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Report on the Conditions of Public Service Broadcasting

Michael Tracey, ,

University of Colorado at Boulder

In this article, the authors explore the relationship between the philosophical principles on which the institutions of public broadcasting rest and their contemporary conditions. The questions are, In what ways is public service broadcasting (PSB) changing in the contemporary audiovisual environment? How is the contradiction between commercial needs and the public service mission being articulated? Which paradigms are shaping the practices surrounding PSB institutions? To answer these questions, the authors analyzed the trends toward digitalization and funding in selected broadcasters: the British Broadcasting Corporation, Radiotelevisione Italiana, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. After discussing claims that PSB organizations have been enjoying a period of relative stability, the authors conclude that the broadcasters’ resilience is mainly due to their readiness to embrace competition and commercialism; as a result, public broadcasters are losing their distinctiveness and purpose. The sidebar details the exemplary conditions of the Italian public service broadcaster.

Key Words: public service broadcasting • digitalization of public broadcasting • children’s television • Italian public television • Italian media and politics

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