"Public broadcasting has a lot of friends in the world today - but they do not always seem to be loving quite the same thing, and certainly not for the same reasons. For some, the term merely refers to radio and television which is not commercial, following the common distinction between public and
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private enterprises. For others it means a service provided to the public - much like public schools or public health facilities. And just as there is general agreement that these will be provided by the state for the benefit of all citizens, the same is taken to apply to broadcasting. Terms like national broadcaster or state broadcaster or public broadcaster are thus used interchangeably, as if they all denoted one and the same thing. For yet another group of friends, public broadcasting is the natural home of all that is great and good and worthy on the airwaves, far removed from the plain offerings of commercialism and entertainment. This Tool Box will dissect some of these myths and misperceptions, so that an informed debate can be held on what exactly public broadcasting is all about, and to assist its real friends in civil society in their advocacy work. It will describe more precisely what makes a public broadcaster the very opposite of a state broadcaster, what it can do and should be doing, and how it will be controlled, financed, organised and run in order to succeed." (Pages 3-4)
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"This comparative study questions whether the transformation of state television into public service television was successful in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania. It analyzes the context in which public service televisions operate, as well as their professional identity and
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mission in the dual broadcasting markets. The study also evaluates the editorial independence of public service television in the region, and puts forward policy proposals to improve its performance." (Abstract)
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"In this study Sandra B. Hrvatin analyzes the public institution RTV Slovenia and the main problems related to it - funding, public control and fulfilment of the public role - and draws comparisons with other public broadcasters across the world. She concludes that RTV Slovenia is in crisis and sugg
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ests that it cannot be successfully resolved unless certain questions relating to the role and significance of contemporary public service broadcasters are answered first. "To support PSB today means to support the option of an open communication space in which all citizens, no matter what their material wealth or communication competence, will have access to communication channels and a chance to influence programming and content." (Summary, page 6)
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