New digital realities and old public service broadcasting models – the case of public access and participation in Singapore’s televisual landscape

Abstract

Does public service broadcasting (PSB), with its 20th-century state-controlled and state-funded structure, still have a role to play in increasing access, public participation and a strong national media system in today’s globalising East Asia? This article, by taking Singapore as a case study, examines why and how traditional PSB media players have been forced to change their institutional and transactional responses to the ‘shocks’ of digitisation. In particular, it examines how the rise of Web 2.0, with its de-territorialised media services and social media, challenges PSB’s relevance as trends towards universal access, a greater participatory culture and active audiences render PSB content increasingly anachronistic.

State or Public Service Broadcasting? Assessing the Making of a National Television Service in Botswana

“…Although many states had first introduced their national television within the SB framework, what has become apparent in the literature is that the dominance and state control of broadcasters have been weakening globally. Attributing this to the neo-liberal policies that have been introduced for the national broadcasters, the declines have been evidenced in some parts of Asia (Lim et al, 2019;Roy, 2011;Udupa, 2015), the Arab World (Zaid, 2018), Africa (Adegbola & Gearhart, 2019;Caiglia, 2016;Mano, 2016), and the Caribbean (Storr, 2011;Zweig, 2017).…”

“…Btv's struggle to serve public interests has been identified as a challenge, and as in many parts of Africa, political interference is one of the reasons for this struggle (Gehlbach & Sonin, 2014). Whereas the dominance and state control of national broadcasters have been weakening in some parts of the world (Adegbola & Gearhart, 2019;Caiglia, 2016;Lim et al, 2019;Mano, 2016;Udupa, 2015;Zaid, 2018;Zweig, 2017), in Botswana the situation does not seem to improve. As such, there needs to be more balance between the government and the public regarding the use of the channel.…”

The Spanish HbbTV service LOVEStv: When technology facilitates new strategies for survival

“…It is the only medium to guarantee all of this. Broadcasting has had a cohesive effect; it is a social link that nourishes both conversations and social interactions, in contrast to “an increasingly wide spectrum of audiences who are into niche-viewing, binge-watching and time-shifting in their media use” (Lim et al, 2017:10).…”