The "Broadcasting Reaches” Lunchtime Talk in Brussels (EBU)

The use of radio spectrum within media convergence was centre stage at the recent “Broadcasting Reaches” Lunchtime Talk in Brussels (6 June).

Anthony Whelan, the new Head of Spectrum Unit of the European Commission, exchanged views with DigiTag President and European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Technical Director Lieven Vermaele on the importance of free-to-air broadcasting to deliver media to audiences.

Confirming the European Commission’s intention to table proposals on telecom regulations between now and October 2013, Anthony Whelan stressed that any future decision on spectrum allocation would be based on a holistic and evidence-based approach, and driven by the quest for economic, social and technical efficiency.

“It is important to find a win-win solution. Any outcome must secure different objectives for market players,” he said, referring to the complexity of the current EU debate on spectrum policy. With these objectives in mind, he said that the European Commission had recently commissioned a study on broadcast and broadband convergence.

Speaking on behalf of the EBU and DigiTag, which represents the interests of broadcasters, manufacturers and network operators to promote spectrum for broadcasting towards governments and administrations, Mr. Vermaele warned of 'an imminent media-delivery traffic jam' if the synergies between broadcast and broadband media delivery could not be duly appropriated.

“Terrestrial broadcasting is a unique and efficient way of delivering content to mass audiences. We would like to remind Mrs Neelie Kroes (European Commission Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda) that broadcasting is still widely used to deliver media content to consumers,” Mr. Vermaele said. “There is no one-size-fits-all solution: broadcasting will always be part of the mix. It must be part of the Digital Agenda.”

Mr. Vermaele said that linear television is still the key means through which audiences access audiovisual content and said it would remain crucial in the future, with media consumption increasing alongside the multiplication of media services on different platforms. 

Both speakers agreed that more dialogue between broadcasting and broadband advocates could lead to finding a viable middle-road, and that the European Commission was ideally placed to facilitate discussion.