EU State Aid Rules and the Broadcasting Sector

Abstract

After the liberalisation of EU broadcasting markets, the competition rules became more relevant for public service broadcasting (PSB). Confronted with competition, public broadcasters faced huge challenges adapting programmation strategies more to user needs and shifting internal operations in order to make them more efficient. Private broadcasters immediately questioned public broadcasters, at both the national and European level, seeking to employ the state aid rules — which constrain Member States’ (MS’) subsidy behaviour — to their benefit.