Challenges to Public Television in the Era of Convergence and Commercialization

The question of whether public broadcasting should be sustained and protected is at the heart of current media policy debates in Europe. The main issue is whether traditional forms of regulation, including regulation protecting public communication and the media's social and cultural functions, are still relevant in the emerging digital media system. In this article, the situation of public television is discussed with reference to the Norwegian experience and the media policies emanating from the European Union. In the article, it is argued that the momentous changes associated with convergence, globalization, and privatization have produced a new set of challenges to public broadcasters and policy makers. Although the range of possible responses is curtailed by an ideological climate that favors market regulation over more traditional forms of cultural policy, it is argued that the situation also creates space for new policies destined to protect and defend public broadcasting.