The existence of public service broadcasters benefits from protection by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This protection is a consequence of a State’s deliberate decision to establish a public broadcasting system. The kind of protection and its scope are influenced by the standards which have been developed by the Council of Europe and the EU with regard to the essential role and contribution of public broadcasting within a democratic society. This contribution comprises all tasks through which a public broadcaster serves the democratic, social and cultural needs of a democratic society.
In the context of the recent closure of the Greek public service broadcaster (PSB), ERT, and the downsizing of the PSB across Europe, the European Broadcasting Union has published this report arguing that EU member states have the obligation to guarantee media pluralism.
You can download the full report here.
