Henkel KGaA, Düsseldorf. In 1973 he became deputy chairman of the German political party CDU, was since 1983 member of the board of the CDU, from 1980 to 1988 member of the State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia and from 1987 to 1990 member of the Bundestag. He was granted honors as Doctor honoris causa from Davidson College, Davidson N.C., Georgetown University, Washington D.C., New School for Social Research, New York City and from the Catholic University of Brussels, Belgium.

András Enyedi is CEO of IKO Kábeltévé Ltd., a company operating cable television channels in Europe. One of these channels is Sportklub in Hungary.
He graduated in Engineering and got a degree in Economics.
He started his career in 1997 at the logistic company of Mc Donald's Hungary and became in 2002 operational director of IKO Production Ltd., the biggest producer of television programs in Hungary. He holds his current position since this year and follows at the same time MBA-studies at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

Piotr Fajks is CEO of Polskie Media S.A and thus of the channel TV4. 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 Sales Office. Up to his present position he gained more than 14 years of experience, amongst others as Managing Director for PAI-MEDIA, as Director for TV POLSAT and as Managing Director Acquisitions for the Polish TV channel Telewizja Polska.

Eduart Frangaj is Editor in Chief of TV Klan Albania. After his studies at the journalism department of the university of Tirana, he followed several trainings in Israel, Egypt, Bulgaria, Southern Korea and Greece on media and its role in the society. He started his career as journalist at Radio Klan before moving to the information department at TV Klan. In the next five years, he held several positions at TV Klan and Alsat TV before becoming Editor in Chief of TV Klan in 2005. Eduart Frangaj was awarded "Ambassador of Peace" from the International Peace Federation.

Tamás Frei hosts his own one-hour infotainment program, the Frei-Dossier which airs monthly at a primetime slot on the Hungarian channel TV2. This program takes a fresh look at current global issues.
Tamás Frei is a two-time Hungarian Pulitzer Prize winner and one of Hungary's most famous and respected television reporters. Tamas Frei began his career as a traveling correspondent, visiting more than 100 countries. He later became Hungary's leading war correspondent covering the Somalian and the Bosnian war situations. His claim to fame was his breaking and risky report on the Ebola virus in Zaire and his appetite for news was not even spoiled after being kidnapped in Columbia. Tamas Frei's interview credits with world leaders include Israel's ex-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, computer mogul Bill Gates, former Russian President Gorbachov, Nobel Peace Prizewinner Nelson Mandela but also entertainment stars such as Tom Hanks and Sharon Stone.

Prof. Dr. Alexander Freys is Lawyer and Notary in the Berlin office of SCHWARZ KELWING WICKE WESTPFAHL. He studied Law in Munich and Freiburg and worked afterwards at the department of intellectual property rights and media law in Munich. 1989 he got his admission to advocacy and is notary since 1996. From 1995 to 1998 he was member of the broadcasting council of the Sender Freies Berlin (public regional television). Since 2003 Prof. Freys is Chairman of the supervisory board of "A Company Consulting & Licensing AG", Berlin. He lectures press law at the Leipzig University.

Baha Güngör is head of the Turkish program of DW-Radio. He was born in 1950 and moved to Germany in 1961. After a traineeship at Kölnische Rundschau he became editor at the news agency Reuters in Bonn and at the General-Anzeiger Bonn. 1984 he started reporting for WAZ from Turkey and Greece, 1991 for dpa from Ankara. Since 1999, Güngör is head of the Turkish editorial office of the Deutsche Welle Radio. He was awarded the media prize of the German-Turkish Friendship-Federation for 30 years as a Turkish journalist at German media and his aesthesia for both sides. The author of the book "The Germans' fear of the Turks and their entry to the EU" (Munich 2004) has the German nationality since 1978.

Erwin Huber is State Minister for Economy, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology in Bavaria since 2005. 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). From 1995 to 1998 he was State Minister of Finance in Bavaria and was promoted in 1998 Head of District of the Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, and additionally in 2002 Minister of State for Federal Interests and Administrative Reform, before becoming in 2005 State Minister of Economy.

Dr. Anne Jakob is General Manager of the German Leichtathletik-Promotion- und Projekt GmbH and Lawyer of the German Athletics Association. After a formation as editor at the Märkische Oderzeitung, she studied Law in Bielefeld, Strasbourg and Heidelberg and followed masters studies at the Cardiff University. Already during her studies she worked as an assistant at the European Parliament, spokesperson at the SPD Saar and editor at RTL in Cologne.
After he studies she worked as a lawyer at Jones Day in Frankfurt, before mowing to her current position in summer 2005 after her Ph. D..

Karin Junker is free-lance Journalist with a main focus on European cultural and media politics and Head of the programming department of the WDR-broadcasting council. After her formation as newspaper editor she worked as a free-lance journalist and publisher before becoming scientific officer and executive assistant at a majors office in the Ruhr. From 1989 to 1990 she was member of the European parliament as spokesperson in media politics of the social democratic faction. Since 1980 Karin Junker is member of the bodies of the WDR-broadcasting council, from 1986 to 1992 as vice-chairwoman of the programming council, since then as chairwoman. From 1992 to 1995 she was member of the programming advisory council of ARTE G.E.I.E., then deputy member until 2003 and from 2003 on again member. She is member of SPD-media commission as well as of the one-world-forum of the SPD party executive.

Ferdinand Kayser is President and CEO of SES ASTRA and member of the Executive Committee of SES GLOBAL. He started his career after a master of Economics at the University of Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne as Senior Vice President at the Luxembourg media group CLT Multi Media. He was promoted Executive Vice President, responsible for all TV activities, especially RTL. From the newly merged CLT-UFA he moved to Premiere Medien GmbH & Co. KG as managing Director and became soon Managing Director at Kirch Pay Co Holding and Premiere Medien GmbH & Co. KG.

László Kasza is Chief-Consultant of the MTV-President. After studying Economics at the LMU in Munich he began his career at Radio Freies Europa, where he climbed in 30 years from trainee to the position of deputy editor-in-chief and deputy director. In 1993 he returned to Hungary as political editor-in-chief of the public station MTV. In 1996 he began to work as an independent consultant and became in 2000 "Stabilitätspakt" consultant before taking the position of chief-consultant of the MTV-president in 2004. László Kasza published his collected interviews with the title: Metamorphosis Hungariae 1989-1994 and was awarded "Imre Nagy medal".

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.

Zsolt Melczer is Sports TV editor, anchorman and reporter at Duna Television in Hungary. He holds a degree in English teaching and a master degree in communication from the Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Piliscsaba.

Marko Milosavljevic is Media Scientist and Professor at the Department of Journalism at Faculty of Social Sciences at University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, where he studied journalism and received his Ph.D. in communication sciences in 2002. He has worked at the department of journalism since 1996. Based on his research in media and journalism in Slovenia and post-socialist countries, he published several books and articles on media policy, media landscapes and public and private broadcasting.
Marko Milosavljevic is chairman of Expert commission for radio and television programs at the Slovenian Ministry of Culture.
He initiated and edited the Slovenian magazine for media and journalism "Media Watch" from 1998 to 2000 and is still member of its editorial board. He is regularly contributing and writing comments and analysis on media and journalism issues for leading Slovenian newspapers, as well as Vienna daily "Der Standard" and New York magazine "Paper".

Thomas Müller-Schwemer is General Manager of Sport Business Partner, one of the consulting companies for the commercial use of sponsoring engagements in Germany. Before he was managing shareholder of Marketing Corporation, head of b-to-b-marketing at VIAG Intercom, and consultant at Gemini Consulting as well as at Gruber, Titze and Partner. He studied in Mannheim, Würzburg and the USA and holds a degree in Economics and a Master of Science.

Dr. Zoltán Rudi is President of MTV Hungarian Television. Dr. Rudi graduated from the Legal Faculty of the Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest in 1987. In 2004 he earned a postgraduate degree from the Budapest University of Economics and Public Administration as lobby expert. He started his media career at the public service radio station Magyar Rádió in 1987 as anchor-editor-reporter. From 1989 he had the same responsibilities at the public service TV station Magyar Televízió. Between 1994 and 1997 he was first Deputy Head, then Head of Programs on Internal Affairs. In 1997 he was appointed Editor-in-chief of the daily news program "Híradó". Between 1989 and 1999 he acted as advisor to the President of MTV. Between 2000 and 2002 Dr. Rudi managed the educational projects of the commercial TV station TV2 where he was also in charge of the morning program "Jó reggelt Magyarország!" ("Good Morning Hungary"). He rejoined MTV in 2002 as Director of Current Affairs Programs and later Programming Director. The Board of Trustees of the Hungarian Television Public Foundation elected him President of MTV in March 2004.

Murat Saygi is Chief of Broadcasting & Programming at Dogan TV & Radyo Yayincilik A.S.. After his studies at the Mechanical Engineering Faculty of University of Bogazici in Istanbul he started his career as Assistant Manager at Tofas A.S., before moving to Iktisat Finansal Kiralama A.S. as Assistant General Manager. In 1993 je joined Aloshow Iletisim San. & Tic. A.S. Aks Radyo A.S. (Show Radyo) as General Manager and became later General Manager at Aks TV Habercilik & Yayincilik A.S. (Show TV). In 2001 he became General Manager at DTV Görsel Habercilik & Yayincilik A.S.(Kanal D) and started his current position in 2006.

Ralph Siebenaler is COO of REN TV, where he oversees the programming, production, sales and marketing, and revenue diversification activities.
He started his career in the strategy and business development division of RTL Group in 2001 where he was responsible for overseeing RTL Group's television operations in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Hungary and Croatia. Ralph Siebenaler also coordinated knowledge and experience exchanges within RTL Group, facilitating and encouraging cross-border cooperation in the domains of programming and research between all RTL Group channels. He played a key role in defining and implementing RTL Group's expansion into Central and Eastern Europe including the launch of RTL Televizija in Croatia in 2004 and the entry into the Russian market in 2005. He has been a COO of REN TV since October 2005.
Ralph Siebenaler holds a Master of Science in Management from Ecole de Commerce Solvay (Solvay Business School) in Brussels and the National University of Singapore.

Ondrej Zach is Executive Director and Country Manager for HBO in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He has more than 10 years of experience in various areas of the television business, as well as in home video and theatrical distribution. Ondrej Zach gained his acquisitions experience at TV NOVA, the main commercial channel in the Czech Republic, whilst he obtained an overall knowledge of the Czech theatrical, home video and television market as Senior Vice President, Program Director and Managing Director of AQS a.s. He played a key role in setting up of this company, which focused on services in the field of audiovisual media, and he co-managed it for almost 7 years.
He studied Information science and later he earned a degree in Film Theory and History at Charles University in Prague.

Werner Zimmer is Sport Journalist and former Head of the Tour-de-France-team of ARD/ZDF. He studied History, Theology and Sport in Saarbrücken and worked at the same time as a free-lancer for Saarländischer Rundfunk. Since 1963 Werner Zimmer is linked to the Tour de France - as reporter, editor, anchor or commentator. Almost 30 years Werner Zimmer was visiting the Olympic Games and a lot of World- and European Championships as reporter and anchor for ARD's TV and radio. He is well known in Germany for his anchor-position at the Sportschau from 1966 to 1993.
He left broadcasting in 2001 but his engagement for sport still offers him many seats in boards as the position of Vice-president of the German Athletics Federation. Werner Zimmer is president of the Press Clubs Saar and official ambassador of the Saarland.