Recommendation on the Guarantee of the Independence of Public Service Broadcasting

IRIS 1996-10:1/4

Ad van Loon

European Audiovisual Observatory

On 11 September 1996, the Committee of Ministers adopted a Recommendation to the Council of Europe's member States on the Guarantee of the Independence of Public Service Broadcasting. The member States are asked to include in their domestic law or in instruments governing public service broadcasting organisations provisions guaranteeing their independence. In an appendix to the Recommendation, guidelines are formulated for this. The member States are asked to bring these guidelines to the attention of authorities responsible for supervising the activities of public service broadcasting organisations.

The guidelines concern measures that guarantee editorial independence and institutional autonomy of public service broadcasting organisations; the competences, status and responsibilities of their management; the competences and status of supervisory bodies; the recruitment, promotion and transfer of their staff; their funding; their programming policy ("... to fairly present facts and events and encourage the free formation of opinions".); and, on access by public service broadcasting organisations to new communication technologies.