November 2004, AIBD seminar on public service, Bangkok

Guillaume Cheneviere present ISAS BC 9001 on 29th & 30th of November.

AIBD Seminar on public service
Bangkok, 29-30th November 2004
Recommendations Regarding Legal, Ethical, Financial and Administrative Aspects of Public Service Broadcasting

Preamble:

Participants at the regional seminar held in Bangkok on Legal, Administrative and Financial aspects of Public Service Broadcasting from 29- 30th November 2004 discussed the importance of Public Service Broadcasting (PSB). The dominant characteristics of public service broadcasting are that it is owned, paid for and controlled by the public and that it provides programming that serves the public interest. All the participants unanimously agreed on the need for persuasion of the decision makers, policy makers, legislators, regulators and operators.

Considering, in accordance with the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, as elaborated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that recognition of the equal and inalienable rights of all human beings is an essential foundation of freedom, justice and peace;

Reaffirming the belief that freedom of expression and the free flow of information and ideas are of crucial importance in a democratic society, as well as for the progress and welfare of society, and the enjoyment of other human rights and fundamental freedoms;

Mindful of the crucial role played by public service broadcasting in promoting freedom of expression, ensuring a free flow of information and ideas to the public and maintaining diversity in the broadcasting sector;

Being of the view that any definition of public service broadcasting must revolve around the idea of programming that serves public interest and benefit the people of the region, rather than only commercial interests;

We, the participants at the Regional workshop on Legal, Financial and Administrative Aspects of Public Service Broadcasting urge the governments to implement the “Bangkok Declarations”, and the AIBD 5- Year Action Plan, particularly in the international negotiations such as GATTS, WSIS, UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity etc. and request the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), together with UNESCO and other partners to bring the following recommendations to the attention of their members, as well as policy makers in the region:
Recommendations

Recommendation 1: The authorities and legislators should be requested to create a legal climate conducive to freedom of expression and to create a favorable economic climate for broadcasting and for production of local content.

Recommendation 2: The independence of the governing bodies and management of public broadcasters should be guaranteed by law.

Recommendation 3: The principle of editorial independence should be guaranteed by law and executed through regulation.

Recommendation 4: Independent mechanisms should be established to ensure balanced coverage of political opinion, equitable access to all legally recognized political parties and fair coverage in the public broadcast media during elections.

Recommendation 5: Independent mechanisms should be established for enabling feedback and complaints about broadcasting content and for responding to violations of broadcasting freedom.

Recommendation 6: The authorities should be requested to take adequate measures to create awareness among the general public of the importance and fundamental values of PSB.

Recommendation 7: The international community should be requested to take into account whether the above conditions are met when considering providing assistance to public broadcasters.

Recommendation 8: Public service broadcasting should be adequately funded by a means that protects such broadcasters from arbitrary interference.

Recommendation 9: Adequate measures including tax concessions should be taken to ensure that public service broadcasters and public service programme producers could take full advantage of the options and opportunities offered by technological developments, in the interests of their audiences. In providing assistance to public service broadcasters, the international community should take into account in particular the importance of this recommendation.

Recommendation 10:The authorities should be requested to ensure by law or otherwise to consider various forms of funding for public service broadcasting, including donations, license fee, commercial revenues and direct public grants from Governments and the International community, while simultaneously ensuring complete editorial independence for the Public Service Broadcaster in relation to the source of funding. Voluntary contributions to support PSB should be exempt from tax.

Recommendation 11: The authorities should be requested to consider putting in place measures to ensure that license fees are paid directly to the PSB, and that the license fees are adjusted from time-to-time in accordance with inflation and other cost increases.

Recommendation 12: Any advertising and sponsorship carried by public service broadcasters should be subject to legal/regulatory limitations – time slots, frequency, duration, total limits and advertising content restrictions – so that it does not undermine their public service mandate.

Recommendation 13: The authorities should be requested to ensure that any direct public grant takes into consideration, the budget submitted by the PSB and that such grants are provided in a manner that protects the PSB from arbitrary interference.

Recommendation 14: The authorities should be requested to take adequate measures to create awareness among the general public of the importance and fundamental values of PSB.

Recommendation 15: Authorities/Regulators/private broadcasters should be requested to encourage public service programming, and in particular, production of local content.

Recommendation 16: The authorities should be requested to promote non-commercial community broadcasting, to ensure that frequencies are provided to such broadcasters and to provide fair and impartial funding to them.

Recommendation 17: The authorities should be requested to promote the coverage of parliamentary proceedings.

Recommendation 18: The authorities should be requested to ensure that the managers of public service broadcasters have the authority and power to bring about structural changes in their organizations to enhance their effectiveness, for instance through lean management structures, and channel their resources to improve local content and quality of programming.

Recommendation 19: The managers should adopt new management techniques and standards in the best interest of PSB. They should examine the possibility of introducing a “ Quality Certification Process”.

Recommendation 20: The public service broadcaster should be guaranteed the right to adopt new and emerging communication technologies like on-line services. PSB should utilise new information and communication technologies as value added services in accordance with the mandate and role of public service broadcasting.

The Asia – Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) places on record its sincere thanks and appreciation to UNESCO and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) for the invaluable support they have rendered to the Institute enabling AIBD to promote the idea and concept of Public Service Broadcasting in the region. AIBD would also like to express its heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Rongpol Charoenphandhu, -Permanent Secretary of Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Dussadee Sinchirmsiri, -Director-General, National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT) and their hard working colleagues for their excellent arrangements in graceful hosting of the PSB workshop in the beautiful city of Bangkok.

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