The rapporteur calls for a well-functioning European media market to be fleshed out; believes that a successful solution to this problem lies outside the ongoing work of the European regulatory authorities. In terms of scope, it goes beyond data legislation, as it also includes the active use of national and European competition policy instruments to avoid, for example, the limited availability of key infrastructure for new market entrants in Europe.
EU audiovisual media policy should be based on a holistic vision of the remaining room for manoeuvre in all media-related areas such as competition, copyright, data, etc. EU policy-making needs to take a more horizontal approach to the audiovisual and media sectors; calls for a more detailed long-term vision for the audiovisual sector and the whole of Europe's media industry.
Local and regional media
1. stresses that local news media play an important role in public life and political debate as they promote political knowledge and participation. Independent local news media are the backbone of democracy in society;
2. shares the view that protecting the diversity and independence of the media must be a key policy objective, which must also be emphasised in the context of this action plan;
3. points out that the main role of local media is to hold governments accountable and to inform citizens about public affairs. Local media represent their regions and help people understand that they are part of a community, that they are connected through their common local news channel and that it is more than just geographical proximity that connects them;
4. deplores the fact that sparsely populated areas, unlike densely populated urban areas with their traditional local media and digital platforms, often have neither traditional nor digital local media. As a result, some areas now have little or no journalistic coverage;
5. reiterates that news and cultural programmes at local and regional level are a key focus for regional public service media organisations across Europe. Regional public service media contribute to media pluralism in the regions. They also participate in involving the public in the activities of local and regional authorities and cultural and social organisations;
6. strongly believes that regional public service media must be accessible to audiences on all communication channels – radio, television and internet – so that they do not become meaningless and can continue to fulfil their primary function. Depending on specific national circumstances, it is also important to ensure the transmission of regional media through all possible distribution channels, including cable, digital terrestrial television, satellite and the internet;
7. highlights the potential of innovative local news centres. They could act as news centres with common resources and, in cooperation with universities and research institutions, as education centres. Such local news centres could in turn operate local news centres with a business model that promotes local news in the 21st century. Online news dominates local news markets, as it is more flexible and cheaper to produce and distribute;
8. suggests that a number of the actions in the Action Plan, in particular Action 1, could be strengthened at local and regional level, provided that investments in capacity building for local actors are provided for;