Technological convergence opens up new opportunities. Public service broadcasters can make a major contribution to convergent services. Moreover, the trend towards pay and special interest services makes it all the more important to have a source of information free at reception with comprehensive coverage of matters of interest to society. To carry out these tasks, public service broadcasting must open itself up to the Internet and to multimedia applications. This is also an opportunity for renovation and rejuvenation.
Public broadcasters can no longer fulfil their remit simply by providing generalist channels.
The sole aim of this extension is to make it easier for the public to have access to public service programmes and to improve interactive means of communication with the public. It is not to be misinterpreted as an expansion to make life harder for commercial competitors.