SRG against audiovisual free trade

"Broadcasting is culture and not a commodity", postulate SRG, ARD, ZDF and ORF.media policy Members of the supervisory bodies of the four public broadcasters met last week to exchange views. They discussed the consequences of possible liberalization in the GATS free trade agreement for radio and TV. Should the audiovisual media, like any other service, be fully subject to the most-favored-nation clause, the broadcasters believe that financing a public service via fees or public contributions would become obsolete. They are calling on their governments to ensure that the Unesco Convention on the Protection of Cultural Diversity can be concluded quickly and with the same legal status as the GATS agreement.