EBUs Director General Noel Curran talks about the impact of COVID-19 on public service media. The editorial was first published in Broadcast in the UK.
"At the start of the year, the future of public service media in many countries was under threat with governments questioning the need for a licence fee. Fast forward a few months and the world has changed in ways we couldn't even imagine. And public service media has been there for every step of the journey, demonstrating the value they provide to citizens day in and day out."
"We knew that public service media (PSM) is often where people turn first for trusted news and information. But the scale of the increase is dramatic and has happened right across the Continent. We've seen audiences for PSM evening news bulletins across Europe up by more than 20% on average and by over 40% among young viewers. The daily reach of PSM online news sites has almost tripled in most key markets."
"Our Members have found a myriad of ways to bring communities together against a virus that seeks to drive us apart. It's what public broadcasters do best - making connections with viewers and listeners, uniting audiences and ultimately making us all feel a little less alone in this world."
"However, the challenges facing the broadcast industry as a whole cannot be underestimated. All media is suffering. This is unprecedented. PSM funding was already under pressure before the crisis. With some economists now predicting the worst recession in the post-war era, the financial forecasts for many public service broadcasters make for grim reading."
"It is our job to ensure governments and authorities understand the essential role PSM has played and will continue to play in times of crisis such as this. Now is also the time for us to reach out to the rest of the European audio-visual sector and find common ground to lobby for support for European production, innovation and employment."
Read the whole statement:
https://www.ebu.ch/news/2020/05/bringing-communities-together-against-a-virus-that-seeks-to-drive-us-apart
