Television across Europe (2005): Main regional findings and recommendations

Television across Europe today

Television – a basic component and gauge of democracy – is undergoing rapid changes throughout Europe. Public service broadcasters face unprecedented challenges across the continent, mainly the ever-increasing commercial competition and the emergence of new technologies, while the transformation of former State controlled broadcasters in Central and Eastern Europe has often proved controversial. Private television, on the other hand, is also put into question in relation to its programming and ownership patterns.

Main regional findings

Television remains the primary source of information for most people in Europe, despite the dynamic progress of new information technologies. However, the pivotal role of television in supporting democracy in Europe is under threat.

Public service broadcasters are compromising quality to compete with commercial channels, and many of them depend on Governments or political parties. While there are nearly 4,000 television channels in Europe, the television market is in reality highly concentrated in terms of both ownership and audience shares. In most countries, a handful of channels attract the vast majority of viewers. Ownership structures are controlled by a few companies and often shrouded in secrecy. Political pressure on regulators and public service broadcasters is widespread.

In Europe, universally available high quality programmes are scarce. Investigative journalism and minority programming are hard to find in both public service and commercial broadcasting. Newscasts are often tabloid, particularly on commercial channels. As a result, viewers often do not receive the information necessary to make informed democratic choices.

These developments jeopardise broadcasting pluralism and diversity, with the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe most at risk. Whether the switchover to digital broadcasting will benefit the public remains to be seen. Digitalisation may instead enable leading commercial players to further erode public service broadcasting, undermining pluralism and diversity, as well as high quality content.

Main regional recommendations

On media policy:

• National governments and international organisations should live up to their commitments to the dual system of public and private broadcasters as an essential element of democracy. Market forces alone must not determine broadcasting policy.
• Governments and parliaments should ensure the political and operational independence of broadcasting regulators. The regulators must have the resources and powers to monitor broadcasters, and their compliance with legislation and licence conditions.
• The European Union should establish an independent agency to monitor media markets and media concentration in the EU and on global markets.

On public service broadcasting:

• Broadcasting regulators should ensure that the public service broadcasters' programming complies with a clear public service remit.
• Governments and parliaments must ensure that the funding of public service broadcasters is transparent.
• National media policy should include strategies for the development of local television stations and community media.

On commercial broadcasting:

• Governments and parliaments should adopt legislation ensuring transparency of ownership of all media outlets, including external investors.
• The EU should introduce legislation to ensure transparency of media ownership.
• Commercial broadcasters should be encouraged or obliged to broadcast public service programmes.

On digitalisation:

• Public service broadcasters should automatically receive licences for digital broadcasting.
• Regulators should allocate digital licences to a diverse range of operators to ensure that dominant positions in analogue broadcasting are not extended.
• Parliaments should adopt legislation to prevent the emergence of monopolies of operators involved in the digital chain - such as digital multiplex operators, television stations, programme packagers and software providers.

Monitoring reports

The 20 country reports are divided into the following sections:

1. Executive Summary
2. Context
3. General Broadcasting Regulation and Structure
4. Regulation and Management of Public Service Broadcasting
5. Regulation and Management of Commercial Broadcasting
6. European Regulation
7. Conclusions
8. Recommendations

The complete three-volume report and a one-volume summary report are published in English. Each country report is also published in the language or languages of the country, accompanied by a translation of the regional overview. Read or download the reports.