Squeezed and Uneasy: PSM in Small States — Limited Media Governance Options in Austria and Switzerland

Abstract

This chapter concentrates on ownership issues, legal provisions, market performance and the public debate on Public Service Media (PSM) in Austria and Switzerland. In both countries there is a unique situation as television offerings are strongly influenced by non-national players. Large neighbours influence the development of public and private broadcasting by setting standards and absorbing considerable amounts of viewers’ time and advertisers’ money — with no adequate balance or reciprocity. Smaller states appear vulnerable. Despite this challenge — or because of it — both public service organisations in Austria and Switzerland have developed a highly sophisticated model and understanding of the notion of public service. In Switzerland, the formal owner of the public service broadcaster SRG SSR is a civil society-rooted membership association, having the last say on strategic decisions. In Austria, the ORF has recently worked out and published a media governance report on the role and conduct of PSM in society. The chapter argues that expectations of ownership diversity and programming autonomy in smaller states such as Austria and Switzerland are unrealistic. Thus, media governance requirements concentrate on the conduct of PSM organisations. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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