The last of three Experts Groups to meet before the EBU flagship project Vision2020 delivers its conclusions says that there is no 'one size fits all' solutions for public service broadcasters seeking to adapt to a new media landscape. 

The observation was made by Charlie Beckett, who chairs the Experts Group 1 Content & Audience , which gathered  in Rome (24/9) for the third and final time before the EBU Executive Board previews the project's findings and recommendations in November. Mr Beckett said the session built confidently on previous discussions about how particular areas, such as youth, sport, news and radio may evolve in the next decade. 

"Status quo is not an option in the medium term, but we recognise that a strategy to attract young people might be different to one that focuses on sustaining sports coverage," said Mr Beckett. "The group also dipped into some useful case studies that illustrate how innovation is already delivering results. Our Experts Group concluded that there is no single strategy for Members to follow, but rather a range of scenarios that can be adapted through sharing knowledge in a positive way."

Earlier in September (12/9) 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 PSM.

Tim Suter, who chairs Experts Group III on Governance, Funding, Role & Remit 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.

The final session of the Vision2020 Experts Group II on Distribution, Technologies & Audience took place in Geneva on 11/9. 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 chair 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.”  

In the coming days, project leader Ruurd Bierman will finalise the conclusions of the visionary process which launched in October 2012.

"Some recommendations need to be refined and there are some black spots that need to be addressed," said Mr Bierman. "In general however, there is consensus among the the Experts Groups on the analysis and recommendations. It's now up to the Vision2020 project team to produce the final report." 

The report will include an executive summary, 10 key recommendations, an analysis of the main trends and challenges facing PSM, and examples of best practices.

"The examples will help make the recommendations concrete, and inspire Members to develop their own future strategies," said Mr Bierman. "We plan to include more detailed analyses and data on trends in the annexes to the report – enabling Members to delve more deeply should they wish."

A draft of the main report will be available electronically for discussion at the EBU General Assembly, December 5 & 6, 2013. The final version of the report will be presented early 2014 in the form of an eReport and an app. The EBU's strategy and services will be reviewed according to the project's conclusions, which will be presented to the 2014 Summer Assembly.