Researchers support public service media to adapt to a changing industry

The team behind the project “Public Service Media in an Age of Platforms (PSM-AP)” ran a successful knowledge exchange workshop with academics and industry partners including the BBC and Channel 4.

PSM-AP is a research project that examines how public service media organisations, regulators and policymakers are adapting to the new platform age dominated by the likes of Netflix, YouTube, Apple and Amazon. 

Since the 2010s, global platforms and streaming services have transformed the environment in which public service media (PSM) operates. 

PSM organisations must compete with global streaming services for audiences, revenue and talent. 

Many have developed new on-demand and online services that must be delivered on systems owned by global platforms such as Google, Apple and Amazon. 

The project PSM-AP studies how PSM organisations are adapting and how the changes could affect their social and cultural values. 

The project is funded by CHANSE – Collaboration of Humanities and Social Sciences in Europe. 

The knowledge exchange workshop 

PSM-AP successfully ran its first knowledge exchange workshop in Brussels at the end of January. 

The team were joined by international public broadcasters including VRT (Belgium), RTBF (Belgium), BBC (UK), Channel 4 (UK), NPO (Netherlands), YLE (Finland), SR (Sweden), ZDF (Germany) and RAI (Italy). 

The workshop aimed to create a dialogue between industry representatives, policymakers and researchers; to share knowledge about Video on Demand strategies, research, personal practices and development of public service algorithms; and to present the project’s initial research findings. 

The event included: 

• A series of presentations on the project including an overview by project leader Professor Catherine Johnson; 
• A panel discussion about the Due Prominence of PSM and Public Interest Content; 
• An engaging workshop that discussed personalisation and public service algorithms with PSM representatives from around Europe including the BBC and Channel 4; 
• The launch of PSM-AP's first policy brief, ‘Towards Future-Proof Public Service Media? Lessons from a comparative analysis in seven media markets.’

Policy briefs 

The team’s first policy brief compares seven media markets in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Poland and the UK. 

It provides findings on public service media and platforms based on analysis of media laws, broadcast contracts and licences, annual reports and current policy debates. 

The project is currently releasing country-specific policy briefs for each location represented by the project. 

These national reports are in the country’s native language and address nationally specific issues. They are published on the PSM-AP publications page. 

PSM-AP's second Knowledge Exchange Workshop will take place in Warsaw, Poland in January 2025.