PES Manifesto

1. I'm sure this would backlash! par Asynjen le vendredi 9 novembre 2007 à 12h11

I'm a bit surprised to hear a socialist suggesting this! As I see it increased liberalization of media markets will lead to quite the contrary of what you suggest: less cultural diversity. I'm from a small country and if any foreign broadcaster - especially English-speaking ones - would have unrestricted access to our national market, I'm concerned that it could be the end of Danish-language TV. Besides that broadcasters from countries of 'small languages' would never be able to go expand across borders - what you suggest will only be an advantage for resourceful broadcasters belonging to the big European languages.

2. Not backlash, but survival par Colin Roth le vendredi 9 novembre 2007 à 13h00

Firstly, this is not a proposal to increase liberalisation, but to remove an anomaly which has been allowed to persist despite its being in conflict with the idea that Europe should operate as a single market - and if you're against that, we have to wind the clock back a long way. Secondly, Danish tv at its best has everything to gain from offering itself around Europe: Ørnen, to take one example, was a brilliant, internationally accessible and thoroughly 'legible' drama that should have been seen outside Scandinavia as well as within it; Denmark's ballet and DR's music output are of such high quality that they'd be lapped up by a significant and appreciative international audience - who would hold Danish culture in the esteem it deserves, instead of simply forgetting that it exists. Danish tv (sorry to be particular, but it's the example you use, and I know it well as I've been learning Danish for a while so I know it quite well) is as stuffed full of English-language programmes as those of most other 'smaller' European countries, and quite a few of the larger ones too. Making Danish tv, and channels from the other 'smaller' countries more widely available would help people across the community to learn the languages, to experience something of the culture of other countries, and especially to have access to those countries' perspective on international and local news, which is something we really need, as national news channels have all retreated to the most depressing parochial near-blindness in recent years. I think enforcing the existing market rules so that broadcasters obey them would provide a wonderful opportunity for the smaller countries' entertainment and news industries to reach wider audiences - and that the best of them would be excited about taking up the challenge.

3. Update par Colin Roth le mercredi 21 novembre 2007 à 11h46

It turns out that my 'idea' is already EU policy - and has been for a very long time! So what we need in the PES manifesto is a commitment to implement this aspect of the 'single market' because its cultural and educational importance should outweigh the commercial interests which have prevented its achievement. For the last formal presentation of the EU's position, go to: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/consleg/1989/L/01989L0552-19970730-en.pdf Searching for 'tv without frontiers' on the Europa site yields several interesting links to records of discussions on the matter over many years.