Estonian experience in ensuring public interest in digital television services

URMAS LOIT
MDM lead researcher, Estonia lecturer on journalism, University of Tartu

The digital turn

July 1, 2010 Affected only 13.5%

The digital turn

Provided some new channels

Pay-TV

BANKRUPT

Free channels still available in muxes Digital dividend, little to do with TV Digital TV added services still missing

Ultraliberal media policy

Minister of Culture: No need for content regulation (2011). Policy is seen as a bunch of restrictions and not as defining public expectations. MEDIADEM recommendations: regulate media input rather than output. State assistance may be needed to maintain quality journalism for supporting democracy.

Watching television
Only 23% of internet users use smartphones going 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 most watched channels in 2012.

Watching television
30 25 20 15 10 5 0 XI 2006 XI 2008 XI 2010 XI 2012 I 2013

daily share %
ETV Kanal 2 TV3 PBK ETV2 Fox Life

TNS EMOR

Russian audience differences

Source: Turu-uuringute AS for ERR, 2010

Russian audience differences

Perspectives for sustainable TV in Russian: high quality full-scale program, like PBK a time belt (~1 hr) with infotainment single 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

Public broadcasting
Ceased to air advertising as of 1 July 2002 Retargeted audiences mainly catering for opinion leaders with higher education Slight decline in ratings since 2000 Sudden pop-up in 2012: most watched in several months 2nd round of economic recession produced public need for real life interpretations more than entertainment

Public broadcasting
%
Programming produced in Estonia US-originated programming ETV ETV2 K2 K11 TV3 TV6

70+ 70+
3.2 6.1

29.8 11.4 22.1 5.5

29.9 36.8 45.4 56.4
Source: ERR, 2009

10 years of distinct programming strategy finally paid back!

Public Broadcasting
ETV2 was launched in 2008, in the occasion of Olympic Games Then went on without any substantial financing childrens shows from archives, and news in Russian Now running some cultural shows, live sports, childrens shows, old gold, casts in Russian, reruns with subtitles, etc.

In sum
Digitization itself does not produce content the human factor still relevant. Supportive (not intervening) media policy needed. Public broadcasting sustainable when well focused on intellectual audiences. Audience targeting strategies may start working only in long term perspective.