We speak to the two leaders of two major international public broadcasters, the BBC World Service and SwissInfo, about why they believe international public media is needed now more than ever.

Undoubtedly, it's a difficult time to be an independent international public service media entity. Funding is precarious, the rise of big tech and how it fuels mis- and disinformation means it's a harder job, and the rise of China's and Russia's state media machines means there's now more competition. We discuss the challenges, and explore ways in which international public media can maintain its relevance in the world. 

We also unpick with an academic and author of a book about Trump and VOA, what's been happening to USAGM, and the wider impact this might have on the global information landscape. 

Presenter: Harry Lock.

Guests: Larissa Bieler (SwissInfo), Jonathan Munro (BBC World Service), & Martin Scott (University of East Anglia). 

Music: Rachel Still & Lucas Thompson

Content creators are only becoming increasingly influential, and are able to access young audiences – an audience which public media traditionally finds very difficult to reach. So is there an opportunity for public media to work with content creators in mutually beneficial exchanges?

In this episode, we look at two programmes being run by broadcasters where they are collaborating with content creators: the ABC and the BBC. And we look from both sides – the side of the public broadcaster, and the side of the content creator, to understand the benefits that such programmes could provide. We also speak to UNESCO about how they've been surveying content creators to find out their competencies. And with such programmes already underway, we discuss with one academic why public media needs to be particularly cautious about collaborating with news influencers.

LINKS: 

ABC Creator Program

Adwoa and Solomon Instagram account

BBC Creator Lab

UNESCO survey of content creators

UNESCO content creators online training programme

Presenter: Harry Lock. Producer: Jamie Tahana. Guests: Adeline Hulin (UNESCO), Adwoa and Solomon (Adeche), Daniel Ahern (ABC), Dr Kelly Fincham (University of Galway). Special thanks: Kristian Porter (PMA). Music: Rachel Still, Lucas Thompson, Tom Brazier. 

For our final episode of 2024, and the final in our short bonus series of conversations recorder at the PBI conference in Ottawa, we sit down with two public media CEOs, to discuss what it's like, running a public media organisation. 

Both Catherine Tait, President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, and Hanna Stjärne, CEO of Swedish Television, will be leaving their positions at the end of this year. In this podcast, they consider their achievements and any regrets. As two women, they also talk about the harassment, attacks and threats they have faced during their time. Plus, they talk about the future of public media in their respective countries, the wider challenges facing the industry and journalism. 

Presenter: Harry Lock. Producer: Jamie Tahana. Guests: Catherine Tait (CBC/Radio-Canada), Hanna Stjärne (SVT). Music: Rachel Still, Lucas Thompson, & Tom Brazier. 

In this second bonus episode, featuring a conversation recorded in Ottawa in October at the Public Broadcasters International conference, we explore the Public Spaces Incubator.

The Incubator was originally founded as a partnership between four public broadcasters – CBC/Radio-Canada, RTBF, SRG SSR and ZDF – and one tech company, called New_Public. It released its first prototypes earlier this year, and has now welcomed ABC and ARD onboard as well.

How did the Incubator start? What problems is it trying to solve? And when co-productions of this nature are so hard to get off the ground, what's the secret behind the success of the Incubator?

Presenter: Harry Lock. Producer: Jamie Tahana. Guests: Catherine Tait, CBC/Radio-Canada & Eli Pariser, New_Public. Music: Lucas Thompson, Rachel Still & Tom Brazier. 

For more information on the Public Spaces Incubator: https://newpublic.org/psi.

In the first of a series of interviews recorded on the sidelines of the Public Broadcasting International Conference 2024, this episode of Media Uncovered focusses on Indigenous Peoples and public broadcasting.

For the first at the annual conference, October’s PBI, held in the Canadian capital Ottawa, saw a full day devoted to Indigenous voices in the media. Attendees from around the world discussed Indigenous stories, language revitalisation efforts, and questions of cultural identity and authenticity, as well as how national media grapple with their relationships with Indigenous communities. 

In this episode, recorded at the end of that special day, Jamie Tahana sat down with Robert Doane, the director of the National Indigenous Office at CBC/Radio-Canada, and Kerry Swanson, the chief executive of Canada’s National Indigenous Screen Office. 

Read our report on how public media are reaching and reflecting Indigenous Peoples: https://www.publicmediaalliance.org/how-public-service-media-are-reaching-and-reflecting-indigenous-audiences/

Find out more about the UNESCO project: https://www.publicmediaalliance.org/?s=Indigenous

Presenter: Jamie Tahana. Guests: Robert Doane (CBC/Radio-Canada) & Kerry Swanson (ISO). Music: Rachel Still, Lucas Thompson & Tom Brazier. 

RTÉ, Ireland's national public broadcaster, has been at the centre of a national drama for the past eighteen months. It all started after an undisclosed payments scandal broke out involving one of its star presenters. Further revelations regarding lavish spending and a doomed and costly musical, only ramped up the pressure on the organisation.

The crisis saw trust in the broadcaster plummet and a subsequent financial headache, as audiences en masse refused to pay their licence fee. The Director General at the time, Dee Forbes, resigned. 

Yet out of this, RTÉ has emerged with a new five year strategy, a new leadership team headed by new Director General, Kevin Bakhurst, and a more secure funding arrangement for at least the next three years. How has this happened?

In this episode, we speak to Kevin Bakhurst about this turnaround, and how RTÉ are still striving to restore trust in the organisation, from both audiences and staff. 

Presenter: Harry Lock. Producer: Jamie Tahana. Music: Rachel Still, Lucas Thompson & Tom Brazier.

In the next few weeks, we'll be releasing bonus episodes recorded live from Ottawa at the PBI conference. Subscribe so you don't miss out!

In this special episode of Media Uncovered, we're in Taiwan, looking at how public media are adopting and embracing Artificial Intelligence.

The episode spotlights seven different projects either being worked on; trialled and tested; or in use already. The projects cover four themes related to AI: news & journalism; children's content; language services; and organisation. 

We also consider the current relationship between public media and Artificial Intelligence, with Develop AI founder and AI expert, Paul McNally. 

The episode was recorded at the PTS Symposium on Public Media & AI, held in Taipei in early September. For more information, click on this link: https://www.pts.org.tw/2024pts_symposium/. In the podcast, we hear from PTS themselves as to why they decided to hold this event. 

For more information on each of these projects: 

• France Télévisions – Nous, jeunesse(s) d’Iran: https://larevuedesmedias.ina.fr/urgence-france-televisions-inventer-le-floutage-de-demain

Presenter: Harry Lock. Producers: Charlotte Pion & Jamie Tahana. Music: Rachel Still, Lucas Thompson, and Tom Brazier.

Speakers: Paul McNally (Develop AI), Dennis Chen (PTS), Eric Scherer (France Télévisions), David Corral (RTVE), Abby Jenkins (PBS), Simon Staffans (independent producer), Rhonwyn Newson (RNZ), Tsubasa Uchida (NHK), Ruth Kühn (DW). 

Additional audio supplied by: Eric Scherer / France Télévisions; David Corral / RTVE; Simon Staffans / SVT.

Why are so many American public media networks downsizing, and laying off staff?

For this episode, we head to the US. In February 2023, NPR announced it was laying off 10-percent of its workforce – at least 100 people – facing a shortfall of $30 million. And in June 2024, it was announced that PBS would be making 24 people redundant. In the intervening months between those two announcements, there has been a litany of layoffs from regional networks, from GBH in Boston to Colorado Public Radio in Denver.

What's causing these layoffs? And what impact will they have on the staff, on the content, and on the audiences? 

Presenter: Harry Lock. Correspondents: Jamie Tahana and Charlotte Pion. Guests: Mary Cavallaro (SAG-AFTRA), Ken Doctor (Lookout Local), Patricia Harrison (CPB), Professor Nikki Usher (University of San Diego), Sofia Verza (Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom). Music: Rachel Still, Lucas Thompson, Tom Brazier. 

Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.publicmediaalliance.org/newsletters/

On 1 March, Argentina's new president, Javier Milei, stood up in Congress and announced the closure of Télam, the country's national news agency. Come Monday morning, Télam's headquarters were bordered up and guarded by police. No workers were allowed in.

So why is Argentina's public media sector being targeted? What has led to the closure of the news agency putting 700 jobs at risk, as well as further threats to privatise the national TV and radio broadcasters as well? 

In this episode, we explore the history of the public media sector across Latin American, and specifically in Argentina, as we analyse what has brought us to this moment now. And we examine what impact might the closure of public media mean for the country's broader news ecosystem. 

Presenter: Harry Lock. Guests: Dr Rodrigo Gomez (Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa), Tomás Eliaschev, (Télam & SiPreBA), Natali Schejtman (University of Torcuato Di Tella).

Music: Lucas Thompson, Rachel Still & Tom Brazier. SFX: Somos Télam & Pixabay.