The winding road on media landscape. Estonian Public Service Broadcasting in Andres Jõesaar Baltic Film and Media School Tallinn University 25 Years After: The Challenges of Building the Post-Communist Media and Communication Industries Nov 2014 Prague

The areas and effects of the new communications policy Economic PoliticalSocial-cultural Main goal – Public interest Economic Welfare Social WelfarePolitical Welfare New communications policy Freedom Access Diversity Information Control Responsibility Assortment Identity Participation Quality Coherence Competition Development Employment rate Consumerism Innovation Domains and Values/Criteria Van Cuilenburg and McQuail 2003: 184 chart 4

Media influencers McQuail 2010 Socio-cultural + AJ

In 40 European countries: television channels 3641 on-demand audiovisual services 8580 companies (broadcasters, packagers, transmitters) In Estonia 340 TV channels 45 on-demand audiovisual services MAVISE database Europetoday Europe today

Political factors. European Union – from culture to commerce? A simplified approach towards European media policy can be described from two angles. On one hand, the role of (EU) media policy is a secure media system to promote pluralism, democracy, social cohesion and freedom of expression. On the other hand, the commercial interest of (private) stakeholders and common market regulation must be guaranteed. It is a question about balanced coexistence of public service broadcasting and commercial media.

Share of Viewing and GDP per capita

Rikas ja vaene

̶If the market is big enough for profitable business, and resources are available, the main overall media tasks (variety, pluralism etc.) are fulfilled and launch of niche media outlets will follow. ̶Small markets fail to deliver. The size of the market determines available resources

Estonian media landscape 27 March 2014 Tallinn ESTONIAN MEDIA LANDSCAPE by Andres Jõesaar, ERR

Key Players

Main media groups Eesti Meedia MTG Ekspress Grupp Taeva- raadio ERR – public service broadcasting Position in print media No.1No.2 Free-TV channels 112 Pay-TV channels 21 Internet- TV 1111 National radio stations 324 Regional radio stations 341 Internet portal position No.2No.1No.5

Game of thrones

Troonide mäng 10 episodes 450 minutes 45 M USD USD/minute

Raha

ERR h TV - programs h radio programs + portals, archiev etc State funding 28.6 M € 7,4 EUR/minute

ERR funding and state budget costs

PSB funding vs commercial TVs’ profit

Kanal 2 &TV3 Profit/Loss

Flow of changes Global Globalization (Free market) Liberalism National External forces, international competition Outfow of advertising revenues Media Impaired finacial results of commercial media Media owners’ pressure on politicians PSB Re-formation of public-service council Restriction on PSB development / remit

Television and telecoms, turnovers and profits 2012

Turnover in 2012, M EUR

Most-missed media TOP5 mentions Ofcom: Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes Report 2014

Aeg

Weekly radio listening, (ERR)

Radio listening. Weekly reach Radio listening. Weekly reach * (Non-Estonians, 4+) Source: TNS EMOR / ERR

Share of viewing EU PSBs

TV viewing. Weekly Reach % * TV viewing. Weekly Reach % * (15', non-Estonians age 4+) Source: TNS EMOR / ERR

Daily reach and internet usage

Daily reach and internet usage by age groups

Reach and time spent by age groups

ERR Daily reach and time spent

Source of information

ERR presence in social media

Types of media. Reach, regulation and engagement TVTV RadioRadio Web Reach Audience engagement Level of regulation High Low High

Current events and different sources of information Background of the study 29 July – 5 August 2014 Telephone interviews with 1000 people aged – 505 Estonians – 495 non-Estonians The proportional random sampling Interviews in Estonian and Russian Commissioned by the Open Estonian Foundation Research company: Saar Poll 2014

Importance of media channels

Types of media worlds among non- Estonians

Type 1. Follows traditional Russian media (27%) Russian TV channels (PBK, RTR) – 79% Communication with friends, acquintances, colleagues or school mates– 62% Raadio 4 – 54%

Type 3. Follows Russian TV and news sites, and news sites from around the world (26%) Type 4. Diverse follower of media in multiple languages (19%)

Type 2. Diverse follower of Russian language media (16%) Type 5. Follows Estonian language media (14%)

Language skills, country of birth, citizenship Type 1Type 2Type 3Type 4Type 5 Understands Estonian language well 27%30%42%48%75% Don’t understand Estonian 28%23%19%12%10% Born in Estonia Yes48%73%67%61%79% No52%27%33%39%21% Estonian citizenship 47%64%60%57%83% Russian citizenship 29%20%16%18%5%

How frequently do you follow the news about current events?

How often did you follow news about the song and dance festival?

How often did you follow news about EP elections?

Main sources for obtaining information about the song and dance festival

Main sources for obtaining information about the EP

What is the most important topic or event you can recall?

How often did you follow news about events in Ukraine?

Main sources for obtaining information about events in Ukraine

Who is responsible for shooting down the Malaysian airplane?

N=non-Estonians Ukraine government Russian government

Conclusions

̶EU media policy does not consider the different historical, political, cultural and economic backgrounds in Eastern and Central European countries when comparing them to Western Europe. ̶Furthermore, EU media policy also does not account for the specific needs of culturally more fragile and vulnerable smaller countries, which possess fewer resources, and is not discussing the need to support the interests of the minorities. ̶Debates over PSB funding, the pressure of cost saving and the need for efficiency are apparent in all European countries. EU media policy critics

̶On the EU level there are no tools or mechanisms dictating minimum PSB quantity or quality level Member State should guarantee for citizens. ̶There is no binding legal EU regulation towards PSB. Decisions on remit, funding model and funding level of PSB are totally left to Member States. ̶There is no common PSB model or standard, which implies to all countries. European Union media policy impact on public service media

'Europeanization', as defined by Jakubowicz (2009), took place. The Pan-European media policy overall aims are preserving cultural diversity and safeguarding media pluralism. The free market liberal approach was supported by European Union media policy which is a common market ideology. In Estonia the private ownership of media was idealized by ruling politicians.

Estonian information field is divided into two parts – Estonian speaking and Russian speaking. Private sector has failed to deliver to Russian language people high quality media content. (Market failure). Lack of political efforts supporting development of PSB Russian language services (especially TV) has left Russian speaking part of population mainly under influence of Russian state TV- channels.

Existence of strong high quality media for Russian minority is not only a question how democratic rights are guaranteed for all citizens, but it is also a question of national security.

Aitäh! Andres Jõesaar