International principles and standards for Public Service Broadcasting

Article 19 (www.article19.org), an international civil society organization with expertise in international public service broadcasting standards, notes that although no international treaty directly addresses the question of PSB, there does exist a body of standards that are found in a number of international instruments, particularly within Europe. These instruments are listed under International Standards and Principles in the Resources section of this paper.

From these international standards at least six characteristics or standards of public service broadcasting emerge that need to be provided for in a broadcasting legislative framework.
1. Universality – the services of the public service broadcaster are available and accessible to the entire population in terms of content (languages) and technology (all people within an area in which a public service broadcaster is assigned a licence, must be able to receive the signals and the services delivered by the broadcaster).
2. Diversity - broad programme range. Public service broadcasters should provide a variety of programmes, including quality content of an educational and informative nature. The obligation of diversity in programming serves to ensure that the public has access to information about a wide variety of issues and concerns.
3. Independence from both the State and commercial interests -
Programming decisions should be made by public service broadcasters on the basis of professional criteria and the public’s right to know, rather than by pressure from political or commercial interests.
4. Impartiality of programmes - Impartiality is closely related to independence. If it is inappropriate for the government to use public funds to promote its particular viewpoint, it is equally inappropriate, given its public mandate, for a PSB organization to promote a certain position or support a particular political party.
5. Concern for national identity and culture – In some countries this is an explicit obligation that reflects the role of public service broadcasters in building a sense of national identity, belonging and participation. At the same time, this principle is controversial as it may restrict editorial freedom and contribute to promoting a dominant culture rather than multiculturalism.
6. Financed directly by the public – Many PSB systems are based on a general charge on users or a television license fee. License fees are generally regarded as being less susceptible to government interference, although typically public bodies set the rate of the license fee and where relevant apportion it among public service broadcasters. In some countries, the parliament directly votes funds for broadcasters. However license fees may be difficult and/or costly to collect and may be difficult to introduce for political and economic reasons, where they are not already in place.

Some argue that ‘standard setting’ is another characteristic of PSB in that the absence of commercial pressure can encourage a higher standard of journalism which raises the bar for all journalists. Even in the presence of a commercial broadcast system, PSB can set the standard for professional journalism and other programming partially because it is freed from purely commercial imperatives which might sacrifice public service for profit and degrade journalistic performance.

These characteristics raise a number of issues that are continually debated amongst communication scholars and practitioners, governments, inter-governmental agencies including the Council of Europe, the International Telecommunications Organization (ITU) and UNESCO as well as amongst regional and national PSB associations.

Why is public service broadcasting important?
Public service broadcasting has a key role to play in strengthening democracy and democratic governance as well as poverty reduction efforts by ensuring that marginalized and disempowered groups (those with neither political nor economic influence or power) have access to information and provide a voice for the voiceless.
a) It provides a voice for the voiceless
b) It ensures that the general population has access to a broad spectrum of views on issues of public concern
c) It can promote tolerance/ understanding amongst diverse groups in society
d) It can facilitate discussion around national development/poverty reduction plans, peace agreements

a) It provides a voice for the voiceless
Public service broadcasting has an obligation to promote alternative views for the purpose of enabling and encouraging debate that is vital for the functioning of democracy. This means facilitating different groups ‘access to the media/airwaves through supporting local programme production on themes and subjects that are of importance to for example poor and marginalized groups.
b) It ensures that the general population has access to a broad spectrum of views on issues of public concern
An important role for PSBs is to make governance institutions and processes better understood by the population, especially the poor and marginalized groups, by serving as the principal communication medium for raising awareness and educating the public. Strengthening national capacities for developing quality local programming for radio (and TV) are critical in this regard.
c) It can promote tolerance and understanding amongst diverse groups in society
In societies, where ethnic tensions, repression, civil strife and violent retribution are deeply engrained, public service broadcasters can play a role in providing a space for diverse groups to debate and exchange views without violence. In the absence of a common national identity, state and commercial broadcast media can be extremely partisan. Public service broadcasting systems that are developed in accordance with internationally agreed standards require legal mechanisms that protect public service broadcasters from political and commercial influence as well as requiring programming to reflect the views of diverse groups.
d) It can facilitate discussion around national development/ poverty reduction plans, peace agreements, reconciliation/ dialogue processes
Public Service Broadcasting can and should play a central role in both conflict prevention and poverty reduction efforts, particularly by ensuring a freer flow of information and greater diversity in information. Market and other private sector forces do not satisfy all public informational interests and needs, and as a result need to be supplemented by PSB.