REGIONAL BROADCASTERS SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE TO CONFIRM THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO DEMOCRACY AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN EUROPE
CIRCOM Regional has reaffirmed its commitment to strong regional journalism, cultural life and regional growth as priorities of public service audiovisual media organisations in European regions.
Jean-Marc Dubois, president, said “We want the voice of regional broadcasters to be heard across Europe, and we want to be recognised as important, distinctive and relevant for all the diverse regions”.
President Jean Marc Dubois presenting Position Paper
On November 24th 2014 CIRCOM Regional approved a document entitled “The importance of professional and independent regional public media”. The revolution in digital technology brings new and easier ways to communicate but at the same time CIRCOM believes it signals a growing need for independent reporting and celebration of the different regions of Europe.
According to the document, strong regional journalism is the first priority of this European network, because its journalists examine, explain and question local and regional decision makers. Regional news encourages debate and democratic participation.
Cultural life is also a priority, since regional public service media supports all types of cultural activities, and has a commitment to portrayal and diversity. CIRCOM Regional supports second and minority languages, foster local and regional identity, and contributes to political stability and understanding.
CIRCOM Regional also points out the contribution of its members to regional growth because they support the creative industries, and are a source of talent and skills. They create jobs and opportunities in the regions, and foster community activity.
The requirements of CIRCOM Regional are recognition at European institutions and in legislation, and sustainable and sufficient funding. Public service media want to be available to audiences on all platforms. There are two urgent priorities: sufficient frequency spectrum for these broadcasters and open and neutral web access.
The importance of professional and independent regional public media~ in English ~ in French ~ in Spanish ~
Regional TV models in Europe
There is a wide variety of regional TV models in the CIRCOM member countries, according to coverage or funding. In several states, national and regional public service media are organised independently, and in others, national and regional public service media are set within the same organisation. The chart in document "Models of public regional TV" shows the current status, as it comes from different sources: CIRCOM National Coordinators, CIRCOM website, EBU reports and broadcasters' websites.