DW’s talk show for Arab youth, Shababtalk, recently produced a segment in the Iraqi city of Mosul together with local leaders, NGOs and 250 Iraqi students. Mosul was liberated from the so-called Islamic State (IS) in June 2017, and a lot of the city is still in ruins.

The host of Shababtalk, Jaafar Abdul Karim, said that the scene in Mosul’s destroyed old town was very shocking – even after his extensive experience in different crisis regions. The discussion centered on the challenges of rebuilding the city, dealing with the influx of refugees and the rights of minority people in the region. DW worked with local Iraqi production partner Alrasheed TV on the special episode.

Even during the conflict, DW provided a sense of connection to the outside world. One participant in the discussion said that Shababtalk was his “window to the world” during the IS occupation of the city.

The series has made an impact in recent years with young audiences from around the Arab world. The visit to a city like Mosul so directly affected by conflict is a big step for Shababtalk and is an indicator of how important free media and international broadcasting is to regions trying to develop positively for the future.

Even with all the possibilities for communication that exist today, there is still no substitution for real, human contact. That’s why, Shababtalk, the talk show for millennials on DW (Arabia) started its Arab World Tour.

“The show has become a voice for young Arabs,” says Shababtalk host Jaafar Abdul-Karim. “That’s why we want to get closer to our audience and topics. A tour like this is the first of its kind in Arab TV programming.”

This past week, Shababtalk was broadcast from Rabat, Morocco, produced in cooperation with the television stations Al Oula and Al Maghriba. This was the third stop on the tour, after successful shows in Baghdad, Iraq and Tunis, Tunisia.

Under the Moroccan stars

In Rabat, Abdul-Karim invited guests to a different kind of television studio, set up in front of the gates to the city. This current show revolved around how the younger generation can influence political decisions in Morocco – something that strikes a chord with nearly everyone. The participants couldn’t come to a consensus either, with political representatives stating that everyone has a voice, to a podcast producer saying that the political elite “don’t even speak our language”.

This is a reaction that is typical for the show, which tries to shed light on different opinions. The editorial team behind the program addresses bold topics and social issues that are generally considered sensitive or a taboo in Arabic-speaking countries. Whereas young audiences perceive this as a welcome sign of openness, the show has repeatedly stirred the anger of conservative forces and government officials in the region.

The Arab World Tour is just a further element of DW’s Local Heroes campaign. The next stop will be Cairo on October 24.

Two DW productions won three prizes at the 16^th international Eyes and Ears Awards last week in Munich.

DW’s musical documentary, The Highest Level, which takes audiences behind the scenes at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, won two awards: A first prize in the category, “Creation, innovation and effectiveness” and a third prize in the “Best program related audio design” category.  The promotion for Germany by scooter won second prize in the category “On-air program campaign: information.”

A total of 127 prizes in 46 categories were awarded for outstanding design, promotion and marketing of audiovisual media at the conference, which was held as a part of Mediatage München, one of Europe’s largest media conferences.

Representatives from DW are currently at MIPCOM 2014 to present special DW programming highlights to potential partners from around the global entertainment industry. At the top of the list this year are two new documentary formats from DW Transtel.

For everyone who has an international taste for cuisine, Tasty Tales is a seven-part series that profiles the people, culture and history of different culinary traditions around the globe. The series delivers audiences an inside look at food from around the world and is an excellent addition to any programming line up.

Another programming highlight this year is On Island Time, a series that takes audiences on a journey to islands from the Arctic to the tropics and explores the people who lead a life that is bound closely to the ocean. Viewers will surely enjoy the visual vacation that is provided by this series.

MIPCOM 2014 is taking place in Cannes, France and runs from 13-16 October.

Representatives from DW’s America distribution are currently on hand at one of Latin America’s premier media expositions. The Tepal Expo, being held for the first time in Panama, features presentations from big names in international media including HBO Latin America, Discovery Latin America and CNN Español.

Next to DW on the exposition floor are Latin American networks including the Argentinian Telefe, TuVes from Chile or TV Azteca from Mexico. Heavy hitters in Latin American distribution like Viacom, Cablevisión, Megacable and the Panamanian cable provider Cable Onda are also a few of the interesting and potential future DW partners who are at the event. You’ll find a complete list here.

DW will be presenting the Spanish language production, Vision Futuro, at the Tepal Expo with a special focus on renewable wind energy, which is a very important issue for the development of Latin American infrastructure. DW has been steadily increasing its presence in Latin American markets, offering a full 24 hours of Spanish langauge programming every day. DW is also the only European international broadcaster represented at Tepal 2014.