World Broadcasters’ Unions as the Institution of TV Industry Development and Support in XXI Century

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to analyse the missions, key directions, and principles of work of the main world broadcasters’ union as a significant institutional aspect of the TV industry development and audio-visual culture in the XXI century. Methodology of the research. In the article, firstly, a system approach is used to look at the broadcasters’ union as the integral element of the TV and audio-visual industry. Secondly, a principle of the historical neo-institutionalism is applied, in accordance to which the broadcasters’ unions are accepted as the historically formed structures and institutions that condition the processes of this branch development and support, and the institutional trajectory chosen by them determines the parameters of television discourse today. Scientific novelty of the research. For the first time at the scientific article level, the position and peculiarities of the broadcasters’ unions as the institutional development and support of the TV industry in the XXI century were considered. Conclusions. The significance of the role of the world broadcasters’ unions was emphasized, which in the XXI century remain one of the key subjects and players in the international media market. On the example of such institutions as the European Broadcasting Union, African Union of Broadcasting, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, we have proven that the world broadcasters’ unions remain a powerful tool of influence on the international arena and a driver of the TV and audio-visual industries development at the modern stage. These unions provide normative and technical support of their members, exchange of technologies, programs and innovations, create conditions for learning and cooperation (through conferences, working groups, trainings), international frequency planning and coordination, promote the influence of the TV industry and audio-visual industry on the social-economic development of a region.

Key words: audio-visual industry, TV industry, broadcasting, broadcasters’ unions, EBU, AUB, ABU.