Premium
Culture and Consumerism: Citizenship, Public Service Broadcasting and the BBC’s Fair Trading Obligations
Author(s) -
Born Georgina,
Prosser Tony
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
the modern law review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.37
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 1468-2230
pISSN - 0026-7961
DOI - 10.1111/1468-2230.00345
Subject(s) - public broadcasting , citizenship , public service , broadcasting (networking) , consumerism , public relations , context (archaeology) , white paper , competition (biology) , government (linguistics) , service (business) , business , sociology , political science , law , politics , marketing , computer science , computer network , paleontology , ecology , linguistics , philosophy , biology
The authors examine the future of public service broadcasting in the context of current debates about, and commercial pressures on, the BBC. They describe the European Community constraints on public service broadcasting and the need for a clearer definition of such broadcasting, noting that such a definition is not currently provided in UK law. The BBC is also under increasing pressure from fair trading rules derived from competition law, some of which may weaken its ability to deliver its public service mission. Original research undertaken within the BBC suggests that external and internal pressures have undermined the conditions for a distinctive public service output, although there remains the basis for such an output within the culture of programme‐making. The authors develop theoretical bases for a redefinition of public service broadcasting centred on the principles of citizenship, universality and quality in relation to services and output, and examine the implications for the structure of channels in the digital era. Finally, the authors discuss the legal and regulatory implications of their analysis in the context of the Government’s Communications White Paper, arguing that the social and cultural purposes of public service broadcasting must not be made subordinate to competition‐based concerns.