In the light of the ongoing discussion about whether the mandate of public service media should be reduced to information, education and culture only, the German alliance of film and TV producers (Produzentenallianz)
stresses how important entertainment is on public service media. It is a vital element of the public mandate, they say. The organisation warns that reducing the core public mandate could affect diversity on the media and might contradict the jurisdiction of the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany.
The German Producer Alliance unites about 260 producing companies of animation, documentary film, cinema, TV entertainment, TV fiction and advertising. Its chairman, Alexander Thies, is convinced that entertainment programmes on public service media contribute to the shaping of opinion. Whether PSM stay a relevant factor of influence in the media landscape is dependent on the volume and quality of entertainment, he says. In "
Texte 12", which was published by ORF Public Value, experts like Karin Knop also emphasise the
importance of entertainment programmes for the society.
Reducing the core public mandate of PSM in Germany to information, education and culture would have a negative impact. First of all, culture is not legally defined, Thies points out. Because it is not a distinct category, culture and entertainment cannot be separated clearly. This would cause insecurity in the production of content. Since many people in the creative industry produce entertainment programmes, a great number of jobs would be in danger.
"It is not helpful for the public service media and for the society if PSM are narrowed down to certain genres and if its public mandate that reflects the diverse reality of life is reduced. We therefore demand a clear confession that entertainment programmes will remain a core element of the public mandate", Thies says.
More information:
https://www.produzentenallianz.de/pressemitteilungen/pressemitteilungen/inhalte-pressemitteilungen/unterhaltung-muss-kernelement-des-oeffentlich-rechtlichen-auftrages-bleiben.html
About the importance of entertainment on PSM:
Dänischer Rundfunk muss Stellen und Sender streichen
Artikel PAZ: Sollen ARD und ZDF Sport und Unterhaltung den Privaten überlassen?
Texte 12 "Unterhaltung als öffentlich-rechtlicher Auftrag"
