programme performance of public service broadcasting and its mission in the digital age...
TRANSCRIPT
Programme performance of public
service broadcasting and its mission in
the digital age
Commissariaat voor de Media
17th EPRA Naples 8 May 2003
Basis PBS remit
- Broadcasting law: like Finland, NL and Austria
- License: like Norway
- Contract: like Denmark
- Charter: like UK (for BBC)
Almost all countries have a remit except Greece,
Albania and Romania
General elements remit
- contribute to a democratic and/or pluralistic society;
- contribute to national culture and language;
- provide high access to its programming;
- provide high quality programming;
- meet high journalistic or moral standards and values
(like impartiality, respect to privacy and human
dignity).
Example Latvia & Lithuania
In Latvia the remit of national
PSB is formed on the basis of
comprehensive studies of the
wishes and expectations of
viewers and listeners. One of
the stipulations is that the
programming must reflect as
extensively as possible the
current opinions of society, as
well as political philosophical
and cultural trends
In Lithuania the remit of
national PSB states that
priority in LRT programmes
shall be accorded to national
culture as well as,
informational, world culture,
journalistic, analytical,
educational and art
broadcasts. Mass culture has
to be reflected in review,
informative and analytical type
programmes
Specific elements remit
- Audiences and reach of PBS;
- Innovation and experiments;
- Obligations on genre level;
- Obligations on programme level;
- Obligations on fields of interest
Audiences & reach
PSB should aim its programmes at and provide access
to general public
Besides that very often specific target groups are
mentioned
- Children and youth
- ethnic minorities
- disabled people
Example Flanders
- weekly reach of 70% of Flemish population
- weekly reach of 70% of the viewers between 4-12
years old
- daily reach of 1.5 million people by news and
current affairs programmes
- weekly reach of 15% of Flemish population by
culture and 10% of Flemish population by education
Innovation & experiments
Sometimes innovative and experimental programming is
expressed in the remit of PSB like in Sweden,
Ireland, Flanders, Italy, Portugal
Obligations on genre level
Many countries have the general obligation to broadcast
programmes belonging to the genres information,
culture, education and entertainment. Some countries
have more detailed description of these genres.
Example Slovakia
- programme aimed at educating and training, science
and research
- programme which provides legal and other
information, supports a healthy life-style, the
protection of nature, the protection of environment,
the protection of life, health and property, and road
safety
Obligations on programme level
Some countries stick to general terms, meanwhile other
countries have described in a very detailed way
which programmes should be broadcasted. In many
countries is explicitly mentioned in the remit the
obligation to broadcast:
- news
- current affairs
- children programmes
Obligations on fields of interest
Qualitative content programme requirements can also
be defined more detailed by describing certain fields
of interest programmes should cover:
- over cultural events and developments: like Sweden
- cover a diverse range of sport disciplines; like UK and
Flanders
- cover European integration: Ireland and Austria
Quantitative content programme requirements
Percentages to broadcast certain a certain percentage
or amount of programmes or genres. Percentages
always apply to transmission time; no country has
obligations to spend a certain percentage of the
budget to certain programming.
Quantitative content programme requirements
Only minimum percentages exist with the exception of
the Netherlands who have a maximum of 25% for
entertainment per channel
Quantitative content programme
requirements
Some countries have very detailed and extensive
quantitative requirements in France, Portugal and
Bulgaria.
Example France
Examples of more detailed provisions in the Cahier des
missions et des charges:
- broadcast 15 plays (lyric, drama or choreography);
- musicals (2 hours a month);
- concerts performed by national, regional or European
orchestras (15 hours a day).
- There are also obligations to broadcast 12 genres of
different programmes between 8.30 and 10.30 p.m.
or to broadcast 35 plays before 11.00 p.m.
Example BulgariaPBS is subject to very detailed and extensive quantitative content
programme requirements, expressed in its license:
- news: no less than 5.1% from the daily day;
- actualities: no less than 16.6% form the weekly programme;
- education: no less than 3.7% from the weekly programme;
- culture, science, religion: no less than 4.7% from the weekly programme;
- children’s and youth programmes: no less than 7,6% from the weekly programme;
- programmes in support of integration of socially disadvantaged and risks groups: no less than 1.8% from the monthly programme.
Reporting on and control of fulfilment of content programme
requirements
- Reporting to and sometimes also control by the media authority: like Sweden, NL, France
- Direct reporting to a (political) institution: like Norway, Flanders, Spain and Portugal
- Control by an internal committee: Denmark, Germany, UK (BBC), Turkey, Lithuania and Albania
Digital Mission: Internet
In every country PSB is present at internet, but:
- huge differences between budgets:in UK budget
for BBCi 142.7million, in Bulgaria 25654 euro
- not many rules regarding internet content and
activities
- only a few countries have internet incorporated in
remit: Denmark, Austria and Spain
- sometimes general reference to new technologies:
Flanders and Catalonia
Regulations for internet
- internet content should be associated with
broadcasting programmes and have to serve the
purpose of fulfilling the programme mandate: like
Austria, Germany, Netherlands and Flanders
- advertising and sponsoring are not allowed in
Germany and Flanders
- rules for cross-promotion: like UK
Digital Mission: digital (theme) channels
- only in a few countries PSB is running theme
channels: Sweden, Finland, UK, Germany and Italy
- DTT: UK, Sweden, Finland and Spain (in Spain no
new offer). In many other countries experiments or
only on very small scale (NL)
- only in a few countries digital channels are
incorporated in remit: UK and Spain
- sometimes general reference to new
technologies: Finland, Flanders, Portugal and Turkey
Discussion- Is there any urge to describe the remit and the obligations of
PSB, also with regard to digital services, in a more precise
and stricter way?
- If so, how detailed should these requirements be?
- Is it possible to define general requirements or to harmonize
PSB-obligations?
- Do strict and detailed obligations endanger other PSB
requirements like autonomy and independence?
Fiction
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Entertainment
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
Music
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
Sports
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
News
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Information
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Arts & culture
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Hunga
ry
Spain
Italy
Czech
Rep
.
Turk
ey
Sweden
Danm
ark
Poland
Lithu
ania
(200
0)
Roman
ia
Latvi
a
Slovak
Rep
.
Belgium
Fre
nch
Belgium
Flan
ders
Switser
land
Croat
ia
Portu
gal
Sloven
ia
Finlan
d
Estonia
Austri
a
Norway
FYR of M
aced
onia
Nethe
rland
s
United
King
dom
Franc
e
Germ
any
Irelan
d
Education
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Portu
gal
Turk
ey
Belgium
Fre
nch
Nethe
rland
s
Finlan
d
FYR of M
aced
onia
Lithu
ania
(200
0)
Danm
ark
Latvi
a
Poland
Sloven
ia
United
King
dom
Roman
ia
Czech
Rep
.
Hunga
ry
Norway
Croat
ia
Slovak
Rep
.
Spain
Franc
e
Estonia
Switser
land
Irelan
d Ita
ly
Sweden
Belgium
Flan
ders
Austri
a
Germ
any
Detailed programm requirements
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
Entertainment Information Arts, culture and science
yes no
Quantified programm requirements
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
Entertainment Information Arts, culture and science
yes no
Monitoring by authority
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
Entertainment Information Arts, culture and science
yes no
Monitoring by broadcaster
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
20%
Entertainment Information Arts, culture and science
yes no