Professional paper

The Survival of Public Television

Zala Volčić

Abstract

Public broadcasting systems are looking for a new role everywhere in the world. In
this paper, the author has attempted to identify the strengths and weak nesses of the
existing systems of public television, the challenges that they face, and their possible
restructuring. She singles out two key factors that affect public television today: rapid
development of broadcasting systems and the issue of ideology. The underlyng principles
of modern, democratic public broadcasting systems are analyzed and compared
with those of commercial television systems, which operate alongside the public systems.
Commercial systems develop more lowbrow programmes intended for the wider
audiences and relying on advertising and the profit motive. This leads to a general
lowering of programming standards and impoverishment of national cultures. Quoting
other media theorists, the author stresses that – if they are to survive – public broadcasting
systems must differ from commercial ones and develop appropriate programming
strategies to achieve this objective.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

23372

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/23372

Publication date:

20.5.2000.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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