May 2005, Asia Media Summit, AIBD/UNESCO/WRTVC Workshop, Kuala Lumpur"Public Broadcasting Best Practices - Evaluation, Monitoring and Standards" within the framework of the Asia Media Summit 2005, a worldwide event on quality broadcasting.
Sucharita Eschwar, Louis Balme, Guillaume Chenevière and Alain Modoux speak at the workshop and attend the Summit. ASIA MEDIA SUMMIT 2005
Conclusions of the UNESCO/WRTVC/FES/ AIBD International Workshop on Public Service Broadcasting best pratices : evaluation, monitoring and standards.
Kuala Lumpur, May 7 and 8, 2005
Close to a hundred participants from 30 countries discussed PSB best practices during the two days preceding the Asia Media Summit 2005. At the end of their exchanges and debates, they agreed on the following declaration and recommendations :
Given the existence of State Broadcasters, Public Service Broadcasters, Community broadcasters and Commercial broadcasters, participants endorse the value of service to the public and assert that each category has public service obligations.
Participants took note of major challenges that State and Public Service Broadcasters are facing today from commercial and new media, economic constraints, and political pressures.
The general environment governing State and Public Service Broadcasters contributes to an erosion of their credibility.
However, this situation offers major opportunities for PSBs to transform themselves and emerge as trendsetters in the new environment.
PSBs can play a unique role by promoting good governance and quality benchmarks in the broadcasting industry.
Participants agreed that editorial independence, management transparency, innovation and creativity, responsiveness to all segments of their audience are key factors in performing their role as PSBs.
It was felt that, through adopting a quality standard and certification process integrating these factors, they will gain the recognition they need to enhance their sustainability and ensure their audience loyalty.
It was also felt that to ensure the quality of its performance, a PSB should publish and adopt a charter or guidelines expressing the standards it will observe and the procedures by which it will monitor and evaluate them, in order to be accountable to the public.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The participants recommend that:
1- State Broadcasters be transformed into editorially independent Public Service Broadcasters.
2- Public Service Broadcasters should ensure that they effectively perform their public mandate.
3- All possible initiatives be taken to form citizens’ media fora to foster a constructive dialogue between media and citizens.
4- Broadcasting research in the Asia-Pacific region be increased and improved.
5- The Asia Media Summit 2005 support efforts by media professionals to define and implement a voluntary quality management system and thus enhance professional standards in the broadcasting industry.
6- Authorities encourage Public Service Broadcasters to implement Quality Management Standards.
7- In pursuit of Quality Management, Public Service Broadcasters be staffed by trained and professional personnel.
The participants further defined principles governing the evaluation and monitoring of PSBs performance :
A) Monitoring and evaluation should cover the way PSB is actually implementing its mission as defined in the legal texts.
B) Evaluation should be done by the broadcasters themselves and/or by external bodies.
C)There should be explicit rules and institutions both for internal and external evaluation.
C) A code of conduct should exist both for internal and external evaluations
D)The membership of the external bodies should be made up of independent persons serving the public interest, including experts and representatives of civil society.
E) External evaluation may also be used to determine the financial needs of PSB.
F)Financial control should not reduce the editorial independence of broadcasters.
G) The instruments of monitoring and evaluation should be manifold, professional and valid. They may include the voices of the viewers and listeners, staff, public hearings, expert judgments, and benchmark tests.
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