ECREA16-Abstract

Saturday, November 12

1 6 : 0 0 – 1 7 : 3 0

CDE17

Between Legacies of the Past and Imperatives of the Future: Evaluating PSM's Democratic Functioning in Central and South

Eastern Europe

M. Puppis

U of Fribourg, DCM, Fribourg, Switzerland

The proposed panel session aims at shedding light on the extent to which political, economic and technological developments in Central and South Eastern

European countries (CEE and SEE countries) compromise the prospect of their Public Service Media (PSM) as democratic institutions. The institutionaliza‑

tion of independent, impartial and accountable public service broadcasters (PSB) has been a fundamental landmark of the (Western) European model

of media policy. Recent scholarly debates have also pointed to the need for nowadays’PSM to promote interactivity and personalized services addressed to

increasingly fragmented audiences as ways to further democratize its scope and reception in the digital age (Lowe and Bardoel, 2007). These aspirations

are shared by scholars interested in PSM across Western and Eastern Europe. Nevertheless, most of CEE and SEE post-communist countries are still dealing

with “disabling environments” inherited from their authoritarian past that hinder the speed and scope of political and media reforms (Mungiu-Pippidi,

2008). The engagement of media owners in political clientelistic networks (Örnebring, 2012), weak legal-rational authorities (Hallin & Mancini, 2004),

volatile governments and hardly mobilized political constituencies (Tworzecki and Semetko, 2012) are among them. In post-conflict settings with strong

ethnic divides like the Western Balkans, governmental censorship against sensitive political issues (Freyburg and Richter, 2010), inoperative minimalist

states and a lacking complicity of elites with the European project (Bieber, 2011) play also their part. The development of PSM in CEE/SEE in general and in

the Western Balkans in particular is facing additional technological and economic difficulties. In addition to current concerns regarding digital transition

and media convergence, PSM will have to be rethought in future years in a context of funding constraints (e.g. small audiences, low advertising revenues,

and opaque and scarce public funding), infrastructure needs to distribute digitalized content, and EU pre-accession and post-accession processes (and their

subsequent high compliance demands). In this framework, there is an urgent need to revisit the role of PSM under the very specific circumstances brought

about by historical backgrounds and current economic and technological developments. Bringing together scholars from Western and Eastern Europe,

the panel consists of five presentations. The first presentation provides a conceptual basis and empirical evidence of the actual development of PSM in

sevenWestern Balkans’countries in the face of EU conditionality. The second and third presentations then focus on the influence of highly politicized media

landscapes. Whereas the former shows how political control over current PSB is exerted, its reasons and its ability to influence public opinion in Hungary,

the latter proposes a participatory model as a means to overcome the obstacles to the construction of PSB set by political interference in the post-conflict

societies of the Western Balkans. The fourth presentation compares EU media and communication policy adaptations in Western and Eastern Europe in

a context of media digitization. Finally, the fifth presentation discusses Western European scholarly debates on PSM mission and value, and whether and

if they should be applied to CEE and SEE countries.

PN 328

The Prospect and Development of Public Service Media: A Comparative Study of PSB Development in the Western Balkans in Light

of EU Integration

T. Jusic

, D. Marko

, L. Castro Herrero

, M. Puppis

Analitika, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

U of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

U of Fribourg, DCM, Fribourg, Switzerland

As part of the democratization process, post-Communist societies, including the countries of the Western Balkans, were expected to transform their

state-controlled media into public service broadcasters. It was expected that once transplanted fromWestern countries into a new context, with necessary

formal and legal arrangements in place, these institutions would flourish, imitating theirWestern models (Jakubowicz and Sükösd, 2008). Existing research

points to the pitfalls of this approach (e.g., Splichal, 2001; Price and Raboy, 2001; Jakubowicz, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008; Moe, 2006, 2008; Peacock, 2004;

Bardoel and Lowe, 2004, 2008; Barwise and Picard, 2012). Created to formally satisfy the requirements of the EU, these broadcasters are largely unable to

fulfill their mission. Due to the lack of independence and financial stability, their expected role is reduced and their existence has been continuously ques‑

tioned. Pressures caused by technological development and digitalization, which require changes in the organization and operation of PSB, and associated

regulatory reforms make their development in the region ofWestern Balkans very uncertain. Previous research about PSB in theWestern Balkans has mostly

focused on processes of transformation in specific countries. These studies include Veljanovski (2005), Jusić, Bašić Hrvatin and Thompson (2008), Media

plan institute (2007), Trpevska and Micevski (2014), Valić Nedeljković and Matić (2014), Car (2005, 2012) as well as Peruško (2012). However, as valuable

as these contributions are for understanding individual media systems, a regional perspective and comparative studies are generally missing. This study

thus compares Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo as well as Croatia in order to analyze similarities and differences

with respect to challenges for and the performance of PSB. Based on interviews with stakeholders and on a qualitative analysis of documents, the study

considers the influence of Europeanization, the technological development, commercialization and the growing role of the market in shaping the ‘media

ecology’. Preliminary results of the study indicate first that PSBs in these countries are under strong political influence, reflecting trends of political parallel‑

ism. Second, PSBs are generally not financially sustainable which leads to their dependence on state aid and market revenues. Third, permanent changes

in regulation result in their vulnerability. Fourth, the implications of digital technology are still uncertain. There is a lack of discussion about the social role

of PSB in a changing media environment and the deadline for digital switchover was missed in several countries. Finally, PSBs are not offering a plural and

diverse program and thus do not cater for the demands of all social groups without discrimination. Neglecting the audience is an active part of PSB mission

and operation. These results emphasize the huge gap between European and local discussions on the future and redefinition of PSB. Being on the edge

of survival, PSBs in the countries of theWestern Balkans still lack a clear strategic vision. The present study may contribute to developing recommendations

for decision-makers and to make progress achievable.