This book takes a scholarly perspective aimed at creating debate about the role and function of public service broadcasting (PSB) at a time that it is facing a variety of threats, not only from governments, but increasingly from commercialisation of broadcasting. Case studies and experiences from twelve countries are included.

The book was inspired by a project conducted by the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2004–5 for which good practice submissions from PSB experts and research scholars from around the world were collected.

Contents include:

• Foreword By Shashi Tharoor.
• Public Service Broadcasting in the Age of Globalization: an Introducton By Indrajit Banerjee & Kalinga Seneviratne.
• Definition and History of Public Service Broadcasting By Kalinga Seneviratne.
• Public Service Broadcasting: Theory and Reality - The Measurement Challenge By Andrew Taussig.
• Keep the Essence, Change (Almost) Everything Else: Redefining PSB for the 21st Century By Karol Jakubowicz.
• Exploring a Conceptual Model for Public Service Television Programming By Sundeep R Muppidi.
• Legal and Regulatory Aspects of Public Service Broadcasting By Venkat Iyer.
• India Public Service Broadcasting and Changing Perspectives By Binod C Agrawal & Shalini Raghaviah.
• Australia The ABC and Public Value - Public Service Broadcaster in the Age of Competition By Elizabeth Jacka.
• Malaysia Broadcasting, Public Culture and Ethnic Spheres By Umi Khattab.
• South Africa Public Service Broadcasting in the Post-Apartheid Era - The Struggles and Tribulations of Turning a State Broadcaster into a Public Service Broadcaster By Ruth Elizabeth Teer-Tomaselli.
• Germany Functional Differentiation or Decline? The Impact of Media Liberalization on German PSB By Sigrid Baringhorst.
• Malta Countering the Challenges of Media Liberalization in a Small Island State By Joseph Borg
• Sri Lanka Commercialization and Political Interference on Public Service Broadcasting and the Role of Private Media Networks By Ariyaratne Atugala.
• India Public Broadcasting vs. Commercial Broadcasting in Remote Indigenous Communities By Thomas Jayaprakash Yesudhasan.
• Japan Public Broadcasting and the Community By Kuniko Sakarta Watanabe.
• USA The State of Public Broadcasting By Marie A Mater.
• Papua New Guinea Revitalizing Radio with Community Emphasis By Dick Rooney.

Click here to access the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) website catalogue for ordering this book.