From Public Service Broadcasting to Public Service Media

Abstract

Since the 1920s public service broadcasting (PSB) has gone through a number of transitions. In order to put current topical debates on public service media and policy in Europe in perspective, this chapter documents these transitions. An analytical distinction is made between three phases: monopoly (1920s–70s), liberalisation (mid-1970s to mid-1990s) and a new media environment (late 1990s onwards). Most scholars make a distinction between two or three phases in the history of public broadcasting. Generally speaking some distinguish between the period before and after liberalisation (Syvertsen, 1997; Levy, 1999; Michalis, 2007), others between the monopoly, liberalisation and digital age stages in PSB history (Collins et al., 2001; Steemers, 2001; Murdock, 2004; Leurdijk, 2007; Bardoel and d’Haenens, 2008). This chapter fits the latter categorisation. Three questions are at the core of this chapter. Firstly, what are the main distinguishing features of each phase? Secondly, who is in charge of public broadcasting policy? Thirdly, how do public broadcasters operationalise their task in each phase?