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Public Broadcasting in Europe: Rationale, Licence Fee and Other Issues

Journal of Cultural Economics volume 27, pages 31–56 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

This paper deals with some key issues arising in the current debate in Europeover public sector broadcasting (PSB). It asks what is understood by PSB andexamines critically the arguments for PSB. The latter is done under fiveheadings, namely diversity, democracy/equality, network externalities,innovation and investment and public braodcasting as ``insurance''. The paperthen provides some statistical analysis of the extent, funding and programmemix of Eurepean PSB. Finally it examines in some detail the issues surroundingthe licence fee as an instrument for funding PSB. These include thedetermination of the level of the fee, collection costs and evasion and thefairness of the instrument.

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  1. Department of Economics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    John O'Hagan & Michael Jennings

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  1. John O'Hagan
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  2. Michael Jennings
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O'Hagan, J., Jennings, M. Public Broadcasting in Europe: Rationale, Licence Fee and Other Issues. Journal of Cultural Economics 27, 31–56 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021518601792

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021518601792

  • licence fee
  • programme diversity
  • public sector broadcasting