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