Digital television policy and regulatory neutrality in small western states: Ireland, Greece, Finland, Austria and New Zealand

Abstract

This article evaluates the particular difficulties presented by market-led platforms and the regulatory-neutral policy approach to the switch to digital television in small western media states. The key argument is that market realities have presented difficulties for the concept of regulatory neutrality and a competitive platform approach in the digital switchover. In larger states this policy approach has led to the emergence of differentiated platform competition (i.e. platforms competing on the basis of different technological and revenue models). However, in smaller media states, because of the small market size, the potential of the market to support differentiated platforms is limited and regulatory neutrality will not necessarily produce the same results as in the larger states. In public policy terms this presents potential difficulties for the achievement of digital switchover and poses a challenge to the overall appropriateness of technological and regulatory neutrality in smaller media states. The article will employ a case study of digital television development in Ireland and a comparative analysis of adaptation strategies in four other small media states: Finland, Austria, Greece and New Zealand. It will propose that the policy of platform/regulatory neutrality in small media states needs to be reassessed, as it is potentially detrimental to digital switchover policies.