Artikel

Commerciële televisie en dagbladoncentratie

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Abstract

Commercial television and newspaperconcentration - Advocates and opponents of the CTV have at both sides their arguments. The advocates - mostly the big enterprises -believe that the CTV will heavily stimulate the consumption and as a consequence of it that the national welfare will increase in the long run. The CTV is also a strong medium in the competition with foreign products. Indeed, the CTV in the neighbouring countries covers mostly a vast part of the other countries - e.g. the German TV in Holland . Needless to say that the foreign competitors are in a strong position. Of course, some of these arguments suppose that the CTV functions in some countries - which is not always true. The opponents of the CTV point out that not so many entreprises have the financial possibilities to advertise on the TV - as is shown in USA. And specially not as the minimum time is - as in Italy 2’50” - fixed. It is a problem of tariffs. The question is of the national medium entreprises will not be the victims of the CTV - as the CTV is only for the big ones. Next to these negative arguments against the CTV, there are still two positive arguments 0) the influence in the cultural and mental life of a community and b) the influence on the social-political life by means of the concentration in the newspapers. Those who hang on to the cultural arguments are afraid that people will become „tele-fodder”. In England we see yet those reactions. The most important argument against the CTV is to be find in the freedom of press. Indeed, after the first World-War and especially after the second, we know on the one side the symptom of the concentration of the press and on the other side the impossibility of setting up a newspaperbusiness. One of the consequences starting TV for the newspapers is the increasing of the costs. And now appears the CTV on the scene: most of the newspapers will be rapidly in a bad position in conseques of loosing a big part of there advertisementrevenue. That will accelerate the newspaperconcentration. Besides it will be more difficult to launch a newspaper business. At least we can ask if through that the freedom of press get not into danger. Advocates and opponents discuss without results because their arguments have not the same ground. It is the question if the economical arguments are comparable with the social-political arguments. Because at least an essential part of our democratic institutions is at stake: freedom of opinion. And how can this be done without a sound economic basis of newspaperenterprise?

How to Cite:

Van Springel, J., (1961) “Commerciële televisie en dagbladoncentratie”, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Wetenschappen 6(3), 228–258. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tvsw.95632