EU urged to ensure 'fair play' in TV market

The EU has been urged not to "water down" proposals that seek to establish guidelines on state aid to publicly-funded broadcasters.

The demand comes as a 2001 communication on state funding of public sector broadcasting is currently under revision by the commission's competition directorate.

Speaking in Brussels on Tuesday, representatives of the European media business called on the commission to "resist pressure" from member states to "water down" the proposals.

They said there is "strong political pressure" to leave the communication unchanged despite huge changes" in the media market.

Ross Biggam, director general of the association of commercial television in Europe (ACT), said, "In the rapidly changing media market and in the light of the growing importance of the online world, the review of state aid rules to public broadcasters is more important than ever."

"Public broadcasters' ventures into new markets may be permissible but may not be allowed to distort the competition existing in those markets."

Biggam said he also wanted to dispel the "myth" that the proposals to revise the communication represented a "threat" to media pluralism or would impose "unreasonable" administrative burden.

His comments were echoed by Tobias Schmid, president of the German Association of Commercial Radio and Telecommunications Providers (VPRT), who said that member states fear "interference" with their national powers.

"While it is a legitimate concern of national governments to seek to maintain their powers we do not understand the excitement."

He insisted that the draft revision does not amount to "European harmonisation."

"Member states will continue to define the remit individually and on a national basis."

Further comment came from Angela Mills Wade, executive director of the European Publishers Council (EPC), who said, "We need an updated communication on the application of state aid rules to public service broadcasting.

"We need clear and transparent tools to cherish co-existence of public and private enterprise."

She said industry representatives will voice their concerns at a special hearing of parliament's culture committee on 5 March.

"We are also explaining our position to those MEPs who care about media pluralism and press freedom."

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