Document details

A Road Map to Public Service Broadcasting

Kuala Lumpur: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU);UNESCO;Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) (2012), 64 pp.

ISBN 978-967-99927-3-1

"Transforming the broadcasting of a country from state to public service is a long, hard and difficult road to travel. It is, however, well worth doing. It cannot be done without the support of the public, the opinionformers and the government, but if these are specifically targeted, it should be possible to achieve over a number of years. There is no need to be pessimistic about the future of Public Service Broadcasting in the digital age. There is a huge range of broadcasting emerging, ideally with key public service values at the core. PSBs will offer “most trusted” websites, informed blogs, balanced political coverage in the news, and fair election coverage. Because of the range and quality of their programming, Public Service Broadcasting will shine out alongside programming made at low cost for the greatest financial return. At the heart of PSB values is concern for the citizen in all his or her diversity and language competencies: many people will enjoy other offerings but when it comes to a disaster, political upheavals, major national events, or the need for mother tongue content, or even “something different”, it is to the Public Service Broadcaster that they will turn – even in a world of 500 available channels. Through the opportunities offered by digital technology, the Public Service Broadcaster is not only a source of discovery and delight but the route for ordinary people to communicate with leaders in all sorts of fields, and to influence the way things develop." (Conclusion, page 57)