Towards Next-Generation Media for the Digital Age?
Lisbon (PT), August 2007 - Viviane Reding, Member of the European Commission responsible for Information Society and Media, delivered an address at the Conference on the Future of the Media, Lisbon on 17 July. The event was organised by the IMPRESA Group and Radio Renascenca. Viviane Reding talked about media and the European policies that support their future in the digital age.
She started her speech by asking, "What are next generation media? Do they look so different from the current media?" Her conclusion is that the old, traditional media are becoming the next generation media, as they are the main content providers.
She observed, "What we all see is that old media are increasingly present on the internet, that new media have to make deals with traditional creative content right holders to get content, and that old media companies take over successful start-ups and integrate them into their business". For Viviane Reding, the key question in the future is copyright and the rules for media in the digital age.
"Wide availability of creative contents for online and mobile consumption is in the interest of all", Ms. Reding contends, and she pointed out the objectives that have been identified by the European Commission:
- Ensuring that content achieves its full potential in contributing to European competitiveness;
- Promoting the availability of the greatest possible diversity of European content and cultural heritage;
- Fostering users' active role in content selection, distribution, and creation.
Vivian Reding also described the next important milestone: "The Communication on Content Online, scheduled for November 2007, will be a first step to explore added-value actions that could be taken at the European level to improve the competitiveness of the European online content production and distribution industry."
