Is a European public service television possible?

Reflections from a German perspective Torino, 24 September 2009 Prof. Dr. Uwe Hasebrink, Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research at the University of Hamburg

The short version of the presentation

Question:

• Is building a European public service television possible?

Answer:

• No. But there could be something even better.

Uwe Hasebrink: „Is building a European public service television possible?“ 2

The longer version of the presentation

The question raised by the title of the conference is highly ambitious and full of implicit premises. Therefore I would like to deconstruct it in order to make it both more realistic and more visionary.

Uwe Hasebrink: „Is building a European public service television possible?“ 3

The question seems to be a bit premature, because there is the implicit premise that a European public service television is something good. It seems to be more important to ask • • whether (or in which respect) a European public service television is necessary or at least desirable, and who actually wants it – and what for.

Possible arguments: • Strengthening a European identity, building a transnational „public sphere“ as a democratic counterpart to EU politics.

Relevant concerns: • Whereas academics and some politicians are quite sure that we need this kind of television, the audiences do not seem to be particularly keen on European content.

Uwe Hasebrink: „Is building a European public service television possible?“ 4

?

In face of converging media environments one might ask whether we can still focus on television. There are some doubts: • • • Is television still the appropriate instrument to reach all parts of the society?

Recent experiences, e.g. with election campaigns indicate that digital interactive media are gaining considerable influence on agenda setting and opinion building processes.

Television broadcasters themselves are not just broadcasters anymore: They develop integrated cross-media strategies with television being just one part of these integrated strategies.

Uwe Hasebrink: „Is building a European public service television possible?“ 5

?

Why do we think that public service media are particularly suited as instruments for European communication? There are some current challenges, which raise some doubts, e.g.: • • • unclear status of licence fees and public funding with regard to European State Aid regulation; unclear remit with regard to new digital media; ongoing risks to become subject of political and governmental influence; • • • decreasing acceptance among younger audiences; deep roots within national (or even regional) cultural, and political contexts, competition with commercial global players. Uwe Hasebrink: „Is building a European public service television possible?“ 6

Public service broadcasting in Germany

Compared to other European countries the situation is still rather comfortable: • • • • A well established licence fee, which covers more than 90 per cent of the budget, and additional advertising/sponsoring income; A relatively high degree of autonomy from the state; A broad range of channels: regional (7 regional channels) and national (ARD and ZDF) and transnational (3Sat for Austria, Germany, and Switzerland; ARTE for France and Germany), thematic channels (e.g. KiKa for children, Phoenix for documentaries and live events); In spite of a highly competitive environment public service channels have an average audience share of about 40 per cent.

Uwe Hasebrink: „Is building a European public service television possible?“ 7

Public service broadcasting in Germany

However, there are serious challenges for German public broadcasting, one of them became famous on the European level as the so-called German State Aid Case. The background: • • In 2003 the association of private broadcasting companies in Germany submitted a complaint to the Commission stating that the licence fees constitute state aid. It was argued that the compensation and financial assistance granted to the public broadcasters exceeds what is necessary to fulfil the public service obligation properly and that the system of public financing distorts competition with respect to new online contents. After an examination of the German licence fee the Commission regarded these fees as state aid according to Article 87 (1) EC Treaty. On the basis of this interpretation, such a financing regime must comply with the requirements of Article 86 (2) EC Treaty. Thus a clear remit must exist.

Uwe Hasebrink: „Is building a European public service television possible?“ 8

Public service broadcasting in Germany

Defining the public service remit: • • • Given the dynamic nature of the emerging digital media, there is no chance to define the public service remit by explicitly prescribing which online services public broadcasters may offer or must not offer.

In addition, according to the constitutional basis of the German public broadcasting system the state must not intervene in concrete editorial and organisational decisions of public broadcasting.

Thus, the definition of the public service remit needs an appropriate procedure which follows the general principles of “regulated self-regulation” or “co-regulation”: public service media have to develop their objectives as well as criteria how to assess their success in meeting these objectives by a continuous deliberative process with relevant stakeholders. Uwe Hasebrink: „Is building a European public service television possible?“ 9

Public service broadcasting in Germany

Following these principles the contradicting views of the European Commission and Germany were solved by a compromise (Beihilfekompromiss) in 2007: • • The compromise stipulates that from now on, public service broadcasting corporations are obliged to carry out a Three-Step Test for each new online service. According to the new Interstate Treaty, broadcasters have to examine the following for each service: 1. whether it is part of the public service mission and thus corresponds with the democratic, social, and cultural needs of a society and 2. whether it contributes in a qualitative way to editorial competition and 3. the planned expenditure for providing the service.

The final decision has to be made by the pluralistic bodies, which supervise the German public broadcasters, on the basis of intense public discussion, hearings of the relevant stake holders, particularly commercial media companies, and scientific expertises on the market related consequences of the respective service. Uwe Hasebrink: „Is building a European public service television possible?“ 10

?

There are three principles approaches to European media and public spheres: • • • A pan-European approach for all Europeans Specialised services for segmented transnational audiences Europeanized content for national (or regional) services We have to consider that European societies are increasingly multicultural and that European develop multi-layered identities.

• Imagine the case of a Turkish migrant living in Germany, being football fan and working in the international bank business. He would use media on different levels: Turkish language channels (diaspora), UEFA Champions League on Eurosport (European), news on ARD or ZDF (national) and in local TV stations (local), and business reports on CNN and Bloomberg (global). Uwe Hasebrink: „Is building a European public service television possible?“ 11

?

Instead of one European public service television my vision is as follows: • • • • A multitude of ambitioned approaches to providing the best possible communication services on all levels (local, regional, national, European, global) and for different languages, cultures, and thematic interests; a strengthening of networking and cooperation structures, which link the different cultural or thematic communities; these flexible networks will replace the concept of one channel for one audience, which dominated the earlier visions of a European television; and, given sufficient will and efforts from broadcasters, politicians, and particularly the civil society and the “audiences”, they will be more successful in furthering European cultural identities and public spheres.

Uwe Hasebrink: „Is building a European public service television possible?“ 12

Contact

: Prof. Dr. Uwe Hasebrink Hans Bredow Institute Warburgstr. 8-10 D-20354 Hamburg [email protected]

http://www.hans-bredow-institut.de

Uwe Hasebrink: „Is building a European public service television possible?“ 13