Francisco Rui Càdima
New University of Lisbon
Real-time summary:
Professor Francisco Rui Càdima focused his intervention not so much on the Portuguese case as on the wider European issue. The global crisis in the field of audiovisual media has had a significant impact on the media system. A change is necessary, as well as the introduction of a clear distinction between public service media content and the offer of commercial operators, both in the radio-television broadcasting system and in the new world of the Net, so as to encourage and improve the legitimacy of public service media. At this moment, with the steady migration of broadcasting to the Web, it is very important to evaluate the general level of public interest in any particular content, so that we can determine whether it is truly relevant to the mission of the public service.
We know that the generalized spread of the field of entertainment within broadcasting leads to a gradual de-politicization of the public, which implies a profound rethinking of the objectives, purpose, mission, contents, practices and distribution platforms of public media. This is no easy task since, although the digital universe does generate qualitative strategies within public service media, apparently controlled by systems for the assessment of their public value, there are paradoxically more difficulties and negative repercussions upon the old linear media system.
Continuation of the real-time summary
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General content of Professor Fancisco Rui Càdima 's speech:
Public Television and the New Web Environments
In this reflection we suggest some possible solutions to the global crisis of the public sector of audiovisual media, which has significant implications in the media system. We consider that the need for a shift of the model is becoming increasingly evident and also that it is more imperative than ever in the present context of the European and global economic crisis. In our view the strengthening of the legitimacy of public media, at this early stage of the passage to digital technologies, requires a clear distinction between the model and content of public media and the offer of commercial operators – both in the radio/television broadcasting system, which is increasingly in crisis, or, more importantly, in the new Web environment. It is becoming more difficult to predict what will happen in the medium term, with regard to Web 2.0/3.0 environments within the sector of television.
Considering the constant migration of broadcasting to the web it is important to know where the general interest in public service content lies, as well as the legitimacy of public service media. Assessing the general interest of a particular content makes it possible to determine whether, for example, a new service for the Net is an integral part of the mission of the public service. The Public-Value-Test (BBC) and the Three-Step-Test (ARD / ZDF) already exist and they are influencing and inspiring other European public television evalutation systems, but in Portugal RTP has not yet put forward a proposal in this sector. We know that the generalized spread of the entertainment sector in radio/television broadcasting has resulted in a gradual de-politicization of the public, which leads to the need for a profound rethinking of the objectives, mission, contents, practices and distribution platforms of public media. This is no easy task since, although the digital universe generates qualitative strategies in public service media, apparently controlled by systems for assessing public value, the difficulties are paradoxically increasing in the old linear media system.
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See also:
2009 INFOCIVICA CONFERENCE
IS BUILDING AN EUROPEAN PUBLIC SERVICE TELEVISION POSSIBLE ?
After the Lisbon Treaty : problems and prospects
Audio 2009 INFOCIVICA CONFERENCE
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