Managing access services in Nordic public service broadcasting companies

Abstract

Many of us take for granted the ability to easily consume news, movies, children’s programmes and content on the Internet. But for persons with disabilities, such as a hearing or visual impairment, it is not as self-evident. How do you watch the news, if you cannot hear what the news anchor is saying? How can a blind child consume children’s programmes on TV or on different streaming services? Media in a global environment plays such a huge role in everyone’s lives today, that having access to it ought to be possible for all citizens, disabled or not. A human right, in other words. Making the content accessible for everyone is arguably in the core of public service media. The aim of my thesis is to analyze how the Nordic public service broadcasting companies access services are organized and managed. More specifically, whether a more centralized or decentralized management model seems to work better. I hope that my research will give valuable insight for the Nordic public service broadcasters to use in their development efforts. My broader goal however is, in the end, to help make Yle’s content more accessible for all Finns.