El 10 de septiembre, Günther H. Oettinger (comisionado para la Economía Digital y Sociedad) intervino en la 24 Conferencia de Radiodifusores públicos. El Comisario afirmó que los radiodifusores del sector público (PSBs) juegan un papel fundamental y único, tanto desde el punto de vista social como económico. En Europa, son un vehículo para afirmar nuestros valores y el fortalecimiento de nuestra diversidad cultural.
El servicio público audiovisual se dirige a todos los sectores de la población y ofrece a todos el acceso a los programas de radiodifusión; se centra en contenidos de calidad ya sea información, contenidos educativos o de entretenimiento e invierte en la cobertura de noticias regionales y locales. Todo esto contribuye a fomentar el pluralismo a través de todo el sistema de medios de comunicación.
En pocas palabras, los PSBs tienen como audiencias a ciudadanos, no a consumidores.
Creo firmemente que la convergencia entre lo digital y los medios de comunicación es, ante todo, una excelente oportunidad para PSB, ya que la digitalización multiplica las oportunidades del servicio público RSP para perseguir su misión.

El discurso íntegro puede leerse a continuación:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure for me to be here with you at the 24th Public Broadcasters International Conference.

I would like to thank ARD and Bayerischer Rundfunk for bringing together such a wealth of interested parties and offering me the opportunity to address the issue of the role of media and Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) in building the digital society.

Public sector broadcasters (PSBs) play a fundamental and unique social and economic role. In Europe, they are a vehicle to affirming our values, preserving our economy and strengthening our cultural diversity.

PSBs target all sections of the population and offer everyone access to broadcasting programs; they focus on quality content be it information, educational content or entertainment and they invest in the coverage of regional and local news. All this contributes to driving up pluralism across the entire media system.

To say it in just few words, for PSBs audiences are citizens, not just consumers.

This is not unique to Europe but occurs globally.

As UNESCO puts it, in many emerging democratic countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East, PSB is seen as essential for the development of a strong and participatory democracy.

In some countries, PSBs are also key for the promotion of minority or less developed languages.

Today, I would like to focus today on the following issues:

How the global audiovisual market is evolving and what this means for the European audiovisual sector .
The key values of the European audiovisual model, in particular as regards PSB, as well as the main challenges facing PSB.
The unique role of PSB, and how I believe their mission should continue being successfully pursued in an ever changing society and economy. Let me start by highlighting the main traits of market evolution and what this means for PSB.
The most pervasive of such developments, as the name of this session recalls, is digitalisation.

Nobody any longer makes the difference between the "digital" life and economy from the "mainstream" economy and life.

We describe the world we live in as "Always On" – a world where we are constantly connected across various devices. Every device, anywhere, is now a TV.

Accordingly, the expectations of the audiences become digital – they want to access content in innovative, personalised and interactive ways.

Convergence brought an abundance and diversity of content, new modes of content production, distribution and access across platforms and devices, and consequently changed patterns of consumer and business behaviour.

More specifically, the following main trends can be observed:

Globally, consumer internet video traffic will be 80% of all consumer Internet traffic in 2019, up from 64% in 2014.
The sale of Internet-connected TV sets worldwide is expected to 173 million items in 2016 as compared to 52 million items in 2011.
Viewing habits are changing.
A very recent report highlighted that in major markets across the world 35% of all TV and video viewing is now watched on-demand. Also, 61% of people globally watch content on their smartphones.

Online advertising is growing at a fast pace. Global expenditure on mobile advertising will top $100 billion worldwide in 2016, which will make 51% of the digital market as a whole.
Content offer is also changing. In Europe, we have observed that European TV channels (including from PSB) are increasingly internationally oriented: in 2013, 1 989 TV channels established in the EU targeted other Member States and third countries (+ 24,6% vs. 2012) and represented 42% of the total national and international channels established in the EU (19,3% in 2012) .
By its own nature, digitalisation also comes in pair with globalisation and scale. These days, we often hear that the Internet or the cyberspace has no borders. This has also an impact on audiovisual media.

What is the impact of these developments on PSBs?

Some fear that these developments pose a challenge for PSB, as new market entrants acquire slices of the audiovisual media market pie. I am optimistic. PSB has been there for decades and has already experienced, and successfully adapted and even embraced new market developments.

I strongly believe that the convergence between digital and the media is first and foremost a terrific opportunity for PSB.

The more devices and services consumers have available, the more the content they will consumed. The figures I mentioned earlier how that the audiovisual media market pie is today a larger one than it used to be.

Technology now allows PSB to reach viewers – or rather, citizens - on a pan-European or global scale. Viewers can enjoy PSB programmes in their living rooms and as they are on-the-go, across devices.

This does not have simply an economic dimension: Digitalisation multiplies the opportunities for PSBs to pursue their mission.

It has a strong impact on the cultural and political life of each and every citizen, who has new opportunities for cultural expression and democratic interaction – what we can call as "participatory democracy".

PSB have proven us that they have well understood this.

They are responding to the digital revolution notably by developing compelling offers on online platforms.

Despite the fact that consumers can now compile their own information and entertainment menu from a very diverse and appealing set of offerings, PSB remains very strong.

For instance, as shown in data published in the summer by the British regulator OFCOM, despite the continued growth in the number of channels available, over half of all television viewing in the UK is still to the five main public service television channels.

I would also like to bring up the example of the Netherlands, where the online portal of a PSB has more users than Netflix – which in that country is also particularly strong.

In Japan, for example, NHK (the national public broadcasting organisation) registered in 2014 an annual revenue of more than $6bn, putting it close to the BBC.

In India, the public service broadcasters – Doordarshan and All India Radio – though not in a monopolistic position anymore, continue to play an important role in the country's media scenario.

Let me know move on to the European audiovisual model and its values. In Europe, we are proud of our so-called "dual" system –combining the presence of PSBs with commercial broadcasters.

This model allows delivering to the citizens an essential public service while maintaining an open market and opportunities for new entrants.

This dual" system model is permeated by key values.

These values, thanks to the solid and comprehensive regulatory framework that is in place, are conveyed by PSB, commercial broadcasters as well as more innovative services delivering audiovisual content, so-called on-demand audiovisual media services.

Please allow me to briefly illustrate these key values to you:

First and foremost, the protection of fundamental rights as also enshrined in the EU Charter. Freedom of expression and information and freedom and pluralism of the media are included there – and so are the protection of a person's private sphere and personal data.

Strong consumer protection, including for vulnerable viewers such as minors or persons with disabilities.

The promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity.

Access to information and universal service, in particular as regards information on events of high interest to the public and news programmes.

In times like this where new business models (crowd-funding, user generated content and citizen journalism, alliances between search engines and newspapers, etc.) have created many sources of information and news, some have raised issues around verification and traceability of news sources.

For many, PSBs are a way to ensure a high level of reliability.

The values of the EU audiovisual model bring direct benefits to the economy as well.
Notably, a free and pluralistic media environment is more appealing for investors, favors competition, and generates positive spill-overs across the whole economy, for example through the revenues coming from advertising. A free and pluralistic media environment ultimately reinforces the EU market and global trade, encouraging media companies to invest beyond borders.

In the specific case of PSBs, it is important to stress that when pursuing their mission they give at once a significant contribution to Europe's economy and to its cultural diversity.

According to estimations from the European Broadcasting Union, Europe's public service media organisations invest approximately EUR 20 billion in content and air a significant amount of domestic and European content.

Ladies and Gentlemen, PBS have played a unique role throughout history.

They have been a reference point for citizens, including in times of war, turmoil and political crises. This happens today as well. The external services of national PSB – such as the BBC World News – reach communities around the world.

Despite being well established and having pursued their mission for decades, PSB continue evolving and adapting, reinventing themselves to meet the challenges of new technology, competition and regulatory change.

This process of adaption comes with intense and sensitive debates revolving around a few issues:

Funding of PSB, which is subject to mixed models. Across EU Member States, PSB can receive money via public funds and/or licences fees paid by the citizens. Other models are in place elsewhere: for example, in the United States, funding is provided through mostly public donations but also through foundations and corporations, and individual donations.
There are heated debates around what is the best model and how should it evolve. Some even question why, in a world in which there is so much media choice, is there any longer a need for PSB funded by licence fees or taxation.

In Europe, there Protocol to the Amsterdam Treaty enshrines the freedom of Member States to design the mission and the architecture of their public service broadcasting systems while giving rules on how public money should be used to support media activities.

This is and remains our reference point in this domain.

The regulatory landscape.
As policy makers, in the European Commission we know well that a regulatory landscape striking the right balance between public interest and market needs is crucial in this domain.

In Europe, we are acting with no delays to make sure that the audiovisual media sector – including PSB - can pursue public interest objectives pursued efficiently and sustainably in the digital age.

Our Digital Single Market strategy will boost our economy by €415 billion per year and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

It will also enhance our international outlook.

Where does PSB have to benefit from the Digital Single Market strategy?

First of all, because we are looking into the existing regulatory framework for audiovisual media services in view of its modernisation. We are currently consulting the public – and you all are invited to contribute – on how the current rules on issues such as advertising, protection of minors, media freedom and pluralism, cultural diversity have delivered on our objectives and on if and how such rules should be enhanced in the future.

Given that protecting the public interest is also one of the main goals of the existing regulatory framework, we are also assessing whether specific rules should exist in order to ensure that audiences can easily find and access public interest content.

Secondly, because we will reform copyright including as regards overcome existing barriers to accessing content across borders. In doing so, we will refrain from imposing pan-European licences.

Thirdly, because we will review the rules applicable to copyright licensing in relation to distribution of TV programmes over satellite and cable networks. In this context, we are gathering the views of the public on what could be the impact of a possible extension of the existing law to broadcasting services provided over the Internet.

Fourthly, because we are kicking off a comprehensive assessment of the role that Internet platforms and intermediaries play in the economy. This also applies to the platforms offering audiovisual content over the Internet and will deliver more clarity as to the business models and their impact on the values that the EU strives to promote. I know that this debate is not only taking place in Europe.

Ladies and Gentlemen, throughout history PSB have played a unique role.

We need to work out together, at the global level, a future-oriented model of PSB, which is capable of matching an environment of technological and governance complexity with the needs of global citizenship.

I am confident that together we can make sure that PSB continue pursuing its mission in an ever changing economic and social climate.

EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre delivered a keynote speech to the annual Public Broadcasters International (PBI) Conference in Munich on 10 September. She told delegates that innovation and cooperation as well as involving young audiences and demonstrating PSM's value were key to its continued success.

Commissioner Oettinger,

Dear Colleagues and PBI Delegates,

I am very flattered to have this opportunity to give you some insight into the major developments currently shaping our industry.

And if I may, I will also use this moment to share some ideas with you, the renowned media experts in this room, on how best to embrace the changes we all face.

But before that, I would like to convey a message to you.

Back home, many of you are facing increasing pressure and criticism.

You are forced to fight for adequate funding, for the scope of your remit and for political independence.

My point to you is: Do NOT allow yourselves to be pushed into a corner.

Public service media are and will always be the most trustworthy media in true democracies. They have the cleanest reputations and the highest credibility.

Never forget this truth, because it means you can take part in the political conversation, modestly yet with confidence.

Now that I've made my point, I would like to talk about four pillars that are critical to the success of PSM: cooperation, innovation, involvement, and demonstration.

I have chosen these topics based on some of the concerns we all share because we are living in a deeply connected society and we are all affected by the impact of the digital economy.

We'll first look at some facts and figures and then explore some of the developments in various countries.

We're living in a golden age of radio and television. There is more, and better quality, radio and TV content than ever before. And as consumers, we have so much more choice about how to enjoy it all, since it is available to us whenever and wherever.

This is what it means to live in a connected society:

3.2 billion people use the internet. In Europe it is almost 80% of the population. According to Cisco, internet traffic has increased fivefold over the last five years and will continue to increase in the years to come.

66% of internet traffic is for video distribution. By 2018 the share of video might increase to almost 80%.

Social media plays a huge role in driving this demand. One in seven people worldwide are active Facebook users (1.44 billion). One billion people are using it daily. 70% are doing so via a mobile device and access Facebook more than 5 times a day.

About 80% of journalists are using Facebook and Twitter for research, fact checking, and promoting or disseminating their information. Thanks to these platforms, viewers and listeners have become a much stronger part of the conversation with us.

It has never been easier to connect, let me give you a couple of examples.

YouTube and Google operate by far the biggest search engines. Their search rankings have a significant impact on consumer choices, mainly because users trust and choose higher-ranked results over lower-ranked results. Researchers have found evidence that search rankings can shift voting and buying preferences.

Normally the more popular a service or information is, the higher up it shows. Algorithms are crucial. But activists are looking for other ways to influence the search result. For example, by Google bombing. Have you heard about ISIS-chan. By flooding the web with images of the peaceful ISIS-chan and her smiley melon, the collective of Japanese activists who created her are trying to push violent pictures of the global terror group off the internet. When you google ISIS, the first thing you should find should be a cute little anime girl.

But YouTube also has the power to create new stars, who have no exposure on traditional broadcast media. I'm sure many of you have heard of Michelle Phan and her make-up tutorial channel. Her site has more than 350 uploaded videos, 7.9 million subscribers and 1.1 billion lifetime views. She has her own L'Oréal line and lifestyle media network, has just published a book ad is teaching more people how to paint their faces than anyone else in this world.

YouTube content doesn't just entertain – it also inspires. It's a great platform to learn from and share. Two gold medallists at the Beijing Olympics, javelin thrower Julius Yego, and 400 metre runner Nicholas Bett, both grew up in Kenya with extremely limited training facilities. But it was YouTube videos that enabled them to hone their techniques and become champions.

The digital economy is disruptive. The market capitalization of Netflix has just overtaken the market capitalization of CBS, which operates the largest TV broadcast network in the USA.

We're all impressed by the deep pockets of Netflix, but also of HBO and other US networks, which sometimes invest up to 10 million dollars per episode to make a global hit series. I'm not aware of any broadcaster or producer in Europe that does or could invest such vast amounts to provide similar production value.

We're also impressed by the quality of Netflix's user interface, the speed of its expansion into new markets, its programme offer and the very positive reaction of customers. It's currently building its market share in just a few months, where pay-tv operators once needed years to achieve the same position.

And all this is because we are living in a connected society. Technology has profoundly changed the way we interact, use and share content.

10% of the cars sold today are connected. According to the auto industry, in two to three years' time all new cars will be connected to the internet. And hopefully, sooner or later, they'll be self-driving most of the time too – it's a nice idea, anyway.

Google Maps today provides the best navigation tool around, including the best traffic information services. It outperforms every national traffic information system I am aware of.

The technology in cars will have an impact on how and when we listen to the radio while commuting.

Connected people, homes, cars, businesses, industries. Connected communities but also connected terrorism. The internet of things. Everything is connected. And this is why we share a whole set of common connected concerns and challenges.

Firstly - the Network

As the internet develops it also diverges. We still have an open internet, but more and more specialized, managed networks are emerging, with varying levels of freedom, transparency, security and controls.

As broadcasters, we are obsessed with providing access to our content on all platforms. When it comes to online content, we are spending on average 14% of our total distribution costs for 2% of the viewed content. The demand for streaming and VoD is increasing. It will most probably double within the next three years. How do we deal with the ever increasing distribution costs, including the related complexity of delivering to all platforms and devices?

Also worrying is the behaviour of major internet providers. Liberty Global has approached the Dutch Broadcaster NPO and said that it is no longer willing to distribute its video over the internet, unless NPO pays for it.

A similar discussion took place between Netflix and Comcast, which triggered the debate about net neutrality. In this context it is no surprise that Google is testing the launch of a new low orbit satellite constellation to reduce its dependency on networks.

How do we ensure that the internet remains open, reliable and accessible at an affordable cost for all of us?

Data security and privacy is another major challenge.

We all know, how important user-generated data is for every service provider, including the media. Some say that data is the new oil of the economy. For some industries, including ours, this might really be true. How do we manage this data so we can take informed decisions and improve our services?

How do we ensure that we have access to the data generated by our customers? How do we ensure that the privacy of our audience is maintained and the data protected? How do we make sure that the data is deleted if the customer wants us to do this? What is our data policy? Do we share a data policy?

Being connected as we are today, we are more vulnerable than ever. The hacking of Sony revealed some embarrassing but probably pretty honest emails. Initially we thought that the cyberattack on TV5 Monde was the result of sloppily protecting passwords - something many of us still need to work on, and I'm as guilty as anyone!

But in the end it was clear that TV5 Monde was the victim of an extremely sophisticated cyberattack with incredible consequences. Not just that the hackers took control of channels, but the organization lost its backup system, because that was attacked as well. TV5 Monde is now spending 10% of its annual turnover on replacing equipment.

Honestly, the more you know about it, the scarier it is. And why did the hackers choose TV 5 Monde? Was this just a test for something bigger?

How do we protect our own operations?

Another major challenge is Talent & Content.

Technology has a broader indirect impact on our content. Our partners, the satellite, cable and telecom operators, are in a battle to own the home. For the time being, the most effective value proposition to distinguish their offer is content.

Owning content is crucial, especially now there are so many ways of distributing and selling it. That is why they buy not only channels (pay-TV and free-to-air) but also production companies that come with copyright libraries and in-situ talent. The most recent examples are the acquisitions made by UPC Liberty Global in the Benelux region and in the UK. In Belgium they acquired the strongest cable operator, the most relevant commercial channels but also the highly successful production company Woesteijnvis. In the UK they bought All3Media and increased their shares in ITV. Just to give you some examples.

Our national competitors are increasingly part of an international network, owning the most relevant production companies as well. How do we ensure that the best talent will continue to produce great programmes for us?

Some of the new players that most of you had probably never heard of until two years ago are investing in news as well. Altice, owned by Patrick Drahi, is buying flagging telecom and cable operators in various countries. The group emerged on the radar after its IPO in January 2014, which generated USD 1.8 billion. Since then, the company has continued to invest in many countries. In France the scale of its expansion is staggering. It bought the largest cable operator (Numericable), a telecom operator (SFR), and a mobile operator (Virgin Mobile France). It has acquired the daily newspaper Libération, the weekly L'Express with a dozen other magazines as well as the largest independent radio and TV network that operates RMC and the news channel BFM. The aim of Altice is to develop the most integrated, trusted and most popular news platform in France. I assume that they are also looking to what Jeff Bezos and the Washington Post are currently up to.

We all know that it is not about more news, but about better news and journalism. How do we make sure that we continue to provide high quality information, adding context and sometimes helping to find solutions with the limited resources we have?

The latest decision by the IOC regarding the Olympic Games is quite an eye-opener as well. For the first time in broadcasting history, PSM in Europe are no longer the preferred partner for the IOC. Discovery, strongly encouraged by its main shareholder John Malone, who is also the main shareholder of Liberty Global, has acquired the rights for Europe. PSM will become sub-licensing partners of Discovery/Eurosport. Most probably 50% of the sports coverage of the Olympic Games will disappear behind pay walls in many countries.

For the time being most other triple-A sports federations are still following a free-to-air strategy. If this changes, the impact will be dramatic for us. Without live coverage of popular sports we will lose relevance, market share and we might be forced to close down some of the channels we operate today.

How do we ensure that we are still able to acquire the most attractive sports properties in the future?

So what is my CONCLUSION?

Our industry is shaped by technology, the changing and emerging needs of society, and by global players. Many new players are emerging, providing not only high-quality content but promoting their services and making them accessible in new, more attractive ways.

But there is nevertheless good news. Despite these major changes and the ever-increasing offers from the new kids on the block, the traditional usage of radio and television is remaining remarkably resilient. Our audiences continue to listen to live radio and watch live TV. They continue to read newspapers both on paper and on line.

Younger audiences might be listening to more music and watching more movies and TV series than ever before but importantly they are also still listening to radio and watching TV. New on-demand services provided by Spotify, Netflix and others now seem to be complementing live programming but not replacing it completely as many have predicted.

This is because we too have learned and have adapted to the new media ecosystem as far and as well as our specific media regulations have allowed us to.

We have invested in quality and in the diversity of our programmes. We connect entertainment programmes with culture, we connect information with sport. We connect people at home with the outside world.

We have made our content available on all platforms. We don't underestimate the disruptive forces and we will continue to adapt our services. When radio was invented, we quickly understood that it was more than just reading the newspaper in front of a microphone. When TV was invented it meant more than just operating a camera in a radio studio, and now where we understand the internet better, we know that it is more than just a distribution channel - linear and on demand - for our radio and TV programmes.

But when a game-changing development takes place, even the most successful industry players may be hit hard, if they just rest on their laurels. And this goes for PSM as well. We should never take our success for granted. And the challenges we are facing are increasing, not at least because of the globalization of our industry.

All the examples and developments I have shared with you in the last few of minutes have something in common. They have the potential to be disruptive for all of us, they cannot be solved at a national level alone, and that's why we cannot overcome these challenges alone. Let me finish up with four recommendations.

The first: Cooperate

Break down the silos in your company, for example between radio, TV and online. Open up your organization to more cooperation at a national and international level. Open up!

Just to give you one example: In Switzerland SRG, the national PSM, Swisscom, by far the largest national telecom operator, and Ringier, for many years the biggest newspaper publisher, have announced a joint venture to acquire advertising for newspapers, online platforms and radio and TV programmes all together. This is ground-breaking and triggers enormous debates of course. But it is – in my opinion – the appropriate reaction at a national level to an increasingly globalized media industry.

If we cooperate more at an international level, we can afford the best talent to create the best content in the world. This is what the EBU excels at.

The Eurovision Song Contest celebrated its 60th anniversary this year with 40 countries taking part – including Australia! It's the most successful entertainment show, with 200 million viewers, in the world with the highest production values. Our Eurovision news exchange sees our Members share 50,000 items a year and it is the richest news source in Europe I am aware of. Our Euroradio music exchange provides Members with 4,000 concerts every year – an incredibly distinctive music library.

Cooperating with regard to research and development will help us drive innovation and set new industry standards. Cooperation is the key.

My second recommendation: Innovate.

Our funding model, based on a license fee or tax with or without advertising revenues, is a license to innovate. We can take more risks and we are obliged to provide better quality than private and commercial media. We do not depend on only commercial revenues. We are not dependent on shareholders who focus on quarterly reports and year-end profits.

Sometimes we might ask ourselves, what will be the next big thing? The answer is simple. Our content is the next big thing. We should make sure that we have the talent to innovate and to create fresh, sometimes surprising, existing, inspiring ideas that everybody talks about. We must create the room to experiment.

We can take risks and surprise audiences, while at the same time providing familiar content they know and cherish. We should monitor new channels and platforms, and look for talent in different places. And we should not underestimate the force of social media to provide the public service of the future.

My third recommendation is to Involve young audiences.

How will we develop future public service offerings without understanding the evolving needs of the citizens that will vote tomorrow?

When we develop new services, we should involve the relevant stakeholders of our industry, producers, writers, actors and especially also younger people. Let them have a say in what we should do and involve them in our strategic projects as equal peers.

I have explained how much YouTube matters to our audience. Our online platform could play a similar role, by being open and connecting the most ambitious content, people and projects that matter.

We need fresh young talent to work with us and to learn from them. How old is our staff on average? Do we have the right digital natives on board with whom we can regularly discuss how we could improve, change or adapt? Have we asked them what we could do better on the internet and on our social media platforms?

My fourth and final recommendation is to Demonstrate.

What does the public service media of the future look like? Why should society invest in PSM in the first place? Because people expect something valuable that otherwise would not exist. Because PSM contribute to media pluralism and the functioning of democracy, because PSM are essential drivers of the creative industries and enrich the cultural diversity of society, because PSM contribute to the cohesion of an ever-fragmenting society... and there are many more reasons.

We all know this, but apparently we are lacking the support of important stakeholders in many countries. This is why we should invest much more in demonstrating our contribution and our value to society. What is the impact we generate with our programmes. How do we measure it?

Members of the EBU are currently working on a project called "PSM contribution to society". By the end of this year we will have finalized our set of recommendations and will make the best practices available to all interested parties so that together we can make the case for PSM more effectively.

We are the most important cultural institutions in our countries.

We reach the widest possible audiences.

We contribute to society more than any other media organization.

We face increasing challenges and share many concerns.

So far we have been very successful. This is why – knowing about all the hardships and challenges many of you are facing – I remain confident about the future of PSM.

But we should not forget what made us what we are today, the most trusted media in the world. It is our impartial, trustworthy journalism, wherever and whenever it counts.

We are witnessing a terrible crisis across Europe right now. Thousands of desperate people are fleeing their countries and risking their lives to escape often hopelessness back home. At the same time we can see a tremendous wave of solidarity with these people here in Germany. We have a duty as Public Service Media to report honestly and fairly about this crisis. By working together, we can help our audiences build more knowledge and insight and this is exactly what you are doing.

I am confident about the future of PSM, because impartial trustworthy news matters more than ever. And I hope my speech has convinced you to be just as confident as well.

If we cooperate more, continue to innovate, engage with and involve all stakeholders and demonstrate our value to society better, we will be even more relevant in the future than we are today.

Thank you for your attention."

Los días 5 y 6 de abril la Asociación Mexicana de Derecho a la Información, con el respaldo de medio centenar de organizaciones sociales, realizó el Encuentro Nacional por la Diversidad y la Calidad en los Medios de Comunicación. A diferencia de muchos congresos, seminarios o reuniones en los que ha participado durante muchos años y que han sido convocadas por universidades, instituciones legislativas o por el gobierno, esta fue una reunión de ciudadanos que, más allá de la adscripción profesional o institucional de cada quien, quieren influir en la reforma de los medios de comunicación.

El 10 de septiembre, Günther H. Oettinger (comisionado para la Economía Digital y Sociedad) intervino en la 24 Conferencia de Radiodifusores públicos. El Comisario afirmó que los radiodifusores del sector público (PSBs) juegan un papel fundamental y único, tanto desde el punto de vista social como económico. En Europa, son un vehículo para afirmar nuestros valores y el fortalecimiento de nuestra diversidad cultural.
El servicio público audiovisual se dirige a todos los sectores de la población y ofrece a todos el acceso a los programas de radiodifusión; se centra en contenidos de calidad ya sea información, contenidos educativos o de entretenimiento e invierte en la cobertura de noticias regionales y locales. Todo esto contribuye a fomentar el pluralismo a través de todo el sistema de medios de comunicación.
En pocas palabras, los PSBs tienen como audiencias a ciudadanos, no a consumidores.
Creo firmemente que la convergencia entre lo digital y los medios de comunicación es, ante todo, una excelente oportunidad para PSB, ya que la digitalización multiplica las oportunidades del servicio público RSP para perseguir su misión.

El discurso íntegro puede leerse a continuación:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure for me to be here with you at the 24th Public Broadcasters International Conference.

I would like to thank ARD and Bayerischer Rundfunk for bringing together such a wealth of interested parties and offering me the opportunity to address the issue of the role of media and Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) in building the digital society.

Public sector broadcasters (PSBs) play a fundamental and unique social and economic role. In Europe, they are a vehicle to affirming our values, preserving our economy and strengthening our cultural diversity.

PSBs target all sections of the population and offer everyone access to broadcasting programs; they focus on quality content be it information, educational content or entertainment and they invest in the coverage of regional and local news. All this contributes to driving up pluralism across the entire media system.

To say it in just few words, for PSBs audiences are citizens, not just consumers.

This is not unique to Europe but occurs globally.

As UNESCO puts it, in many emerging democratic countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East, PSB is seen as essential for the development of a strong and participatory democracy.

In some countries, PSBs are also key for the promotion of minority or less developed languages.

Today, I would like to focus today on the following issues:

How the global audiovisual market is evolving and what this means for the European audiovisual sector .
The key values of the European audiovisual model, in particular as regards PSB, as well as the main challenges facing PSB.
The unique role of PSB, and how I believe their mission should continue being successfully pursued in an ever changing society and economy. Let me start by highlighting the main traits of market evolution and what this means for PSB.
The most pervasive of such developments, as the name of this session recalls, is digitalisation.

Nobody any longer makes the difference between the "digital" life and economy from the "mainstream" economy and life.

We describe the world we live in as "Always On" – a world where we are constantly connected across various devices. Every device, anywhere, is now a TV.

Accordingly, the expectations of the audiences become digital – they want to access content in innovative, personalised and interactive ways.

Convergence brought an abundance and diversity of content, new modes of content production, distribution and access across platforms and devices, and consequently changed patterns of consumer and business behaviour.

More specifically, the following main trends can be observed:

Globally, consumer internet video traffic will be 80% of all consumer Internet traffic in 2019, up from 64% in 2014.
The sale of Internet-connected TV sets worldwide is expected to 173 million items in 2016 as compared to 52 million items in 2011.
Viewing habits are changing.
A very recent report highlighted that in major markets across the world 35% of all TV and video viewing is now watched on-demand. Also, 61% of people globally watch content on their smartphones.

Online advertising is growing at a fast pace. Global expenditure on mobile advertising will top $100 billion worldwide in 2016, which will make 51% of the digital market as a whole.
Content offer is also changing. In Europe, we have observed that European TV channels (including from PSB) are increasingly internationally oriented: in 2013, 1 989 TV channels established in the EU targeted other Member States and third countries (+ 24,6% vs. 2012) and represented 42% of the total national and international channels established in the EU (19,3% in 2012) .
By its own nature, digitalisation also comes in pair with globalisation and scale. These days, we often hear that the Internet or the cyberspace has no borders. This has also an impact on audiovisual media.

What is the impact of these developments on PSBs?

Some fear that these developments pose a challenge for PSB, as new market entrants acquire slices of the audiovisual media market pie. I am optimistic. PSB has been there for decades and has already experienced, and successfully adapted and even embraced new market developments.

I strongly believe that the convergence between digital and the media is first and foremost a terrific opportunity for PSB.

The more devices and services consumers have available, the more the content they will consumed. The figures I mentioned earlier how that the audiovisual media market pie is today a larger one than it used to be.

Technology now allows PSB to reach viewers – or rather, citizens - on a pan-European or global scale. Viewers can enjoy PSB programmes in their living rooms and as they are on-the-go, across devices.

This does not have simply an economic dimension: Digitalisation multiplies the opportunities for PSBs to pursue their mission.

It has a strong impact on the cultural and political life of each and every citizen, who has new opportunities for cultural expression and democratic interaction – what we can call as "participatory democracy".

PSB have proven us that they have well understood this.

They are responding to the digital revolution notably by developing compelling offers on online platforms.

Despite the fact that consumers can now compile their own information and entertainment menu from a very diverse and appealing set of offerings, PSB remains very strong.

For instance, as shown in data published in the summer by the British regulator OFCOM, despite the continued growth in the number of channels available, over half of all television viewing in the UK is still to the five main public service television channels.

I would also like to bring up the example of the Netherlands, where the online portal of a PSB has more users than Netflix – which in that country is also particularly strong.

In Japan, for example, NHK (the national public broadcasting organisation) registered in 2014 an annual revenue of more than $6bn, putting it close to the BBC.

In India, the public service broadcasters – Doordarshan and All India Radio – though not in a monopolistic position anymore, continue to play an important role in the country's media scenario.

Let me know move on to the European audiovisual model and its values. In Europe, we are proud of our so-called "dual" system –combining the presence of PSBs with commercial broadcasters.

This model allows delivering to the citizens an essential public service while maintaining an open market and opportunities for new entrants.

This dual" system model is permeated by key values.

These values, thanks to the solid and comprehensive regulatory framework that is in place, are conveyed by PSB, commercial broadcasters as well as more innovative services delivering audiovisual content, so-called on-demand audiovisual media services.

Please allow me to briefly illustrate these key values to you:

First and foremost, the protection of fundamental rights as also enshrined in the EU Charter. Freedom of expression and information and freedom and pluralism of the media are included there – and so are the protection of a person's private sphere and personal data.

Strong consumer protection, including for vulnerable viewers such as minors or persons with disabilities.

The promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity.

Access to information and universal service, in particular as regards information on events of high interest to the public and news programmes.

In times like this where new business models (crowd-funding, user generated content and citizen journalism, alliances between search engines and newspapers, etc.) have created many sources of information and news, some have raised issues around verification and traceability of news sources.

For many, PSBs are a way to ensure a high level of reliability.

The values of the EU audiovisual model bring direct benefits to the economy as well.
Notably, a free and pluralistic media environment is more appealing for investors, favors competition, and generates positive spill-overs across the whole economy, for example through the revenues coming from advertising. A free and pluralistic media environment ultimately reinforces the EU market and global trade, encouraging media companies to invest beyond borders.

In the specific case of PSBs, it is important to stress that when pursuing their mission they give at once a significant contribution to Europe's economy and to its cultural diversity.

According to estimations from the European Broadcasting Union, Europe's public service media organisations invest approximately EUR 20 billion in content and air a significant amount of domestic and European content.

Ladies and Gentlemen, PBS have played a unique role throughout history.

They have been a reference point for citizens, including in times of war, turmoil and political crises. This happens today as well. The external services of national PSB – such as the BBC World News – reach communities around the world.

Despite being well established and having pursued their mission for decades, PSB continue evolving and adapting, reinventing themselves to meet the challenges of new technology, competition and regulatory change.

This process of adaption comes with intense and sensitive debates revolving around a few issues:

Funding of PSB, which is subject to mixed models. Across EU Member States, PSB can receive money via public funds and/or licences fees paid by the citizens. Other models are in place elsewhere: for example, in the United States, funding is provided through mostly public donations but also through foundations and corporations, and individual donations.
There are heated debates around what is the best model and how should it evolve. Some even question why, in a world in which there is so much media choice, is there any longer a need for PSB funded by licence fees or taxation.

In Europe, there Protocol to the Amsterdam Treaty enshrines the freedom of Member States to design the mission and the architecture of their public service broadcasting systems while giving rules on how public money should be used to support media activities.

This is and remains our reference point in this domain.

The regulatory landscape.
As policy makers, in the European Commission we know well that a regulatory landscape striking the right balance between public interest and market needs is crucial in this domain.

In Europe, we are acting with no delays to make sure that the audiovisual media sector – including PSB - can pursue public interest objectives pursued efficiently and sustainably in the digital age.

Our Digital Single Market strategy will boost our economy by €415 billion per year and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

It will also enhance our international outlook.

Where does PSB have to benefit from the Digital Single Market strategy?

First of all, because we are looking into the existing regulatory framework for audiovisual media services in view of its modernisation. We are currently consulting the public – and you all are invited to contribute – on how the current rules on issues such as advertising, protection of minors, media freedom and pluralism, cultural diversity have delivered on our objectives and on if and how such rules should be enhanced in the future.

Given that protecting the public interest is also one of the main goals of the existing regulatory framework, we are also assessing whether specific rules should exist in order to ensure that audiences can easily find and access public interest content.

Secondly, because we will reform copyright including as regards overcome existing barriers to accessing content across borders. In doing so, we will refrain from imposing pan-European licences.

Thirdly, because we will review the rules applicable to copyright licensing in relation to distribution of TV programmes over satellite and cable networks. In this context, we are gathering the views of the public on what could be the impact of a possible extension of the existing law to broadcasting services provided over the Internet.

Fourthly, because we are kicking off a comprehensive assessment of the role that Internet platforms and intermediaries play in the economy. This also applies to the platforms offering audiovisual content over the Internet and will deliver more clarity as to the business models and their impact on the values that the EU strives to promote. I know that this debate is not only taking place in Europe.

Ladies and Gentlemen, throughout history PSB have played a unique role.

We need to work out together, at the global level, a future-oriented model of PSB, which is capable of matching an environment of technological and governance complexity with the needs of global citizenship.

I am confident that together we can make sure that PSB continue pursuing its mission in an ever changing economic and social climate.

EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre delivered a keynote speech to the annual Public Broadcasters International (PBI) Conference in Munich on 10 September. She told delegates that innovation and cooperation as well as involving young audiences and demonstrating PSM's value were key to its continued success.

Commissioner Oettinger,

Dear Colleagues and PBI Delegates,

I am very flattered to have this opportunity to give you some insight into the major developments currently shaping our industry.

And if I may, I will also use this moment to share some ideas with you, the renowned media experts in this room, on how best to embrace the changes we all face.

But before that, I would like to convey a message to you.

Back home, many of you are facing increasing pressure and criticism.

You are forced to fight for adequate funding, for the scope of your remit and for political independence.

My point to you is: Do NOT allow yourselves to be pushed into a corner.

Public service media are and will always be the most trustworthy media in true democracies. They have the cleanest reputations and the highest credibility.

Never forget this truth, because it means you can take part in the political conversation, modestly yet with confidence.

Now that I've made my point, I would like to talk about four pillars that are critical to the success of PSM: cooperation, innovation, involvement, and demonstration.

I have chosen these topics based on some of the concerns we all share because we are living in a deeply connected society and we are all affected by the impact of the digital economy.

We'll first look at some facts and figures and then explore some of the developments in various countries.

We're living in a golden age of radio and television. There is more, and better quality, radio and TV content than ever before. And as consumers, we have so much more choice about how to enjoy it all, since it is available to us whenever and wherever.

This is what it means to live in a connected society:

3.2 billion people use the internet. In Europe it is almost 80% of the population. According to Cisco, internet traffic has increased fivefold over the last five years and will continue to increase in the years to come.

66% of internet traffic is for video distribution. By 2018 the share of video might increase to almost 80%.

Social media plays a huge role in driving this demand. One in seven people worldwide are active Facebook users (1.44 billion). One billion people are using it daily. 70% are doing so via a mobile device and access Facebook more than 5 times a day.

About 80% of journalists are using Facebook and Twitter for research, fact checking, and promoting or disseminating their information. Thanks to these platforms, viewers and listeners have become a much stronger part of the conversation with us.

It has never been easier to connect, let me give you a couple of examples.

YouTube and Google operate by far the biggest search engines. Their search rankings have a significant impact on consumer choices, mainly because users trust and choose higher-ranked results over lower-ranked results. Researchers have found evidence that search rankings can shift voting and buying preferences.

Normally the more popular a service or information is, the higher up it shows. Algorithms are crucial. But activists are looking for other ways to influence the search result. For example, by Google bombing. Have you heard about ISIS-chan. By flooding the web with images of the peaceful ISIS-chan and her smiley melon, the collective of Japanese activists who created her are trying to push violent pictures of the global terror group off the internet. When you google ISIS, the first thing you should find should be a cute little anime girl.

But YouTube also has the power to create new stars, who have no exposure on traditional broadcast media. I'm sure many of you have heard of Michelle Phan and her make-up tutorial channel. Her site has more than 350 uploaded videos, 7.9 million subscribers and 1.1 billion lifetime views. She has her own L'Oréal line and lifestyle media network, has just published a book ad is teaching more people how to paint their faces than anyone else in this world.

YouTube content doesn't just entertain – it also inspires. It's a great platform to learn from and share. Two gold medallists at the Beijing Olympics, javelin thrower Julius Yego, and 400 metre runner Nicholas Bett, both grew up in Kenya with extremely limited training facilities. But it was YouTube videos that enabled them to hone their techniques and become champions.

The digital economy is disruptive. The market capitalization of Netflix has just overtaken the market capitalization of CBS, which operates the largest TV broadcast network in the USA.

We're all impressed by the deep pockets of Netflix, but also of HBO and other US networks, which sometimes invest up to 10 million dollars per episode to make a global hit series. I'm not aware of any broadcaster or producer in Europe that does or could invest such vast amounts to provide similar production value.

We're also impressed by the quality of Netflix's user interface, the speed of its expansion into new markets, its programme offer and the very positive reaction of customers. It's currently building its market share in just a few months, where pay-tv operators once needed years to achieve the same position.

And all this is because we are living in a connected society. Technology has profoundly changed the way we interact, use and share content.

10% of the cars sold today are connected. According to the auto industry, in two to three years' time all new cars will be connected to the internet. And hopefully, sooner or later, they'll be self-driving most of the time too – it's a nice idea, anyway.

Google Maps today provides the best navigation tool around, including the best traffic information services. It outperforms every national traffic information system I am aware of.

The technology in cars will have an impact on how and when we listen to the radio while commuting.

Connected people, homes, cars, businesses, industries. Connected communities but also connected terrorism. The internet of things. Everything is connected. And this is why we share a whole set of common connected concerns and challenges.

Firstly - the Network

As the internet develops it also diverges. We still have an open internet, but more and more specialized, managed networks are emerging, with varying levels of freedom, transparency, security and controls.

As broadcasters, we are obsessed with providing access to our content on all platforms. When it comes to online content, we are spending on average 14% of our total distribution costs for 2% of the viewed content. The demand for streaming and VoD is increasing. It will most probably double within the next three years. How do we deal with the ever increasing distribution costs, including the related complexity of delivering to all platforms and devices?

Also worrying is the behaviour of major internet providers. Liberty Global has approached the Dutch Broadcaster NPO and said that it is no longer willing to distribute its video over the internet, unless NPO pays for it.

A similar discussion took place between Netflix and Comcast, which triggered the debate about net neutrality. In this context it is no surprise that Google is testing the launch of a new low orbit satellite constellation to reduce its dependency on networks.

How do we ensure that the internet remains open, reliable and accessible at an affordable cost for all of us?

Data security and privacy is another major challenge.

We all know, how important user-generated data is for every service provider, including the media. Some say that data is the new oil of the economy. For some industries, including ours, this might really be true. How do we manage this data so we can take informed decisions and improve our services?

How do we ensure that we have access to the data generated by our customers? How do we ensure that the privacy of our audience is maintained and the data protected? How do we make sure that the data is deleted if the customer wants us to do this? What is our data policy? Do we share a data policy?

Being connected as we are today, we are more vulnerable than ever. The hacking of Sony revealed some embarrassing but probably pretty honest emails. Initially we thought that the cyberattack on TV5 Monde was the result of sloppily protecting passwords - something many of us still need to work on, and I'm as guilty as anyone!

But in the end it was clear that TV5 Monde was the victim of an extremely sophisticated cyberattack with incredible consequences. Not just that the hackers took control of channels, but the organization lost its backup system, because that was attacked as well. TV5 Monde is now spending 10% of its annual turnover on replacing equipment.

Honestly, the more you know about it, the scarier it is. And why did the hackers choose TV 5 Monde? Was this just a test for something bigger?

How do we protect our own operations?

Another major challenge is Talent & Content.

Technology has a broader indirect impact on our content. Our partners, the satellite, cable and telecom operators, are in a battle to own the home. For the time being, the most effective value proposition to distinguish their offer is content.

Owning content is crucial, especially now there are so many ways of distributing and selling it. That is why they buy not only channels (pay-TV and free-to-air) but also production companies that come with copyright libraries and in-situ talent. The most recent examples are the acquisitions made by UPC Liberty Global in the Benelux region and in the UK. In Belgium they acquired the strongest cable operator, the most relevant commercial channels but also the highly successful production company Woesteijnvis. In the UK they bought All3Media and increased their shares in ITV. Just to give you some examples.

Our national competitors are increasingly part of an international network, owning the most relevant production companies as well. How do we ensure that the best talent will continue to produce great programmes for us?

Some of the new players that most of you had probably never heard of until two years ago are investing in news as well. Altice, owned by Patrick Drahi, is buying flagging telecom and cable operators in various countries. The group emerged on the radar after its IPO in January 2014, which generated USD 1.8 billion. Since then, the company has continued to invest in many countries. In France the scale of its expansion is staggering. It bought the largest cable operator (Numericable), a telecom operator (SFR), and a mobile operator (Virgin Mobile France). It has acquired the daily newspaper Libération, the weekly L'Express with a dozen other magazines as well as the largest independent radio and TV network that operates RMC and the news channel BFM. The aim of Altice is to develop the most integrated, trusted and most popular news platform in France. I assume that they are also looking to what Jeff Bezos and the Washington Post are currently up to.

We all know that it is not about more news, but about better news and journalism. How do we make sure that we continue to provide high quality information, adding context and sometimes helping to find solutions with the limited resources we have?

The latest decision by the IOC regarding the Olympic Games is quite an eye-opener as well. For the first time in broadcasting history, PSM in Europe are no longer the preferred partner for the IOC. Discovery, strongly encouraged by its main shareholder John Malone, who is also the main shareholder of Liberty Global, has acquired the rights for Europe. PSM will become sub-licensing partners of Discovery/Eurosport. Most probably 50% of the sports coverage of the Olympic Games will disappear behind pay walls in many countries.

For the time being most other triple-A sports federations are still following a free-to-air strategy. If this changes, the impact will be dramatic for us. Without live coverage of popular sports we will lose relevance, market share and we might be forced to close down some of the channels we operate today.

How do we ensure that we are still able to acquire the most attractive sports properties in the future?

So what is my CONCLUSION?

Our industry is shaped by technology, the changing and emerging needs of society, and by global players. Many new players are emerging, providing not only high-quality content but promoting their services and making them accessible in new, more attractive ways.

But there is nevertheless good news. Despite these major changes and the ever-increasing offers from the new kids on the block, the traditional usage of radio and television is remaining remarkably resilient. Our audiences continue to listen to live radio and watch live TV. They continue to read newspapers both on paper and on line.

Younger audiences might be listening to more music and watching more movies and TV series than ever before but importantly they are also still listening to radio and watching TV. New on-demand services provided by Spotify, Netflix and others now seem to be complementing live programming but not replacing it completely as many have predicted.

This is because we too have learned and have adapted to the new media ecosystem as far and as well as our specific media regulations have allowed us to.

We have invested in quality and in the diversity of our programmes. We connect entertainment programmes with culture, we connect information with sport. We connect people at home with the outside world.

We have made our content available on all platforms. We don't underestimate the disruptive forces and we will continue to adapt our services. When radio was invented, we quickly understood that it was more than just reading the newspaper in front of a microphone. When TV was invented it meant more than just operating a camera in a radio studio, and now where we understand the internet better, we know that it is more than just a distribution channel - linear and on demand - for our radio and TV programmes.

But when a game-changing development takes place, even the most successful industry players may be hit hard, if they just rest on their laurels. And this goes for PSM as well. We should never take our success for granted. And the challenges we are facing are increasing, not at least because of the globalization of our industry.

All the examples and developments I have shared with you in the last few of minutes have something in common. They have the potential to be disruptive for all of us, they cannot be solved at a national level alone, and that's why we cannot overcome these challenges alone. Let me finish up with four recommendations.

The first: Cooperate

Break down the silos in your company, for example between radio, TV and online. Open up your organization to more cooperation at a national and international level. Open up!

Just to give you one example: In Switzerland SRG, the national PSM, Swisscom, by far the largest national telecom operator, and Ringier, for many years the biggest newspaper publisher, have announced a joint venture to acquire advertising for newspapers, online platforms and radio and TV programmes all together. This is ground-breaking and triggers enormous debates of course. But it is – in my opinion – the appropriate reaction at a national level to an increasingly globalized media industry.

If we cooperate more at an international level, we can afford the best talent to create the best content in the world. This is what the EBU excels at.

The Eurovision Song Contest celebrated its 60th anniversary this year with 40 countries taking part – including Australia! It's the most successful entertainment show, with 200 million viewers, in the world with the highest production values. Our Eurovision news exchange sees our Members share 50,000 items a year and it is the richest news source in Europe I am aware of. Our Euroradio music exchange provides Members with 4,000 concerts every year – an incredibly distinctive music library.

Cooperating with regard to research and development will help us drive innovation and set new industry standards. Cooperation is the key.

My second recommendation: Innovate.

Our funding model, based on a license fee or tax with or without advertising revenues, is a license to innovate. We can take more risks and we are obliged to provide better quality than private and commercial media. We do not depend on only commercial revenues. We are not dependent on shareholders who focus on quarterly reports and year-end profits.

Sometimes we might ask ourselves, what will be the next big thing? The answer is simple. Our content is the next big thing. We should make sure that we have the talent to innovate and to create fresh, sometimes surprising, existing, inspiring ideas that everybody talks about. We must create the room to experiment.

We can take risks and surprise audiences, while at the same time providing familiar content they know and cherish. We should monitor new channels and platforms, and look for talent in different places. And we should not underestimate the force of social media to provide the public service of the future.

My third recommendation is to Involve young audiences.

How will we develop future public service offerings without understanding the evolving needs of the citizens that will vote tomorrow?

When we develop new services, we should involve the relevant stakeholders of our industry, producers, writers, actors and especially also younger people. Let them have a say in what we should do and involve them in our strategic projects as equal peers.

I have explained how much YouTube matters to our audience. Our online platform could play a similar role, by being open and connecting the most ambitious content, people and projects that matter.

We need fresh young talent to work with us and to learn from them. How old is our staff on average? Do we have the right digital natives on board with whom we can regularly discuss how we could improve, change or adapt? Have we asked them what we could do better on the internet and on our social media platforms?

My fourth and final recommendation is to Demonstrate.

What does the public service media of the future look like? Why should society invest in PSM in the first place? Because people expect something valuable that otherwise would not exist. Because PSM contribute to media pluralism and the functioning of democracy, because PSM are essential drivers of the creative industries and enrich the cultural diversity of society, because PSM contribute to the cohesion of an ever-fragmenting society... and there are many more reasons.

We all know this, but apparently we are lacking the support of important stakeholders in many countries. This is why we should invest much more in demonstrating our contribution and our value to society. What is the impact we generate with our programmes. How do we measure it?

Members of the EBU are currently working on a project called "PSM contribution to society". By the end of this year we will have finalized our set of recommendations and will make the best practices available to all interested parties so that together we can make the case for PSM more effectively.

We are the most important cultural institutions in our countries.

We reach the widest possible audiences.

We contribute to society more than any other media organization.

We face increasing challenges and share many concerns.

So far we have been very successful. This is why – knowing about all the hardships and challenges many of you are facing – I remain confident about the future of PSM.

But we should not forget what made us what we are today, the most trusted media in the world. It is our impartial, trustworthy journalism, wherever and whenever it counts.

We are witnessing a terrible crisis across Europe right now. Thousands of desperate people are fleeing their countries and risking their lives to escape often hopelessness back home. At the same time we can see a tremendous wave of solidarity with these people here in Germany. We have a duty as Public Service Media to report honestly and fairly about this crisis. By working together, we can help our audiences build more knowledge and insight and this is exactly what you are doing.

I am confident about the future of PSM, because impartial trustworthy news matters more than ever. And I hope my speech has convinced you to be just as confident as well.

If we cooperate more, continue to innovate, engage with and involve all stakeholders and demonstrate our value to society better, we will be even more relevant in the future than we are today.

Thank you for your attention."

Los días 5 y 6 de abril la Asociación Mexicana de Derecho a la Información, con el respaldo de medio centenar de organizaciones sociales, realizó el Encuentro Nacional por la Diversidad y la Calidad en los Medios de Comunicación. A diferencia de muchos congresos, seminarios o reuniones en los que ha participado durante muchos años y que han sido convocadas por universidades, instituciones legislativas o por el gobierno, esta fue una reunión de ciudadanos que, más allá de la adscripción profesional o institucional de cada quien, quieren influir en la reforma de los medios de comunicación.

El  día 14 de Febrero de 2011 tuvo lugar el ciclo de conferencias sobre la Radio y la Television Públicas que ha contó con la participacion de destacados profesionales de la comunicación audiovisual. Las mesas de trabajo han debatido, entre otros, los siguientes asuntos:

a) Aspectos diferenciales del servicio público: Consejo de Informativos, Consejo Asesor, Derecho de acceso. Marco legal y financiación.

b) Rentabilidad social del servicio público: liderazgo de audiencia, percepción por la opinión pública sobre calidad, independencia, legalidad y pluralismo.

c) El marco europeo : La situación de las RTVs públicas en otros países, resolución de Reykjavik, resolución del Consejo Europeo, etc.)