The article discusses the changing role of the European Community and its impact on national media systems and policies. It claims that the EC-policies advocate total freedom to provide services across borders, and that, therefore, total liberalization may lead to a future cultural synchronization and economic oligopolization of Europe. The main arguments presented are:
1. The national, and especially the European policies regarding telecommunication services in general and broadcasting in particular are based on economic in stead of cultural considerations. This trend will continue after 1992.
2. The public service broadcasting structure and philosophy has undergone major changes throughout the last decades. These changes, initiated by internal as well as external factors, have affected the organizational and finance structures, and the programming of public service broadcasting.
3. It is questionable whether the European policies will be in the advantage of the so-called smaller countries in the European Community, like for instance Belgium or the Netherlands, on the one hand, and whether these policies will be able to secure a free and balanced flow of information, ideas, opinions and cultural activities within the Community on the other hand.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ArlandisJ. (ed.) (1989), “Construire l'espace europeen” (special issue), Le Bulletin de l'IDATE, 37.
2.
BeckerJ., & RehbinderM. (eds.) (1990), Europäische Coproduktion in Film und Fernsehen, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, Baden-Baden.
3.
BraunF. (ed.) (1990), Panorama of EC industry 1990, Commission of the European Community (CEC), Brussels.
4.
BurgelmanJ.C., & PauwelsC. (1991), “Growing Convergence between Broadcasting and Telecommunication: Policy problems at the level of the Commission of the European Communities”, J. Servaes (ed.), Europe 1992: Impacts on the Communications Environment, special issue of Telematics & Informatics, 8, 3.
5.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (1985), Let's do it! A Vision of Canadian Broadcasting, CBC, Ottawa.
6.
ChamouxJ-P (ed.) (1991), Deregulating Regulators? Communications Policies for the 90's, IOS Press, Amsterdam.
7.
CollinsR. (1990), Satellite Television in Western Europe, John Libbey, London.
8.
Commission of the European Communities (1984), Television without Frontiers. Green paper on the establishment of the Common Market for broadcasting, especially by satellite and cable, CEC, Brussels (COM-84-300).
9.
Commission of the European Communities (1990), Towards Europe-wide Systems and Services. Green Paper on a common approach in the field of satellite communications in the European Community, CEC, Brussels (COM-90-490).
10.
CorcoranF. (1991), “Restructuring of Irish media for an Integrated Europe: A view from the Celtic periphery”, J. Servaes (ed.), Europe 1992: Impacts on the Communications Environment, special issue of Telematics & Informatics, 8, 3.
11.
Council of Europe (1986), Recommendations adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in the Media Field, Directorate of Human Rights, Strasbourg.
12.
CouprieE., & OlssonH. (1987), Freedom of Communication under the Law, The European Institute for the Media (EIM), Manchester.
13.
European Television Task Force (1988), Europe 2000: What kind of television?, The European Institute for the Media (EIM), Manchester.
GlimmerveenH. (1990), Omroepen in België.NOS (Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation), Hilversum.
16.
HancockA. (1981), Communication Planning for Development. An Operational Framework, Unesco, Paris.
17.
HeinsmanL., & ServaesJ. (eds.) (1988), Hoe nieuw zijn de nieuwe media?, Acco, Louvain.
18.
Hoffman-RiemW. (1986), “Internationale Medienmarkte - Nationale Rundfunkordnungen: Anmerkungen zu Entwicklungstendenzen im Medienbereich”. Rundfunk und Fernsehen, 34, 1.
19.
Hoffman-RiemW. (1987), “National identity and cultural values: Broadcasting safeguards”, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 31, 1, Winter.
20.
HughesG., & VinesD. (eds.) (1989), Deregulation and the Future of Commercial Television, Aberdeen University Press, Aberdeen.
21.
JussawallaM., OkumaT., & ArakiT. (eds.) (1989), Information Technology and Global Interdependence, Greenwood Press, New York.
22.
KleinsteuberH. (1990), “Unfaire Handelspraktiken oder Kulturpolitik? Die Reaktion in den USA auf die Eigenproduktionsquote der EG-Fernsehrichtlinie”, Media Perpektiven, 9.
23.
KleinsteuberH., McQuailD., & SiuneK., (Eds.) (1986), Electronic Media and Politics in Western Europe, Campus, Frankfurt.
24.
LanvinB. (ed.) (1989), Global Trade. The Revolution beyond the Communication Revolution, IDATE, Montpellier.
25.
LocksleyG. (1988), TV Broadcasting in Europe and the new Technologies, CEC, Brussels.
26.
LocksleyG. (ed.) (1990), The single European Market and the Information and Communication Technologies, Belhaven Press, London.
27.
LuykenG.-M. (1987), “Direktempfangbare Satelliten in Europa, Gegenwartiger Stand und Faktoren der zukunftigen Entwicklung”, Media Perpektiven10, pp. 615–629.
28.
ManschotB. (1991), “De smalle marges van de televisie”, ServaesJ., & HeinsmanL. (eds.) (1991), Televisie na 1992. Perspectieven voor de Vlaamse en Nederlande omroep, Acco, Louvain.
29.
MattelartA., DelcourtX., & MattelartM. (1983), La culture contre la democratie?, L'audiovisuel a l'heure transnationale, La Decouverte, Paris.
30.
McQuail D. and the Euromedia Research Group (1990), “Caging the Beast: Constructing a Framework for the Analysis of Media Change in Western Europe”, European Journal of Communication, 5, 2-3, June.
31.
McQuailD., & SiuneK. (Eds.)(1986), New Media Politics: Comparative Perspectives in Western Europe, Sage, London.
32.
MelodyW. (1990), “The information in I.T. Where lies the public interest?”, Intermedia, 18, 3, June-July.
33.
MowlanaH. (1986), Global Information and World Communication, Longman, New York.
34.
NegrineR., & PapathanassopoulosS. (1990), The Internationalisation of Television, Pinter Publishers, London.
35.
PalmerJ. (1989), 1992 and beyond, Office for Official Publications of the European Community, Luxembourg.
36.
PauwelsC. (1988), Cultuurpolitiek en mediabeleid. Een case-study naar de efficiëntie van het omroepbeleid van de EEG, MA thesis, Dept. of Communication, Free University of Brussels.
37.
PeaseyJ. (1989), “Der Markt für Fernsehprogramme in Westeuropa 1988 bis 1998”, Media Perspektiven, 8.
38.
PragnellA. (1985), Television in Europe: Quality and Values in a Time of Change, European Institute for the Media, Manchester.
39.
PorterV. (1991), “Broadcasting and Competition in the Single European Market”, J. Servaes (ed.), Europe 1992: Impacts on the Communications Environment, special issue of Telematics & Informatics, 8, 3.
40.
RaboyM. (1990), Missed Opportunities. The Story of Canada's Broadcasting Policy, McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal.
41.
RowlandW., & TraceyM. (1990), “Worldwide Challenges to Public Service Broadcasting”, Journal of Communication, 40, 2, Spring.
TruffartF. (1991), Guide des Televisions en Europe, Mediaspouvoirs, Paris.
52.
UngererH., & CostelloN. (1988), Telecommunications in Europe, Commission of the European Communities, Brussel.
53.
AuthorsVarious (1986), Report of the Task Force on Broadcasting Policy, Supply and Services Canada, Ottawa.
54.
Various Authors (1990), “Rundfunk- und Kulturpolitik in europäischen Kleinstaaten I+II” (special issues), Medien Journal, 14, 1+3.
55.
Various Authors (1990), “Televisions en Europe” (special issue), Mediaspouvoirs, 20, October-December.
56.
Various Authors (1988), “L'Europe de la Communication” (special issue), Mediaspouvoirs, 12, October-December.
57.
Various Authors (1990), “Europa - Ist das kulturelle Femsehdilemma programmiert?”, Media Perspektiven, 10.
58.
WalkerG., SuydamM., & McGuagheyS. (1991), “HDTV: New Aspects for the big picture”. World Broadcast News, 14, 8, September.
59.
WaskoJ. (1991), “Hollywood, New Technologies and Europe 1992”, J. Servaes (ed.), Europe 1992: Impacts on the Communications Environment, special issue of Telematics & Informatics, 8, 3.
60.
WoltonDominique (1990), Eloqe du grand public. Une théorie critique de la télévision, Flammarion, Paris.
61.
ZolfD. (1991), “A Comparison of Broadcast Deregulation in Canada and the United States”, SinghB., & HansonJ. (eds.), Advances in Telematics. Vol. 1, Ablex, Norwood.
