The legal and economic framework of the third audiovisual sector in UK, Netherlands, Switzerland, Niedersachsen (Germany) and Ireland

The multiple roles and services of community media have gained new attention in recent years throughout many countries, particularly in the context of maintaining and promoting independent local communication. The present work is intended to provide a basis for discussion on the legal foundation of, and support for community media. It outlines a series of recommendations for further media–political discussions with the third broadcasting sector based on community media experiences in five European countries: the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany (Lower Saxony), Switzerland and Britain. First, this article gives an overview of the historical development, the current legal, structural, economic and technical framework of community media, as well as their roles and functions within the respective media landscapes. In addition to the aspects of the formal legal anchoring of the sector, indications of social recognition and representation of the sector in immediate media and political practice will also be analysed, in combination with the role of the national community media organisations and the way they contribute to the development of the third media sector framework, in interaction with political systems and authorities. The authors see this article as a high resolution snapshot of the community media landscape in Europe. Apart from offering an overview of the third media sector in Europe, the article will show “good practices”, general trends, and key challenges and difficulties. This article is intended to serve as a productive impulse for the further academic exploration of community media and to contribute to the growing significance of research on participation.