Dear media representatives, dear colleagues,
Today the sixth Reeperbahn Festival Echo Edition took place at the Hamburg Permanent Representation in Berlin. At the networking event on the day of the Echo Awards, to which the Hamburg Department of Culture, the Permanent Representation of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and Reeperbahn Festival invite media, music business and political representatives, delegates of various national parties discussed the future political framework conditions for the German music industry.
Frehn Hawel
Hamburg/Berlin, 6 April 2017
In today’s issue of the Reeperbahn Festival Echo Edition at Hamburg State Representation in Berlin, after a welcoming speech by Hamburg’s Senator for Culture, Dr. Carsten Brosda, spokespersons of SPD, CDU and The Left Party discussed how the respective parties think focal topics such as options for regulating online platforms, harmonising European copyright law, the ticket secondary and black market as well as political requirements for supporting artists and the creative industry in general should be dealt with.
The Reeperbahn Festival has always gathered representatives from the music industry, politics and the media to discuss future challenges, make new contacts and maintain existing ones. As almost the entire German music sector traditionally attends the Echo Awards in Berlin, six years ago the Reeperbahn Festival Echo Edition came into being, organised by the Hamburg Department of Culture and Reeperbahn Festival at the Hamburg Permanent Representation in Berlin. The event, staged on the night before the Echo Awards, has meanwhile become an important network meeting for the music industry, also providing, by way of a panel discussion, a forum for the intensive exchange of views of representatives of the music sector, the media and politicians.
Dr. Carsten Brosda, Senator Cultural Affairs and the Media: “We are living in exciting times, which also leave their marks on the music industry. The music city of Hamburg depends on outstanding venues such as the Reeperbahn or the Elbphilharmonie, but above all it needs musicians who create and perform their works. Their work inheres the power we currently need so urgently. It is the task of politicians to help it evolve. The Reeperbahn Festival pursues this line of thinking: international, globally oriented and open. This is why, at events such as the ‘Reeperbahn Festival – ECHO-Edition‘ cooperative contemplation on how to improve the framework conditions for creative working has become more important than ever.”
Alexander Schulz, Managing Director Reeperbahn Festival: “With today’s event we have also started into the music-industry electoral campaign which will culminate right before the federal elections at the Reeperbahn Festival from 20 – 23 September.
It has become clear that all sub-markets of the music industry have claims on policy-making and administration which so far have only partially entered the party programmes or not at all. By 24 September it will be crucial to stress the economic value of the music industry compared to conventional sectors. Because this is the only way to achieve an understanding for the installation of legal framework conditions for the music and similar sectors in the digital era.“
Participants in today’s panel discussion (photo from left to right):
Marco Wanderwitz, MoB, CDU, spokesman on education and media policy
Lars Klingbeil, MoB, SPD, spokesman on network policy
Harald Petzold, MoB, party The Left, spokesman on media
Absent due to illness:
Tabea Rößner, MoB, Bündnis 90/The Greens, spokeswoman on media, creative industry and digital infrastructure