Public Service Broadcasting as a Public Good: Challenges in the Digital Era

Abstract

This article presents a summary of the most important standpoints of the economic debate about public service broadcasting as a public good, and its provision in both the analogue and digital age of broadcasting. Due to frequent technological developments, which heavily influence the broadcasting sector, this debate, initiated in 1958 by American economist Paul A. Samuelson, has continued up to the present day. It also reflects on the concept of PSM as a public good in a globalizing, multi-platform, usergenerated content infused media landscape. Finally, it ponders the future developments of PSM as a public good in the digital era of broadcasting.

Keywords

• public service broadcasting
• public service media
• public good
• digital era