Building the future of European Public Service Media: innovation priorities, key points and optimization areas in PSM

  1. César Fieiras
  2. Martín Vaz Álvarez
  3. Miguel Túñez López
Journal:
Comunicación y sociedad = Communication & Society

ISSN: 2386-7876

Year of publication: 2024

Volume: 37

Issue: 3

Pages: 107-123

Type: Article

DOI: 10.15581/003.37.3.107-123 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openOpen access editor

More publications in: Comunicación y sociedad = Communication & Society

Abstract

The platformization and entry into the international television market of large video-on-demand (VoD) service providers has had an impact on all agents in the sector, as well as on operating rules, consumption habits, and financing, production and distribution models. In the case of public media, innovation is conceived as a strategic driver and the only sustainable alternative for their survival, repositioning and renewal in order to be relevant for citizens. This research analyzes 15 European public broadcasting corporations from Germany (ARD), Austria (ORF), Belgium (VRT and RTBF), Denmark (DR), Spain (RTVE), Finland (Yle), France (France TV), Great Britain (BBC), the Netherlands (NPO), Ireland (RTÉ), Italy (RAI), Portugal (RTP), Sweden (SVT) and Switzerland (RTS). A total of 18 interviews were conducted with senior managers of these corporations and one EBU member to shed light on innovation priorities, key points and areas of optimization, which allows identifying the conceptual, strategic and operational lines that these media will follow in the next stage. It is concluded that these broadcasters focus their efforts on the transversal implementation of high technology, particularly AI, for the improvement of their production and distribution operational routines; on the settlement and improvement of their VOD platforms; on digital positioning and cybersecurity; on the creation of stable communities; on the optimization of the user experience (UX) and the attraction and search for relevance for a young audience (16-25) often distant from their performances.

Bibliographic References

  • Baghai, M., Coley, S. & White, D. (1999). The Alchemy of Growth. New York: Perseus.
  • Cañedo, A., Rodríguez-Castro, M. & López-Cepeda, A. M. (2022). Distilling the value of public service media: Towards a tenable conceptualisation in the European framework. European Journal of Communication, 37(6), 586-605. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/02673231221090777
  • D’Arma, A., Raats, T. & Steemers, J. (2021). Public service media in the age of SVoDs: A comparative study of PSM strategic responses in Flanders, Italy and the UK. Media, Culture & Society, 43(4), 682-700.
  • Donders, K. (2019). Public service media beyond the digital hype: Distribution strategies in a platform era. Media, Culture & Society, 41(7), 1011-1028.
  • Donders, K., Raats, T. & Tintel, S. (2020). (Re)defining public service media from an economic perspective: Damned if they do, damned if they don’t. In B. von Rimscha (Ed.), Management and Economics of Communication (pp. 203-221). New York: De Gruyter. https://www.doi.org/10.1515/9783110589542-011
  • Donders, K. (2021). Public Service Media in Europe: Law, Theory and Practice (1st Ed.). New York: Routledge. https://www.doi.org/10.4324/9781351105569
  • EBU (2012). Public Service Values Editorial Principles and Guidelines. EBU General Assembly 2012. Retrieved fromhttps://www.ebu.ch/guides/public-service-values-editorial-principles
  • Fieiras-Ceide, C., Ufarte-Ruiz, M. J. & Vaz-Álvarez, M. (2023). Employer activity in public television in the age of automation: employer branding, recruitment channels, selection processes, competencies and professional profiles in demand. Studies on the Journalistic Message, 29(4), 855-868. https://www.doi.org/10.5209/ePSM.8858
  • Fieiras-Ceide, C., Vaz-Álvarez, M. & Túñez-López, M. (2022). Artificial intelligence strategies in European public broadcasters: Uses, forecasts and future challenges. Profesional de la información, 31(5), e310518. https://www.doi.org/10.3145/epi.2022.sep.18
  • Fieiras-Ceide, C., Vaz-Álvarez, M. & Túñez-López, M. (2023). Designing personalisation of European public service media (PSM): trends on algorithms and artificial intelligence for content distribution. Profesional de la información, 32(3), e320311. https://www.doi.org/10.3145/epi.2023.may.11
  • Habermas, J. (2021). Überlegungen und Hypothesen zu einem erneuten Strukturwandel der politischen Öffentlichkeit [Reflections and hypotheses on a renewed structural change of the political public sphere]. In M. Seeliger & S. Sevignani (Eds.), Ein neuer Strukturwandel der Öffentlichkeit? [A new structural change in the public sphere?] (pp. 470-500). Baden-Baden: Nomos.
  • Hallin, D. C. & Mancini, P. (2004). Comparing media systems: three models of media and politics. Cambridge, UK: University of Cambridge Press.
  • López-García, X. & Vizoso, Á. (2021). High-tech journalism: sign of the digital times of the third millennium. Profesional de la información, 30(3), e300301. https://www.doi.org/10.3145/epi.2021.may.01
  • Newman, N. (2024). Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2024. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford. Retrieved from https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/journalism-media-and-technology-trends-and-predictions-2024
  • Puppis, M. & Ali, C. (2023). Chapter 1. Introduction: Contribution to society and public service media’s neoliberal dilemma. In Public Service Media’s Contribution to Society. RIPE@2021 (1st Ed., pp. 9-28). https://www.doi.org/10.48335/9789188855756-1
  • Raats, T. & Jensen, P. M. (2020) The role of public service media in sustaining TV drama. Television & New Media. Epub ahead of print 13 April. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/1527476420913398
  • Sørensen, J.-K. & van-den-Bulck, H. (2018). Public service media online, advertising and the third-party userdata business: A trade versus trust dilemma? Convergence: The international journal of research into new media technologies, 26(2), 421-447. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/1354856518790203T
  • (2) (PDF) Artificial intelligence strategies in European public broadcasters: Uses, forecasts and future challenges. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364360261_Artificial_intelligence_strategies_in_European_public_broadcasters_Uses_forecasts_and_future_challenges
  • Sørensen, J. & Hutchinson, J. (2018). Algorithms and Public Service Media. In G. Ferrell Lowe, H. van den Bulck, K. Donders (Eds.), Public Service Media in the Networked Society (pp. 91-106). Göteborg: Nordicom.
  • Van den Bulck, H. & Moe, H. (2018). Public service media, universality and personalisation through algorithms: mapping strategies and exploring dilemmas. Media, culture & society, 40(6), 875-892. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/016344371773440
  • Vaz-Álvarez, M., Fieiras-Ceide, C. & Túñez-López, M. (2021). Co-creation experiences in European Public Service Media: Vision and trends. adComunica. Scientific Journal of Strategies, Trends and Innovation in Communication, 21, 71-84. https://www.doi.org/10.6035/2174-0992.2021.21.5
Data source: Dialnet