Three countries were incited to reform their public TV and radio funding systems
by Vitor Pinto
On the basis of a complaint from private broadcaters, the European Commission sent a a letter to the governments of Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands, asking these three members of the Union to reorganise and clarify their public broadcasting funding systems.
Such reform, which is no novelty (in 2003, Portugal, Spain, and France had to implement such changes), aims at ensuring these three countries will comply with the 2001 Amsterdam Agreements on public funding of public TV and radio. The European Commission requires, more specifically, that activities of general interest and other activities (promotion, for instance) keep separate accounts.
In the case of Germany and the Netherlands, it is hardly possible, says the Commission, to treat modern broadcasting technologies, such as the internet, as public services with a general economic interest. Therefore, they cannot benefit from the same public funding system. In Germany and in Ireland, one important issue is the acquisition by public channels of TV rights for sport events. The Commission deems that such acquisition could be funded provided it is no unfair competition — as is the case, for example, with exclusive rights.
The three above-mentioned members of the EU are given one month to suggest changes for their broadcasting funding systems. If these changes appear to be insufficient, the Commission itself will decide what measures should be implemented.
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