Vision2020 Experts Group III (EBU)

Legal specialists from the EBU Community tackled the question of whether certain groups of people, such as serving politicians, should be excluded from bodies appointed to ensure the independence of public service media (PSM).

The Vision2020 Experts Group III on Governance, Funding, Role & Remit, charged with analysing major issues facing radio, television and multimedia in the next decade, met today (12 September) to discuss solutions to a number of challenges faced by PSM. The Group Chair, Tim Suter, said a survey of broadcasters across the EBU Community had identified concerns from some Members who faced editorial interference, threats to institutional autonomy, and the need for stable, secure funding to protect against undue political influence. The survey also highlighted the importance of independent PSM supervisory bodies, free from political control.

"PSM cannot afford to be complacent," said Mr Suter. "The system is not broken, but in some parts of Europe, broadcasting autonomy is under threat. We need examples of how political interference can be neutralised and the question has been asked, should serving politicians be excluded from participating? We need to provide PSM with a toolkit to ensure public confidence."

In summarising the discussion, Mr Suter said the solution lay in creating a set of processes populated with good examples, such as in Sweden, where the government assigns an independent body, which in turn appoints an independent supervisory body. Jan Petersson (STR/SR Sweden) said the system offers an extra layer of protection and builds public confidence.

"It creates a buffer, an intermediary body between politicians and the supervisory body that creates a layer of trust and keeps the government at arm's length," said Mr Petersson.

Today's meeting is one of three final Experts Group discussions to take place this month. Yesterday, the Vision2020 Experts Group II on Distribution, Technologies & Audience met in Geneva. Much of the discussion centred on how broadband internet will interact with broadcasting as it becomes ever more available and whether it will even eventually replace broadcasting.  Group chairman David Wood said delegates concluded it would never replicate the universal service mission of public service broadcasting.

"Broadcasters need to use broadband Internet as just one more means for fulfilling their mission," said Mr Wood. “The two main technology tools that we will have in 2020 for fulfilling our mission will be very large, light, high quality, thin television sets, and the sleeping giant – tablets or "phablets", if you use them as a phone. 2020 needs a strategy to make best use of them.”  

The third Experts Group l on Content & Audience will meet in Rome on September 24.

The Group's findings will be presented in October to the EBU Executive Board, who will be meeting in Cyprus, at the invitation of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC). This comes ahead of the Winter General Assembly, in Geneva, in December. The EBU's strategy and services will be reviewed according to the project's conclusions, which will be presented to the 2014 Summer Assembly.

About Vision2020

In October 2012, the EBU launched Vision2020, a pre-emptive quest for knowledge relating to media consumption, the media value chain, the media market, demographics and government policies.

The success of Vision 2020, led by former NOS Director General Ruurd Bierman, lies in the collaborative spirit that typifies the EBU – the active participation of Members, to identify:

• how we remain indispensible to our audiences and stakeholders in 2020
• the role of PSM in future European society
• how audiences can come to recognize PSM content among a deluge of media offerings
• how PSM can engage in productive and meaningful conversations with their audiences, in particular young people
• how PSM can maintain its reputation as the providers of distinctive, reliable and high-quality content