Programme performance of public service broadcasting and its mission in the digital age Commissariaat voor de Media 17 th 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 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 p.m. or to broadcast 35 plays before p.m.

Example Bulgaria PBS 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 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?