A „public service mission“ for a commercial broadcaster

The second part of the series is about a lot of hot air and half-hearted promises in the first chapter.

After the preface of the concession agreement between the state and RTL, the first chapter is titled „Mission de service public“, which is then structured into an intro in four parts. In addition to the „General commitments“, these are specific rules for television, „sound radio“ and „digital platforms“. The intro will be taken into account below.

Already in the intro, you quickly realize that those who wrote this agreement wanted to create a text that, on the one hand, echoed as many principles, requirements and fundamentals as possible, but which, on the other hand, never became so concrete that RTL would ultimately have to adhere to any rules. Everything that is not already basically laid down by other laws remains vague.

A completely normal public-law media, like all the others?

This is what the intro says: „This mission is carried out, whenever this is not impossible due to circumstances or specific conditions in Luxembourg, by reference to the recommendations and declarations adopted at international level and in particular by reference to the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the governance of public service media adopted on 15 February 2012, as well as to the Declaration on the fundamental values of public service media of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU)“.

RTL should also adhere to the principles and values of the EBU, the European Broadcasting Union, an alliance of public-law media. RTL’s predecessor CLT was a long-time member of the EBU to be allowed to host the Eurovision Song Contest, but then found that the membership fees were too high and withdrew. This was consistent, because the EBU stands for everything that CLT-UFA, and especially the parent company Bertelsmann, has never and always strategically fought. The EBU stands for public-law media that see themselves as serving the mandate of democracies and as the opposite pole to the commercial media. However, the EBU is not only ideologically but also in practice a competitor to the commercial media: for example, the EBU also bids when it comes to obtaining the television broadcasting rights for major sporting events. The fact that an unspecified part of the RTL program, which is considered a „public service mission“, would now be guided by the „fundamental values“ of the EBU is naive at best. And that is why the concession agreement also provides for a lot of room for exceptions, fundamental values only apply: „whenever this is not impossible due to circumstances or conditions specific to Luxembourg“. A perfect excuse for any situation.

RTL, a modern medium in the digital age

Another point in the intro: „This public service mission must be carried out in a dynamic and modern manner, taking into account developments in technology and the needs of the public. For the implementation of this mission, CLT-UFA uses the opportunities offered by the different means of electronic broadcasting, distribution and reception in the digital age to the best of its ability.“

What does dynamic and modern mean? What is meant by „development in technologies“? These are empty words that give the impression that they come directly from the DP election program. What is meant by „needs of the public“? What kind of public? The situation of the public is extremely complex in Luxembourg, but the concession agreement does not define „public“. How does RTL meet the needs of the public of young people under 25? What needs does RTL see in the Arabic-speaking community in Luxembourg? Do border workers belong to the public? What about the public with a Portuguese migration background? And further: what does it mean that RTL uses different means of diffusion „at best“? Why is there talk here of „electronic reception“ and the „digital age“? That means everything and above all nothing. It does not bind RTL to anything. Could a person from the „public“ complain to RTL on the basis of this agreement, alleging that RTL is not fulfilling its mission dynamically enough?

After the phrases from the intro, the next part of the series will look at the „”General Engagements“. Is there finally something concrete here?