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The way public service broadcasters (PSBs) are governed and funded differs significantly between various countries of the world. There are differences in the type of funding provided, the magnitude of public funding and its per-capita figure, as well as the extent to which PSBs succeed in attracting viewers. Table 1 offers an overview of some indicators that illustrate these issues.
The column Market share of the national PSB indicates how the PSB performs in national television markets. The market share in the various countries ranges from 3.3 percent in Turkey (2010) to 65.9 percent in Denmark (2012). In three further countries, namely Iceland, New Zealand and the UK, the PSB's market share is over 50 percent. The category Main source of funding of the PSB describes whether the PSB is mainly funded by public funds originating from general taxation, by a license fee that is paid by the citizens specifically for PSB services, or whether commercial revenues respectively revenues from advertising are the main source of revenue. In 14 out of the 31 countries included in this sample, the main source of funding is a license fee paid by the citizens. This fee ranges from EUR 27 per year in Portugal to EUR 384 in Switzerland (2012). The way fees are raised also differs fairly substantially between the countries....