Voices of Leaders from the Public Broadcasters International Conference (PBI Tokyo 2022) [Part III]
ABC (Australia) and PTS (Taiwan)
2023 Volume 73 Issue 6 Pages 76-90
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2023 Volume 73 Issue 6 Pages 76-90
In the age of digital transformation where the sources of information and entertainment are ever expanding, public service broadcasters around the world are working to reexamine their roles and find their footing in the new media ecosystem, as they make their own digital transition to expand their service beyond traditional broadcast. To learn from their insights, the Overseas Media Studies Group of the NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute interviewed six representatives of public service media who attended the Public Broadcasters International (PBI) annual meeting held in November 2022 in Tokyo. We asked what challenges each media outlet was facing and what roles public service media (PSM) should play. The third installment of this series features interviews with Cindy Shyu, President of Taiwan Public Television Service (PTS Taiwan), and David Sutton, Senior Strategist at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). “PSM provides service that everyone gets” says Mr. Sutton. He said they guarantee reliable news relevant to local communities and quality cultural contents that reflect their own culture. People have come to rely more on PSM such as ABC as newspapers close and ‘news desert’ expands. At the same time, some groups of people are questioning the legitimacy and the need of PSM, leading to governments curtailing their funding and activities, and that is why public trust is crucial for PSM to stay independent, in order to continue to fulfill their role, according to Mr. Sutton. Ms. Shyu underlined the importance of “digital first,”- delivering content on diverse platforms for viewers both in Taiwan and abroad. She emphasized the significance of digital transformation (DX) that would allow younger generations to bring out their potentials and experienced professionals to pass on their knowledge and experiences. She also mentioned the geopolitical necessity of focusing on countermeasures against disinformation and information security.
