Between Culture and Commerce

Abstract

Drawing on examples from the UK (BBC) and Germany (ARD and ZDF) this paper explores the problems of redefining publicly funded public service broadcasting in the light of plans for digital expansion and attempts either to tap into or increase supplementary commercial sources of funding. An analysis of reactions to the prospect of a digital future reveals that the BBC has been given more freedom to pursue its digital and commercial ambitions than its German counterparts, but that the activities of both have raised concerns about the definition of PSB, the extent of its activities, and its ability to separate core public service activities from commercial activities. The paper argues that in redefining PSB, it is difficult to reconcile cultural and market objectives, and that the situation is further complicated by the involvement of the European Union and its concern for fair trading and competition.