Decline and fall of public service media values in the international content acquisition market: An analysis of small public broadcasters acquiring BBC Worldwide content

Abstract

Taking the case of the relationship between small European public broadcasters and the international content sales activities of BBC Worldwide, this contribution analyses if and to what extent the commercial arm of public service media institution BBC is strengthening the hegemonic position of Anglo-Saxon content in European media markets, and undermining the objectives public broadcasters stand for. To this end, it takes a comparative approach, combining and triangulating results from analysis of relevant documents, from BBC Worldwide and from public broadcasters that acquire their programmes, with data from semi-structured expert interviews with representatives from small European public broadcasters’ acquisition departments. Results indicate that, despite its public service claims, BBC Worldwide is an international content distributor like any other and that its activities contribute to cultural homogenization of audiovisual content in Europe, thus limiting small European public broadcasters’ possibilities for content universality, creativity, diversity and quality.