The annual Public Broadcasters International conference [PBI] took place in Seoul last week, hosted by South Korean public broadcaster, KBS.

PMA played an active role in the event alongside 150 delegates from public media organisations worldwide. Sessions focused on sharing and debating strategic initiatives for connected platforms. President of NHK [Japan], Mr. Ryoichi Ueda, demonstrated how NHK is evolving from a public service broadcaster to a public service media organisation while other key presenters demonstrated new ways of promoting the value of public media in a connected age. The event opened with a special session to examine the role of public media in conflict zones, an issue of particular concern for KBS, with Seoul based close to the border with North Korea.

Aside from the key issues, the host, President and CEO of KBS Mr Yang Song-dong, summed up the mood of the meeting when he observed, “Alliances and cooperation among public service media are more important than ever. Standing together, we can find better ways to serve our audiences with our mission and values”.

The was a sentiment endorsed by one of the event’s keynote speakers. In his presentation, “The “No Billag” Saga, Public Service Media Face to Face with Universal Suffrage” Gilles Marchand, Director General of Swiss public broadcaster SRG SSR, demonstrated both the importance of public media to democratic society and just how quickly a public media can face great challenges.

Header Image: PMA CEO Sally-Ann Wilson speaking at PBI 2018. Credit: Jessie Shih