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Concept
Public broadcasting
Summary
Public broadcasting, sometimes public service broadcasting, is not subject to political interference or commercial influence.
Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing. Common mediums include AM and FM radio, shortwave radio, television and the Internet. Public broadcasting may be nationally or locally operated, depending on the country and the station. In some countries a single organization runs public broadcasting. Other countries have multiple public-broadcasting organizations operating regionally or in different languages. Historically, public broadcasting was once the dominant or only form of broadcasting in many countries (with the notable exceptions of the United States, Mexico and Brazil). Commercial broadcasting now also exists in most of these countries; the number of countries with only public broadcasting declined substantially during the latter part of the 20th century.
The primary mission of public broadcasting is that of public service, speaking to and engaging as a citizen. The British model is often referenced in definitions. The model embodies the following principles:
Universal geographic accessibility
Universal appeal
Attention to minorities
Contribution to national identity and sense of community
Distance from vested interests
Direct funding and universality of payment
Competition in good programming rather than numbers
Guidelines that liberate rather than restrict
While the application of certain principles may be straightforward, as in the case of accessibility, some of the principles may be poorly defined or difficult to implement. In the context of a shifting national identity, the role of public broadcasting may be unclear. Likewise, the subjective nature of good programming may raise the question of individual or public taste.
Within public broadcasting there are two different views regarding commercial activity. One is that public broadcasting is incompatible with commercial objectives.
Official source
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