"Progress on Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) is more likely to occur when there is collaboration with others; where there are strategic opportunities; when UNESCO uses project funds to reward progressive policy change; where there are staff in the field who are committed to PSB; when there is foll
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ow-up and follow-through on activities; where UNESCO has a long-term perspective. The case study from Afghanistan (Appendix D) supports the view that collaborative programming has the potential to achieve much more than UNESCO could do alone. Collaboration is essential for large, long-term initiatives since UNESCO has limited funds available within the CI sector’s regular budget for PSB. UNESCO’s collaboration with UNDP in central Asia and its positioning of PSB within the UNDAF appears to have resulted in a positive influence. This is evident in Kyrgyzstan, for example, which developed a progressive broadcasting law that brought the country closer to a PSB model. UNESCO’s recent experiences in Malawi and Afghanistan demonstrate that significant movement towards PSB is possible in countries that are undergoing democratic reform. Post-conflict and failed states in transition can be fertile grounds for PSB but sustainable reforms are difficult to achieve within UNESCO’s planning cycle. UNESCO and its partners need to undertake thorough risk assessments in such countries before investing heavily. Cambodia illustrates one of UNESCO’s successful strategies for influencing change. UNESCO used IPDC funds to lever concessions from the Cambodian government. With IPDC as a carrot, UNESCO was able to persuade the government to introduce a new policy on editorial independence for broadcasters. As noted earlier, UNESCO’s greatest strength is its staff. In regions with knowledgeable and committed staff, it has had the largest volume of projects and made the most progress towards PSB. In contrast, where field officers have had little knowledge or interest in PSB, progress has been marginal." (Lessons, pages 25-26)
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"ERNO is in the opinion of all directors and leading editors I talked to for the purpose of this report a very important tool, not only for the exchange of news in the not so far very troubled region of Europe, but is also a very suitable mechanism for starting an even more productive and widespread
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cooperation between public broadcasters in SE Europe. The ERNO news exchange has established itself as an “irretrievable source” of TV news between the countries in South East Europe in a very short time. Currently it produces more than 1000 items annually with the quality of the exchanged items (content and shooting) improved considerably from year to year. Although some differences in quality still exist, the overall quality of the offered news items is in accordance with prevailing EBU standards. Beyond the news exchange, the ERNO mission should be the promotion of co-productions, professionalism in all fields of TV production: journalistic skills, editing, shooting etc. and reinvention of the traditional cooperation between public broadcasters in the region." (Conclusion and recommendations, page 20)
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"Personal account of the manifold problems faced by the author in converting state broadcasting in Kosovo into a public service broadcaster. The author was foreign relations coordinator of the German public boradcaster ARD from 1965 to 1996." (commbox)