Future Of Public Service Broadcasting Research Articles

A public value typology for public service broadcasting in the UK

ABSTRACT Rapid changes in audience habits, media technologies and market dynamics have prompted searching questions about the role and relevance of public service broadcasting (PSB) in the modern digital media landscape. In the UK, where cultural policymaking is increasingly politicised, the normative ideals traditionally associated with PSB are being openly contested. This article evaluates how PSB generates varied forms of “public value” of benefit to viewing and listening publics, policy stakeholders and the creative sector. On the basis of its qualitative analysis of policy documents and related research literatures over two decades, a typology of six values – social, cultural, economic, industrial, representational and civic – is identified and critiqued across regulatory and institutional frameworks. In assessing the challenges, risks and opportunities for sustaining these public values, this article offers its typology for informing cultural and media policy debates on the future of PSB in the UK and beyond.

Three lessons for the future of public service broadcasting

Three lessons for the future of public service broadcasting

The future of public service broadcasting and the funding and ownership of the BBC

AbstractThe BBC has been financed by a hypothecated tax levied on the use of television sets since 1946. For most of the subsequent period, there has been substantial governmental control of both broadcast content and platforms. The economic arguments for different types of intervention in public service broadcasting were discussed in the 1986 Peacock Report, which proposed radical change. This article uses a similar methodology to that of the Peacock Committee and concludes that the case for government support for public service broadcasting has been undermined by technological developments which the Committee anticipated. It is further argued that the BBC should be financed largely by subscription and should adopt a mutual governance structure.

The future of public service broadcasting: Grim or bright?

This is a piece that contemplates on the future of public service broadcasting (PSB) by integrating and analyzing the insights gained from two books: ‘A Future of Public Service Television’, edited by Des Freedman and Vana Goblot and ‘Public Service Media in the Networked Society’, edited by Gregory Ferrell Lowe, Hilde Van den Bulck and Karen Donders. It appears that the transformations in the digital environment may be both undermining the positioning of PSB and increasing the demand for trusted media institutions.

The Future of Public Service Broadcasting: Grim or Bright?

This is a piece that contemplates on the future of public service broadcasting (PSB) by integrating and analyzing the insights gained from two books: ‘A Future of Public Service Television’, edited by Des Freedman and Vana Goblot and ‘Public Service Media in the Networked Society’, edited by Gregory Ferrell Lowe, Hilde Van den Bulck and Karen Donders. It appears that the transformations in the digital environment may be both undermining the positioning of PSB and increasing the demand for trusted media institutions.

Double Crisis: Sport Mega Events and the Future of Public Service Broadcasting

Covering sport mega events is a pivotal strategy for public service broadcasting (PSB) to claim audience support and public legitimacy. However, these mega events are subject to considerable controversy due to their association with doping or corruption. This raises the question for the PSB of how to satisfy the audience of the Olympic Games: by looking closely or by looking away? Conducting two empirical studies, this article investigates how German public service broadcasters reported the sociopolitical problems related to the 2016 Olympic Summer Games and whether the coverage has met the expectations of the audience. The results of a content analysis suggest that a substantial amount of coverage was dedicated to the problematic aspects of the Games. A conjoint analysis shows that German public service broadcasters did not meet the expectations of different audience segments: Neither the core audience nor event-driven spectators and certainly not the outsiders of media sports were fully satisfied by the Olympic program menu of German PSB.

Radio spectrum battles: Television broadcast vs wireless broadband and the future of PSB

Abstract A principal incentive behind the move to digital television has been the release of radio spectrum in the attractive Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) band, which can be used for other, notably wireless, services. This so-called digital dividend and related spectrum battles have heightened in recent years as evidenced by the negotiations in the World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRCs). Frequencies are a core input to many industries and thus radio spectrum management has acquired high economic and political significance. Historically in Europe, the terrestrial platform has been critical for the delivery of Public Service Broadcasting (PSB). But increasingly since 2007, digital terrestrial network operators have come under enormous pressure to relinquish frequencies in response to the looming spectrum crunch of the wireless broadband (WBB) sector and the projected phenomenal demand for its services. The article argues that limiting spectrum access for the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform should not be synonymous with a corresponding weakening of PSB. The often dry and technical debate on radio spectrum management cannot obscure what is really at stake. The values that PSB stands for need to be adapted to and guaranteed in a likely post-broadcast environment. The political, economic, social and cultural principles of PSB remain valid irrespective of the underlying delivery platform used. The debate on a platform-neutral PSB is currently not as prominent as the debate on the spectrum demands of the WBB industry. At best, the two debates (future of DTT/WBB spectrum and future of PSB) are conducted in silos. Radio spectrum management should not be used as an(other) excuse to weaken PSB. Debate and action based on a digital commons space and communication rights can provide the way forward.

A search for the future of public service broadcasting : Coevolution with public sphere

20세기 말에 들어 공영방송은 여러 측면의 위기에도 불구하고 당초의 비관적 전망과는 다른 길을 걸었다. 여기에는 공론장이라는 이론적 틀이 큰 역할을 했다. 이후로 공론장과 공영방송은 ‘이론’과 ‘현실’의 관계로 일정한 공진화를 보였다. 이 글의 목적은 양자를 통해 지난 과정을 살피고, 변화의 방향을 추출해 공영방송의 미래상을 정립해보고자 하는데 있다. 하버마스의 공론장론은 영역된 1989년 이래 숱한 비판과 반비판의 과정을 거쳤으며, 그 과정에서 상당한 절충과 수정을 보였다. 최근 들어서는 유형화가 가능할 만큼 확대되기도 하였다. 다양한 부문으로 확대된 공론장은 커뮤니케이션이 현대사회에서 지니는 중요성을 웅변하는 단적인 척도이다. 공영방송 역시 이에 발맞춰 유사한 형태의 미래상을 꾀하고 있다. 기존의 시소 게임적 단순 대립을 넘어 다양한 가치를 소화하고자 하는 급진적 공정성의 시도나 이런 기준에 대한 부단한 재구성의 시도가 그러하고, 책무적 틀을 유지하게 하는 수신료 재원이 또한 그러하며, 감성․주변부․개인․정체성을 발견하게 하는 대중문화․오락의 적극적인 활용이 그러하다. 커먼스는 디지털․네트워크화된 커뮤니케이션 환경에서 공영방송이 추구할 수 있는 궁극적인 지향점이다.

Public Service and Commercial Broadcasting: Impacts on Politics and Society

AbstractThis article provides an accessible overview of the growing research literature on the impact of public service and commercial broadcasting and highlights its main implications for policy discussions about the future of public service broadcasting in Western societies. It shows that the populations of countries with public service broad‐ and narrowcasting are better informed about government and politics, are more trusting of other people, have more positive civic attitudes, have greater confidence in democratic institutions and are more likely to engage in democratic politics. Moreover, levels of social trust are higher in countries which have a significant public service element in their media systems, even among individuals who do not habitually watch public TV channels. The article ends with a brief discussion of the implications of this research for the future of public broadcasting in the Western world.

The Legitimacy of Public Service Broadcasting in the 21st Century: The Case of Scandinavia

Abstract The present paper examines the debate on the future of public service broadcasting (PSB) in Norway and Sweden in the 2000s. I have analysed the discourses on PSB that dominate the public debate in the two countries, the cultural policy related to PSB, as well as the legitimizing rhetoric of the Norwegian public service broadcaster Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK) and that of the Swedish public service broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT). Theoretically, the analysis draws on normative theories on the role of PSB in promoting democracy, culture and a well-functioning public sphere, as well as theories on democracy and the public sphere per se.

The search for a civic commons online: an assessment of existing BBC Online policy

Debates surrounding democracy and the internet are of central importance to the future of public service broadcasting. Some of these debates have led a group of scholars to argue for the establishment of a civic commons online, in response to the commercial nature of the internet and its limited support of deliberative democracy. General features of a civic commons online include the formation of a deliberative space free from corporate and state influence, yet that receives some form of public funding. Given their long and relatively successful history, some scholars have argued that existing public service broadcasters might provide the best chance for the establishment of such a commons. This article evaluates existing BBC Online policy in the UK in light of these arguments, and assesses the extent to which existing policy might allow space for the establishment of such a civic commons. The article concludes by arguing that while existing BBC Online policy would allow the basic grounds for the establishment of a civic commons online, there are significant obstacles to its full realization.

Introduction: All or nothing? From public service broadcasting to public service media, to public service ‘anything’?

This special issue brings together expert articles on the ways in which different European countries are tackling the difficulty of defining the role of public service broadcasting (PSB) and PSB institutions in the new media ecology. It contains a selection of articles that have a look at the regulatory and policy answers to PSB’s changing role in society. The introduction to the special issue frames the articles within the broader choices and ideological frames on the future of PSB, elaborating on the possible strategies for PSB developed within social-democratic and market failure perspectives.

PUBLIC SERVICE NEWS ON THE WEB

This article provides an empirical basis for discussions of public service news on the Web. Through innovative use of computer-assisted data gathering and structuring, and a combination of quantitative methods, we present the results from a large-scale analysis of the online news content of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, NRK. The study reveals not only specifics of the online news genre, but also the dual role of NRK as a public service broadcaster. nrk.no fulfils regional content provisions by having a heavy local news focus on the website's “inside”. Simultaneously, its front page profile suggests NRK operates in direct competition with commercial national online news actors. The article offers new insights into the nature of online news as offered by a large, traditional media institution. These insights are key to any discussion of online journalism, as well as the future of public service broadcasting. Furthermore, through the employment of innovative computer-assisted data collection and structuring, the article aims to contribute to the development of the methodological arsenal of journalism studies.

Strijden voor of om de publieke omroep?

Since the early 1990s, the European Commission applies the State aid rules (part of European competition law) to the funding of national and subnational public broadcasters. This article analyzes to what extent discussions on the regulation and funding of public service broadcasting are determined by a conflictual notion of subsidiarity. Focusing on encounters between the European Commission on the one hand and Germany, the Netherlands and Flanders on the other hand, the article concludes that Member States and the European Commission focus more on competence divisions than on substantive discussions about the future of public service broadcasting. This is particularly regrettable as the digital age requires a thorough re-thinking of the role of public broadcasters in Western European democracies.

Public Service Broadcasting as an Object for Cultural Policy in Norway and Sweden

AbstractThe future of public service broadcasting (PSB), and its role for democracy and culture in an age of globalization and digitalization, is a disputed issue among communication scholars, journalists, the general public and politicians. The PSB institutions are dependent on political support for their survival, and they have to live up to cultural policy obligations. The focus of this analysis is on the rhetoric employed in the white papers on PSB and overall cultural policy, produced between 2005 and 2007 in Norway and Sweden. The analysis shows that both countries emphasize the need to secure an inclusive public sphere, a vivid democracy and a national culture. The rhetoric differs in the sense that the Norwegian focus is on PSB as a tool for achieving cultural policy goals, while the Swedish focus is more on why the idea of PSB is important in itself.

The disintegration of the state model in the English speaking Caribbean

Public service broadcasting evolved in the small states of the English speaking Caribbean as state broadcasting. As such, state broadcasting has been forced to change to compete with private broadcasters, cable, satellite and the internet. This article assesses the paradigm shift in public service broadcasting within the former British colonies of the Caribbean, with particular emphasis on Jamaica, the Bahamas, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago. Then the article discusses the changes in state broadcasting in the Caribbean region in recent decades in relation to market sector, audiences and digital technology. This is followed by a discussion on the policy directions, programming and mission of newly minted public service broadcasting (PSB) in the English speaking Caribbean with questions of the future of PSB in these small states.

Financing Public Media in Spain: New Strategies

This article attempts to explain the key points of the new financing reform of public service broadcasting in Spain. The following questions are analyzed: controversial points; the new law, private broadcasting, and the telecommunications sector; and the future of public service broadcasting in Spain. Deliberative discussion with 80 participants was conducted evaluating their views regarding public media. The central problem was the role that people feel the RTVE Corporation should play in the future. With that role in mind, participants were asked to evaluate the financial situation of public broadcasting in Spain. The new Financing Law of the RTVE Corporation, based on the immediate cessation of advertising, was passed in August 2009. According to the law, for every new service provided by RTVE, it should be assigned additional funding. It is not clear yet how this process will work in the future.

Does EU Policy Challenge the Digital Future of Public Service Broadcasting?

In this article the authors assess the impact of the European Commission's state aid policy on the public service remit of public broadcasting organizations in the digital age. The article consists of two parts. In the first part the authors give an overview of the policy and legal context in which state aid control of public service broadcasting evolves. Second, recent state aid cases that touch upon the issue of digitization and public service broadcasting are analysed. Whereas Member States fear too much Commission intervention, the European Commission, on the contrary, fears that Member States abuse the margins of the European Treaty in order to expand the digital public service remit in unauthorized ways, such as financing commercial digital activities. Whether the Commission is right to fear a `mission creep' on behalf of the public service broadcasters due to vague and overambitious digitilization plans, remains to be seen however.

The future of public service broadcasting in Community law

State and community authorities face up to the task of redefining the legal framework affecting European television services, with the challenge of adopting a configuration capable of assimilating the multiple requirements consequent on the complex nature of television. Communitarian Law has participated in this process, proposing a new perspective built on the definition of television services as general economic interest services. European jurisprudence in audiovisual matters has to address the consequences of incorporating this regulation alongside national laws. Competitiveness between operators, control of possible exceptions, the redefinition of the public service mission these are some of the consequences of the Communitarian perspective. Although the Communitarian perspective has benefits and drawbacks, its contributions allow the construction of a more stable television model, producing new market regulation, and, above all, with the aim of protecting citizen interest.

Old Ideas Meet New Technologies: Will Digitalisation Save Public Service Broadcasting (Ideals) from Commercial Death?

Digitalisation seems to have reached enough momentum to dominate discussions regarding the state and future of public service broadcasting (PSB) in recent years. Starting from a background overview of the main developments in PSB (policy, structure and content) since its inception, the article analyses current debates regarding the future of PSB. The most heard stakeholders, the dominant positions, discourses and arguments regarding the position of PSB in the ‘new’ digital, interactive, personalised media future are identified. Next, and crucially, this article intends to lay bare the technological determinism implicit in much of this debate and the implications for the way in which the discussion is being held. Taking instead a social constructivist point of view, the article concludes with an analysis of the way in which the main goals of access, universality and quality can be reinterpreted in the light PSB's position in a changing society.