Workshops
Private Radio and Television
 Organized by
Asociacion Internacional de Radiodifusion -
International
Association of Broadcasting (AIR-IAB)
12 December, 2003.
Private broadcasting has its fundamental place in the Information Society. Today, the transition to new digital technologies creates new opportunities, but also raises question marks concerning financing and frequencies.
Other timely questions for private broadcasters include sports rights and restrictions to advertising.
Content
- Programme
- Report
- Conclusions
- Notes for a Broadcasters' Action Plan
- Resources
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Speech
Alexandre Kruel Jobim, Brazilian Association of Broadcasters
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Speech
Nestor O. Criscio, Association of Uruguayan Broadcasters
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Speech
C.P Andrés García Lavin, Grupo Sipse, Mexico
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Speech
Juan Ortiz, Canal 11 Teleonce, Guatemala
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Speech
Alicia Finol, Grupo Finol, Venezuela
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Speech
Javier Marquez, Radio Cadena Nacional, Colombia
Programme
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Moderators:
Alfonso Ruiz de Assín, Vice-president, AIR-IAB
Héctor Oscar Amengual, Director General, AIR-IAB
1. Private broadcasting, mainstay of freedom of expression and pluralism
- realities and challenges
Panel:
- Andrés García Lavín, Grupo Sipse
- Alfonso Ruiz de Assín, AIR-IAB
2. The private broadcaster as a creator and producer of content
Panel:
- Alexandre Jobim, Brazilian Association of Broadcasters
- Frederik Stucki, Radio Canal 3, Switzerland
- Javier Márquez, Radio Cadena Nacional, Colombia
3. Problems in the operation of private radio and television stations
Panel:
- Juan Ortiz, Canal 11 Teleonce, Guatemala
- Christina Sleszynska, European Association of Radio, Belgium
- Ross Biggam, Association of Commercial Televisions in Europe, Belgium
- Alicia Finol, Grupo Finol, Venezuela
4. Radioelectric Spectrum
Panel:
- Emilio Nassar, Corporation Multimundo, Mexico
- Alfonso Ruiz de Assín, AIR-IAB
- Néstor Criscio, National Association of Uruguayan Broadcasters
- Christina Sleszynska, AER, Belgium
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Report
As the first panellist, Andrés Garcia LAVIN, stated that private broadcasting is a fundamental instrument of freedom of expression, opinion diversity, pluralism and democracy - which are the basis of the Information Society. In every country, free and independent private broadcasters have always defended human rights and democracy. Especially in Latin America, as Garcia Lavin recalled, with its ruptures of democracy caused by dictatorial regimes. There, private radios and televisions became the “voice of liberty, contributing to the return of the institutional life and the respect of human rights”.
Private broadcasting has been constructed, nourished and amplified through free competition, ensuring the multiplicity of information. It is now a fundamental element for citizen’s information.
Néstor CRISCIO then focused on explaining and analyzing the pros and cons that could arise from the transition to new digital technologies. Digital transition in the broadcasting sector, he suggested, should be a process that fairly deals with and respects the realities and possibilities of each country, allowing the adoption of compatible systems that coexist with the analogue transmission, as well as the approval of common standards for the region. Criscio argued that it is important to note that the techniques and devices that support ICTs are mostly exported from developed countries to developing countries. He also affirmed that, even if in this Summit the stake is to shorten the “digital divide”, it should be firstly a matter of minimizing the “economic divide” and improve the economies of the poorest countries.
Transition to New Digital technologies was for Christina SLESZYNSKA a natural evolution of analogue broadcasting. In most countries receivers are difficult to find and the transition to digital technologies means additional costs that private broadcasters sometimes cannot afford without public financial support. And more, there is no equal access to frequencies whether for public or private broadcasters.
In his intervention, Alfonso RUIZ de ASSIN of AIR/AIB underlined that the transition would not be easy for countries where people can barely feed themselves. How can this transition be financed? Governments could play a big role encouraging this transition with social investments. They should be conscious of the importance of this move. For the moment the only way of financing is advertising. He argued that besides the fact that the situation in Latin America is different from Europe, the question remains how to use better the spectrum when the digital technologies will be introduced. Anyway, he said, “the future will be digital”.
Alexandre JOBIM pointed out the existing difference between regions that are very advanced in information access through mass communication, and other parts of the world. In order to pursue the right to information, he said, “public and private broadcasting companies must focus on the localities and regions where there is a real need to implement and fill the vacuum in the information system, where there are no public or private broadcasting companies that transmit the necessary information to the public”.
Frederik STUCKI focused on the media situation in Switzerland, a particular country with four national languages, and 20% of the population coming from abroad. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation is mainly monopolistic in producing and distributing information. So, in front of national power, private broadcasters fight for knowledge and liberty of expression. Private broadcasting thus have an important role to play.
Javier MARQUEZ completed the discussion with an intervention on sports copyright, representing the point of view of private broadcasters whose only source of income is advertising. Sometimes, he said, it is difficult for private broadcasters to buy sports’ rights for events of a great importance (like the Football World Cup). Many privates broadcasters could not afford the high cost of broadcast rights.
Juan ORTIZ and Christina SLESZYNSKA talked about problems linked to advertising as the only income source for private broadcasters and the discussion on restrictions to advertising (in Europe advertising bans of tobacco and alcohol is coming to force; food advertising is under discussion).
In many countries public broadcasting coexists with private broadcasting, a coexistence that should be according to fair competition principles, Alicia FINOL said. Ross BIGGAM explained this with concrete examples and said that the biggest challenges for private broadcasters are the multi-dimensional factor, competition, and in particular competition with new business models. It is important to consider access to content in the Information Society, an Information Society “rich in original content” or “encouraging cultural diversity and creativity”.
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Conclusions
by AIR-IAB
1. For over eighty years, private and commercial radio and television have been doing an extraordinary service to the citizens. Through their defence of freedom of expression, they have been providing citizens with multiple information services along the day, serving as vehicle of cultural development and representing an essential feature for the support and social cohesion of all the countries where they are established. Private radio and television have been, and are an instrument of personal and collective development and an essential factor for citizens’ information, consequently for the strengthening of democratic societies. In Europe, where radio and television started as a public service, private broadcasters have been developing in an outstanding manner during the last decades, coexisting with public stations in every country, enjoying citizens’ preference more and more and playing the same positive role as previously described.
2. At the service of freedom of expression and the right to the citizens’ information, we defend the existence of information pluralism, through the broadest offer of radio and television stations in all countries. This should be interpreted as a need for the existence of plural media diversity, including varied ownership of broadcasting companies, in order to prevent monopolistic situations of any kind. This principle must be compatible with the need to foster the growth of radio and television companies, allowing the development of organizations and facilitating their reach to assure quality content and production, in order to provide citizens with informative, cultural and entertainment services, with full independence and freedom. To assure the correct compatibility of these two principles, the need for pluralism and the need to facilitate the development of media companies, we understand that general anti-monopoly legislation in each country needs to avoid specific legislation that would be discriminatory for private media, and would restrict their right to grow and improve their services to citizens.
3. As has been happening until today, private electronic media should continue fulfilling their essential role as a cohesive force of the societies where they exist, through their diverse news, cultural and entertainment, carrying on with their positive role as national cohesion levers with the social duty to inform, educate and entertain.
4. Private radio and television are very important cultural vehicles, presenting citizens with the creations of music, authors, movies and theatre, painters and sculptors, and in general terms, serving as a fundamental tool of the cultural structure of every country. This results in a contribution for the use of those resources, through the copyright payments which must take into consideration the promotional and marketing role of radio and television. Therefore these rights should be fair and balanced, taking into account the role played by radio and television stations in supporting the knowledge of the works, authors, interpreters, artists and performers.
5. One of the most popular contents offered by radio and television is the broadcast of sports events. This means the need to contribute through the corresponding broadcast rights, in the case of television stations; these rights should however be balanced with the promotion that the television makes of sports events. This is not at all the case for radio as the show taking place at the stadium is not offered to the listeners, but only the subjective and personal version of the journalists. We believe radio must not satisfy any broadcasting right since we think the work of the radio, as well as the print press, is covered by the right to information.
6. Advertising is the only financial source of private radio and television stations. This assures their economic autonomy, and the basis for their journalistic and programming independence. Consequently, public authorities should be extremely careful when placing restrictions on advertising for goods and services, legally manufactured and distributed, since the banning trend started with tobacco advertising is causing huge damage to private media, whose income comes from advertising. The right to free commercial expression and the need to cooperate with the interests of consumers’ public health should be assumed by radio and television stations, through agreements with public authorities as well as self-regulation initiatives. Commercial freedom of expression is not and cannot be separated from the liberties that shape mankind’s selective rationality for their own decisions.
7. Private radio and television coexist in many countries with public radio and television. This coexistence should be carried out in the future, under principles of fair competition; the multiple privileges public broadcasters enjoy should be eliminated, particularly the provision of double financial income, by means of public and advertising resources, which implies unfair competition with their private colleagues.
8. The correct and legal use of the radio electric spectrum should be assured. The current tolerance in many countries of illegal radio and television stations is unacceptable; no arguments for their community work can justify their illegal situation. This situation implies damage for the citizens and legal broadcasters, through radio electric interference and unfair competition in the advertising markets where they operate, since most of them are financed with commercial funds. It is essential that each country applies strictly radio and television legislation, to finish with the endemic phenomenon of illegal stations.
9. New technologies are modifying the traditional scene of radio and television. It is extremely important that public authorities favour and cooperate in the transition of analogue to digital technology in radio and television. It should be a process that respects the realities and possibilities of each country, allowing the adoption of compatible systems that coexist with the analogue transmission, as well as approving common standards for the regions.
10. In short, commercial private radio and television should have to continue playing their important social task in the future, and contribute to fill the digital divide that arises from the various social and economic sectors in each country, following their role supporting the social cohesion. This social role of private radio and television should be particularly acknowledged at the World Summit on the Information Society, that is taking place in parallel to this World Electronic Media Forum.
Notes for a Broadcasters' Action plan
- Private broadcasting has a central role in providing citizens with information and strengthening democracy.
- Private broadcasting promotes media pluralism and opposes monopolistic situations.
- Public authorities should be very careful in ruling restrictions to advertising of goods and services , since commercial income alone guarantees the journalistic and programming independence of private broadcasters.
-Governments should organize the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting, respecting the realities and social cohesion of each country.
- Radio should not become subject to rights for sports events; its sports coverage, like that of the print press, is covered by the right of information.
- Illegal use of frequencies should be prevented.
Guillaume Chenevière, Executive Director of the WEMF
Resources
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