The European public broadcasters’ clash with the future

Abstract

Most European public broadcasters face similar challenges, both in terms of environment (new infrastructures and devices, new competitors, changes in consumer habits, lower audience ratings, loss of young consumers) and internal situation (decreasing incomes; oversized staffs and high average age of workers; and adjustment, reorganization and modernization plans, among other issues). The budgets and staff sizes of the sector over the last ten years reflect this situation. Almost all of them have declined due to the global crisis of 2007-2008, the changes in supply and demand and the crisis of the current model. In short, they have shrunk because of the paradigm shift. The discussion now involves the future and the need to address more or less important changes, depending on each case, to adapt to new realities and to make it possible for public broadcasters to continue to provide the public service with which they are entrusted.

KEYWORDS:

Europe, audiovisual, broadcasting, television, public service, future.