RTV Theory and Practice - Special Issue

sources for continuous funding of station activity . Иапу local stations аге currently considering a number of alternatives to help alteviate the critical financial situation ; e cooperation with regional stations regarding use of facilities • establishment of regional audio-visual centers » production of programming for third parties . Even if advertising is permitted in the future it will remam necessary fог stations to consiđer these alternatives . Daily or weekly transmission of television programming of acceptable quality is not f easibie for most locai stations, given the ехрепзе , expertise and time reguired for such programmmg . Local television is , in f act, only feasible in the major cities of the country - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht Which direction local stations will develop is dependent on whether advertising is legalized . The main alternatives are sketched bellow : 9 Advertising not legalized demise of stations in municipalities which are not in a position to provide a basic financial subsidy; greater influence from external commercial parties regarding organization and programmmg of stations; maintenance of a margmal position in local media activity; limited programming activity without basis in long-range policy . 9 Legalization of advertising professionalization of station activities through use of paid staff; production of quality programming on a contmuous basis; substitution of social objectives and iđeais of locai stations for pragmatic objectives based on assessment of current situation; more attention to auđience research for determmation of programming policy; greater competition with other local međia , particularly newspapers and pirate radio stations operating m the locality; some cooperation to emerge from this competition .

Legalization of commercial television at the national level

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