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Public service media, old and new: vitalizing a civic culture?

Dahlgren, Peter.  Canadian Journal of Communication

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Scholarly Journal

Canadian Journal of Communication

Toronto: University of Toronto Press

Peer reviewed.‎Citation/Abstract coverage: Feb 1990 (Vol. 15, no. 1) - present

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; Toronto Vol. 24, Iss. 4,  (Fall 1999): 495. DOI:10.22230/cjc.1999v24n4a1123

Abstract: By the mid-1990s, the crisis in public service broadcasting in Sweden had passed and a new stability had emerged. In this situation, the two non-commercial television channels share the airwaves-and the public-chiefly with the new commercial terrestrial channel, TV4. This channel manifests a form of "popular public service." Yet the new stability is being challenged by social and cultural developments in Sweden, especially various forms of social fragmentation. The main argument is that a key role of public service broadcasting must be to enhance the democratic character of society. This can best be achieved by promoting what is called a civic culture, and the text discusses what this entails. The discussion concludes with some reflections on the emergence of digital television and how it could best further the public service project.

Resume: Au milieu des annees 90, la crise dans la radiodiffusion de service public en Suede prend fin et une nouvelle stabilite s'instaure. A ce moment-la, les deux chaines de television non-commerciales partagent les ondes-et le public- principalement avec TV4, une nouvelle chaine terrestre commerciale. Cette derniere offre une forme de <<service public populaire>>. Aujourd'hui, cependant, certains developpements so ciaux et culturels, surtout sous diverses formes de fragmentation sociale, sont en train de bouleverser cette nouvelle stabilite. L'idee principale est qu'un role cle de la radiodiffusion de service publique doit etre de mettre en valeur la nature democratique de la societe. La meilleure facon d'accomplir cet objectif est de promouvoir ce qui s'appelle une culture civique, et l'article discute de ce qu'une telle culture comporterait. La discussion prend fin avec certaines observations sur l'emergence de la television digitale et la maniere dont celle-ci peut faire avancer le projet de service au public.

In international discussions about the media one of the words most often associated with public service...