What is PBI - Public Broadcasters International?

In the wake of globalization and liberalization of the Broadcasting Industry which have both tended to reduce the influence of public service radio and television and lend support to competition from commercial operators, it seemed obvious to public broadcaster executives from all around the world that they should get together once a year to share their experiences and ideas about how best to deal with the new challenges they all faced.

PBI was created in 1990 on the initiative of, amongst others, PBS, CBC and TV Ontario in North America and was soon joined by many others including BBC, NHK, KBS, SVT, DR, NRK, SABC, RTE, and France Televisions. Over the following years more than 80 public service broadcasters representing all continents became members of PBI. The conference takes place usually in the autumn at the invitation of one of its members. It generally switches annually from one part of the world to another. PSB’s of North America, Africa, Asia and Europe have subsequently hosted conferences.

Membership is open to broadcasters offering programs and news for all audiences and who are required by law or charter to serve general public interests. The annual membership fee reflects the companies budgets and is 5000$ for large-scale organizations and 1000$ for smaller operators. Sums collected contribute not only to ease the Host expenses but also to allow it to invite valuable speakers or participants who otherwise could not attend.

Who takes part?

PBI's annual conferences have been organized by PBS, CBC, BBC, FTV, RTHK, TVP, TDM, SABC, TVOntario, NRK, RTV Mozambique, KBS and in 2009 by NHK.

Between 100 and 150 senior executives from most of the important Public Service media groups and Unions representatives (ABU, EBU, CBA, SABA) meet during the three day conference, allowing a wide range of exchanges amongst them and hence the possibility of building up a valuable group of skilled professionals who know each other and their problems well, as well as acquiring a useful contacts list.

Program and Topics

Topics discussed each year encourage broadcasters to confront their problems and help them find solutions in all fields of their activities. Areas of operation that influence their daily activities are under scrutiny (Programs, technical improvements, news, current affairs, IT and other management matters). Strategies are discussed to cope with state regulations (digital switchover, mandatory programming etc.), or counterbalance aggressive competition of new commercial operators (Telcos, Internet etc.) Debates are not open to the general public, nor are journalists who attend allowed to report the detail of the sessions, thus encouraging straightforward and uninhibited discussions between speakers and the floor.

A unique occasion to bring the Media World together

Not only is PBI the occasion of professional discussions but also a social gathering. It is the only event, which allows participants from America, Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania to meet once a year and to know each other better.

The 2009 conference organized by NHK in Kyoto brought close to 150 participants.

In this gradually more diversified world, the mission to create a sense of community (the social cohesion mission of a public service) is made even more difficult and complex. The aim is to help build communities by using know-how that is unique to the public service, while making every effort to ensure that all these communities continue to share a common space, ambition for society and a model of a shared life.

Television and Radio (together with all forms of ‘casting’ that exist nowadays and the even greater varieties that are still to come) is one of the most common and powerful ways of bringing together communities.

With social networking via the Web, and the plethora of information available to download or view at a mouse click, how valuable is a handshake and the eye contact? For sure personal contact remains an important means of communication and expressing new ideas, as an essential part of the business. The stage is set. Curious? This year, tune into…Sintra.

See you all in Sintra.

History of PBI

YEAR

VENUE

ORGANIZED BY

1991

Toronto (Canada)

TV Ontario in association with NHK

1992

Brussels (Belgium)

BRTN

1994

Stockholm (Sweden)

SVT

1995

Prague (Czech)

CTV

1996

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

RTM

1997

Washington DC (USA)

PBS

1998

Biarritz (France)

Francetelevisions

1999

Belfast (UK)

BBC

2000

Cape Town (South Africa)

SABC

2001

Toronto (Canada)

TVOntario, CBC

2002

Hong Kong (China)

RTHK

2003

Krakow (Poland)

Polish TV

2004

Macao (China)

TDM

2005

Oslo (Norway)

NRK

2006

Maputo (Mozambique)

RM, TVM

2007

Seoul (Korea)

KBS

2008

Arles (France)

Francetelevisions

2009

Kyoto (Japan)

NHK

2010

Sintra (Portugal)

RTP