The Regulation of Public Service Broadcasters in Western Europe

Abstract

Television broadcasting throughout Europe has historically been heavily regulated by the state to ensure public policy objectives are met. For public service broadcasters this has included coverage and content obligations that have combined to set out the parameters for the activities of these broadcasters. This regulatory culture has been carried throughout the development of broadcasting, originating in radio and then being transferred to television in the 1940s. However, today the regulation of public broadcasters and the framework developed to ensure obligations are achieved has been questioned on a number of fronts. Technology, market power, the quality of services and the changing media landscape have all raised the issue of how satisfactory the current regulation of public broadcasters is to account for the changing nature of the sector. In this context the article outlines how and who regulates public sector broadcasters to ensure that they are accountable. It concludes with an assessment of these...