Is There a Case for an EU Information Television Station?

European institutions are concerned at how poorly informed the public is about the European Union.

More than 70 per cent of Europe's citizens claim to know very little or practically nothing about the EU, while turnout in elections is on the decline.

Since 2003, the Council, European Parliament and Commission have been engaged in a thorough review of their information policies.

One of the key aspects of the new information policy will involve raising the EU's profile in the most popular medium, television.

This report examines the case for: setting up a new, independent television channel dedicated to carrying news stories on the EU's activities and fostering the expansion of television news services on the EU on existing channels.

The report is divided into three parts. The first part analyses the market in television services (TV channels and broadcasting modes) and the range of political news programmes, and more specifically those offering news about the EU (focusing in particular on pan-European special-interest news channels).

The second part looks into the take-up and demand for political news on television through television news and specialised news programmes. The third part gives a detailed description of existing parliamentary television channels inside and outside the EU.

The study concludes by weighing up the various permutations as regards digital or Internet (Web TV) television channels specialising in news about the EU.

This includes an estimate of costs and potential audience figures.

One viable option is proposed, involving converting Europe by Satellite into a genuine EU-news agency and expanding production or co-production policy with respect to programmes broadcast on existing channels.