PSB: FUTURE DIRECTIONS Public Broadcasting Role in the New Environment Kiran Karnik AIBD – UNESCO - FES Seminar on PSB for Central Asian Republics Bishkek, July 2002

CURRENT VIEWPOINTS  Nearing extinction ?  “Needs protection”  “No need”  Privatise ?

POLITICO - ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT  Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation  Ideology of “marketisation”  Cut government spending  Decreasing role of the State  More power with elites  “Open skies”; free flow of information

TECNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT OF BROADCASTING  Advances in digital/compression technologies  Progress in satellite technology  Satellite and cable TV distribution  Direct-to-home broadcasting  Internet revolution; new technologies  Unlimited choice, low costs

COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT  No monopoly; proliferation of channels/choice  Global channels; companies with vast resources  Very high technical and presentation standards  Fragmentation of audience  “Seductive” content  Unprecedented commercialisation

JUSTIFICATION  Private channels catering to the consumer, not to citizens  Vast number of channels, but many unmet needs  Private channels may have their own agenda  PSB could set the benchmarks  Need to look at issues from the perspectives of citizens, not merely consumers or audience  Means of fulfilling the “entitlement” of all citizens to information, culture and entertainment

PSB : OVERALL ROLE AND POSITIONING  Autonomous, independent of government  Not driven by commercial considerations  Creating and enlarging the public sphere  Vital component of civil society  Empowering the people, with focus on the disadvantaged

PSB : SPECIFIC ROLES (1)  Reaching the unreached geographically isolated: universal access economically deprived disadvantaged minorities  Meeting unmet needs of the non-marketised of minorities for specific content/genres of programmes

PSB : SPECIFIC ROLES (2)  Setting standards: technical, aesthetic, and content  Credible, prompt, available source for information/news  Giving voice to the voiceless: reverse flow and public access  Providing a platform for horizontal communication

PSB : SPECIFIC ROLES (3)  Agenda-setting, and reflecting/provoking informed debate  Catalyst and accelerator of socio-economic development  Contributing to progressive societal and structural changes

PUBLIC BROADCASTER: ADVANTAGES  Widest reach  Free-to-air  Generally more localised  Easier and priority access to events/information  Need not be commercially-driven

PSB: IMPERATIVES FOR SUCCESS  Decentralise; localise content  Relevant, need-based content  Better presentation  Creative, effective, right-sized organisation  Research; responsive system  Exploit the power of market mechanisms  Keep abreast of new technologies

ISSUES  Structure: ensuring autonomy, accountability and flexibility  Financing: grant, license fee, advertising, cess  Performance indicators: ratings, impact, “brand image”  Infrastructure: own, lease/privatise/corporatise, expand  New technology: DTH, DBS-Audio, DTT, Interactive TV  Cross-service synergy: radio, TV, Net