Media Freedom and Pluralism: Media Policy Challenges in the Enlarged Europe

Chapter 10: From PSB to PSM: A New Promise for Public Service Provision in the Information Society

CHaPTer 10 From PsB to PsM: A New Promise for Public Service Provision in the Information Society Karol jaKuBowicz 10.1. introduction There is no shortage of gloom-and-doom forecasts concerning the future of public service broadcasting (PsB), or rather the possibility that it may have no future. Thomass (2007) has noted that PsB is likely to celebrate its hundredth birthday in 2020, but only if it can renew itself by that time. This does not indicate great confidence in PsB’s future. some of those who formulate such forecasts would indeed like to see an end to PsB. others feel that PsB should continue but are warning that, without intervention, its future may be in jeopardy. Below are two examples of this latter approach. in 2002 the digital strategy Group of the european Broadcasting union presented a report (digital strategy Group, 2002) in which it summarized the processes of technological and other change unfolding in the broadcasting landscape and warned: as a consequence of the new environment, if they take no action, there is a risk that public service broadcasters will find themselves marginalized, or relegated to simply providing television services for those who cannot afford to pay TV. Public service broadcasters must rise to meet the challenges of the new environment. Their present structures will not do. They have to adapt themselves, in order to play their full and rightful part in the new media environment. The report notes the importance of the regulatory environment and government policy in finding an answer to the dilemmas facing PsB in the digital environment. i4 Beata book.indb 193 2010.05.09. 10:22 194 Media Freedom and Pluralism in 2004 the Parliamentary assembly of the Council of europe took up this issue in its report on public service broadcasting (Council of europe, Parliamentary assembly, 2004a) and warned, “if PsB could be prevented from modernizing, it would become a relic of the past.” The assembly recommended that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of europe “adopt a new major policy document on public service broadcasting” and “endeavour to ensure that the World summit on the information society gives proper recognition to public service broadcasting as an important element of developing the information society and at the same time easing the shock of rapid change that it will involve.” it also called on the governments of Member states to “reaffirm their commitment to maintaining a strong and vibrant independent public service broadcasting whilst adapting it to the requirements of the digital age” and “define an appropriate legal, institutional and financial framework for the functioning of public service broadcasting as well as its adaptation and modernisation to suit the needs of the audience and the requirements of the digital era.” We begin this chapter by noting that these warnings have been heeded, at least at the official european level. The Council of europe Committee of Ministers had already in 2003 adopted recommendation rec (2003) 9 on Measures to Promote the democratic and social Contribution of digital Broadcasting (Council of europe, Committee of Ministers, 2003), in which it called on Member states to “reaffirm the remit of public service broadcasting, adapting if necessary its means to the new digital environment […] while establishing the financial, technical and other conditions that will enable it to fulfil that remit as well as possible.” However, the Committee of Ministers responded directly to the recommendation of the Parliamentary assembly in 2007 by adopting recommendation CM/rec (2007)3 on the remit of Public service Media in the information society (Council of europe, Committee of Ministers, 2007a), with the clear intention of putting a european seal of approval on a new approach to delivering public service via the electronic media. We will return to what the recommendation says later in this chapter. Here let us note a recital from the preamble of the text: “Convinced therefore that the public service remit is all the more relevant in the information society and that it can be discharged by public service organisations via diverse platforms and an offer of various services, resulting in i4 Beata book.indb 194 2010.05.09. 10:22 From PSB to PSM 195 the emergence of public service media, which, for the purpose of this recommendation , does not include print media” [emphasis added—K.J.]. Thus the Council of europe took the historic step of giving a new name—Public service Media (PsM...