Who is Afraid of Public Service Broadcasting? The Digital Future of an Age-Old Institution Under Threat

Summary:

The aim of this article is to consider the European Union (EU) competition and state aid law parameters that public service broadcasting (PSB) needs to satisfy when engaging with the new media.

First of all, the more general question will be asked whether public service media display special characteristics that distinguish them from commercial media and that justify their privileged funding from the public purse. It will be argued that there are good reasons to endow public service media with a comprehensive online remit. Secondly, this article will attempt to trace the current contours of the remit as they emerge from the Commission’s 2009 Broadcasting Communication and from its recent decision-making practice. Finally, it will examine the implementation in the UK and Germany of the main thrust of the revised Communication: the ex-ante assessment of significant new media services.