Download "Media law and policy in selected Black Sea region countries" here

We're focusing on five Council of Europe member countries all located in the Black Sea region. These countries share criticism by international organisations regarding often similar shortcomings in the regulation of their audiovisual media. And although none of them is yet a member of the European Union, all of them aspire to join the organisation, and therefore have committed themselves to aligning their legislation with the European media standards. What consequences does this have for their audiovisual legislation, if any?  Read our new report!

This new report - Media law and policy in in selected Black Sea region countries - is authored by Prof. Andrei Richter of Comenius University, Bratislava.

Chapter one opens with an overview of current audiovisual law in the five countries analysed in this new report: Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Türkiye, and Ukraine. The snapshot comparisons in this chapter are based on the work of the OSCE's observations missions during elections carried out between 2020 and 2023. This first chapter also looks at the constitutions of each country and the guarantees they provide concerning freedom of expression and freedom of the media. The chapter concludes with an overview of the "audiovisual statutes" or main legal texts concerning the media industries in each of the five countries.

Chapter two provides a comparative review of the state of legal regulation of audiovisual media in the five countries. As part of the accession process to the EU, their authorities have committed to adopting legislation in the audiovisual field that is in line with the EU's media law. The author examines the role and legal basis for the national regulatory authority in each country. He then focuses on the public service media, its governance and degree of political independence. Crucial to the democratic process are the rules applicable to audiovisual media during election periods. This chapter therefore also analyses the rules in place in each country to guarantee impartiality and fairness in the media during elections. The chapter is rounded off by a useful overview of media ownership regulation and media law pertaining to disinformation.

Chapter three looks at how these five countries are rated by international organisations in terms of their respect of the fundamental right of freedom of expression which forms the bedrock of the European Union. The author relies on two instances: the World Press freedom Index by the Reporters without Borders, and evaluation by the EU itself in terms of accession requirements.
 
Chapter four rounds up the analysis of the audiovisual legal environment in the five countries highlighting their significant diversities and commonalities. With the exception of Ukraine, which is under martial law, it is highly polarised and subject to considerable political and business pressure.

A must-read new free report to understand how five Black Sea region countries are revising their media legislation to align with the European Union.

Download "Audiovisual media services in Europe -2023 edition" here

This new report finds that:

• The European AV sector boasts a total of 12 664 audiovisual media services available in wider Europe (Dec. 2022). Europe includes: EU27, Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. Around three quarters of these are linear services (9 349 TV channels) and one quarter are non-linear services  (3 315 VOD services and video-sharing platforms).
• Most non-European parent companies of AV services in Europe are US players. Around one in five (18%) of all TV channels (excluding local TV) are US-owned and over one third of all SVOD (39%) and TVOD (33%) services in Europe belong to a US company. For multi-country SVOD and TVOD services, one catalogue is counted as one service.
• US players dominate kids TV and entertainment SVOD. Around half of all children’s TV channels in Europe are US-owned (48%) and the same goes for  59% of entertainment subscription video-on-demand services.

To map the ever-changing European audiovisual sector the European Audiovisual Observatory, part of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, has published a new edition of its annual report on TV channels and on-demand services in Europe. This report – Audiovisual Media Services in Europe – was authored by Dr. Agnes Schneeberger, Analyst within the Observatory’s Department for Market Information.

One in four audiovisual media services in Europe is an on-demand service

The European audiovisual media services sector has been shaped by the development of its unique national media ecosystems. This diversity is reflected in a sector boasting a total of 12 664 audiovisual media services which are available in wider Europe (Dec. 2022). Around three quarters of these are linear services (9 349 TV channels) and one quarter are non-linear services (3 315 VOD services and video-sharing platforms).

The content of AV services in Europe reveals significant differences between linear and non-linear services. While TV programming is largely defined by thematic fragmentation, on-demand services have a clear focus on film and TV fiction content.

With regards to ownership, the European TV market is divided into a public sector with mainly generalist programming available on DTT networks and a private sector which has expanded into thematic cable, IPTV, and satellite channels. Almost all on-demand services are privately owned (97%). Public service media have entered the market as well, mostly offering catch-up of their linear programming. One in five public on-demand services are paying services, for example the international version of the BBC iPlayer.

Considerable presence of US players in the European TV and on-demand sector

Non-European players have taken a strong foothold in the European AV market. One in five of the top 50 TV groups and more than a third of the top 50 groups for on-demand services has a non-European parent company.

US players represent the largest group of non-European parent companies of AV services in Europe. Around one in five (18%) of all private TV channels (excluding local TV) are US-owned and over one third of all SVOD (39%) and TVOD (33%) services in Europe belong to a US company.

US players lead in the field of kids TV and entertainment SVOD. Around half of all  children’s TV channels in Europe are US-owned (48%). Paramount's Nickelodeon brand, Disney's Disney Channel, AT&T's Cartoon Network and AMC Networks JimJam are prominent examples. US players also dominate adult online entertainment with a 59% supply share of entertainment subscription video-on-demand services.

US players have by far the largest scope of operating markets across Europe. The Walt Disney Company, for example, has a virtual European omnipresence, operating in 44 European TV markets.

With regards to their establishment hubs, pan-European players employ different strategies. Netflix, for example, uses a centralized strategy with one main country of establishment from where it targets the European markets. A multi-country strategy is used by Vivendi, where typically a small number of countries serve as a basis to target various national markets. AT&T, by contrast, applies a decentralized strategy where a larger number of establishment hubs serve the European markets.