Development of public service broadcasting: local and global challenges and the public value

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore global and local challenges of public service broadcasting (PSB) development and to identify possible ways to manage these challenges in Eastern European countries (post-Soviet space). The study encompasses three main contextual dimensions: (1) local challenges of PSB, characterized and influenced by different political, social, economic and cultural conditions, experiences, traditions, norms, and the development of the democracy between countries, including transitional influences and consequences of media system development in post-Soviet space; (2) global challenges of PSB, including a continuing debate on the role, place and identity of PSB within media and political systems, by taking into account ongoing processes of digitization, technological development, media convergence, privatization, competition, commercialization, and their consequences; (3) a theoretical concept of the public value and its further developed approaches that emphasize strategic operation, performance, assessment and the development of public sector organizations (including PSB) by deliberating public needs and interests, as well as creating public value in an accountable and transparent way. It leads to the need for new commitments to the public and stresses the role of civic participation, support and trust in the work of PSB. The research is based on secondary literature studies, qualitative analysis of documents, semi-structured interviews, and a case study of Latvia.