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Estonian experience in ensuring publicinterest in digital
television services
URMAS LOITMDM lead researcher, Estonia
lecturer on journalism, University of Tartu
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The digital turn
July 1, 2010 Affected only 13.5%
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The digital turn
Provided some new channels
Free channels still available in muxesDigital dividend , little
to do with TVDigital TV added services still missing
BANKRUPTPay-TV
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Ultraliberal media policy
Minister of Culture: No need for content regulation (2011).
Policy is seen as a bunch of restrictions andnot as defining
public expectations.MEDIADEM recommendations: regulate
media input rather than output.State assistance may be needed to
maintain
quality journalism for supporting democracy.
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Watching television
Only 23% of internet users use smartphonesgoing online, and 10%
use tablets. However,44% of age 15-29! Gfk/PRB, 2012 85% of people
in Estonia watch TV every day or
almost every day. Eurobarometer survey, autumn 2010 The average
daily watching time is 4h08m :
Estonians 4h00m, Russophones 4h25m.TNS EMOR, Jan 2013
ETV has reinforced its position among the mostwatched channels
in 2012.
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0
5
10
15
20
25
30
XI 2006 XI 2008 XI 2010 XI 2012 I 2013
ETV
Kanal 2
TV3
PBK
ETV2
Fox Life
Watching television
daily share %
TNS EMOR
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Russian audience differences
Source: Turu-uuringute AS for ERR, 2010
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Russian audience differences
Perspectives for sustainable TV in Russian:high quality
full-scale program, like PBK
a time belt (~1 hr) with infotainmentsingle shows, as
currently
There is no reason to believe that from the
state budget there would emerge financing for a channel in
Russian Margus Allikmaa, CEO for ERR, Postimees 11.3.11
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Public broadcasting
Ceased to air advertising as of 1 July 2002Retargeted audiences
mainly catering for
opinion leaders with higher educationSlight decline in ratings
since 2000Sudden pop-up in 2012: most watched in
several months
2nd round of economic recession producedpublic need for real
life interpretations morethan entertainment
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Public broadcasting
10 years of distinct programming strategyfinally paid back!
% ETV ETV2 K2 K11 TV3 TV6Programming
produced in Estonia70+ 70+ 29.8 11.4 22.1 5.5
US-originatedprogramming 3.2 6.1 29.9 36.8 45.4 56.4
Source: ERR, 2009
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Public Broadcasting
ETV2 was launched in 2008, inthe occasion of Olympic Games
Then went on without anysubstantial financing childrensshows
from archives, and news inRussian
Now running some cultural shows, live sports,childrens shows,
old gold , casts in Russian, re-runs with subtitles, etc.
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In sum
Digitization itself does not produce content the human factor
still relevant.
Supportive (not intervening) media policyneeded.Public
broadcasting sustainable when well
focused on intellectual audiences. Audience targeting strategies
may startworking only in long term perspective.
