Title: Public service media in Flanders: A long way to heaven?

Authors: Karen Donders

Addresses: SMIT, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium

Abstract: This paper investigates whether public broadcasting policy in Flanders is evolving into a public service media project, embracing the importance of services enhancing civic involvement. Firstly, several theoretical perspectives on the future role of public broadcasters are discussed. Secondly, a description of the public broadcaster|s new media activities and an empirical analysis of the ongoing negotiations on a new management contract between public broadcaster VRT and the Flemish government follows. It is argued that public broadcasting policy in Flanders risks to move away from a genuine public service media project and this mainly due to declining political support and funding.

Keywords: public service broadcasting; public service media; civic involvement; VRT; private broadcasting; management contract; multi-stakeholder analysis; media policy; interaction; innovation; Flanders; public broadcasting; broadcasting policy; political support; funding.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEG.2011.041706

International Journal of Electronic Governance, 2011 Vol.4 No.1/2, pp.27 - 42

Published online: 30 Jul 2011 *

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