Media and Telecommunications Law professor at the University of Luxembourg, Mark D. Cole is one of eight experts nominated to the newly created German Broadcasting Commission’s “Future Council” or “Zukunftsrat” for the future development of public service media. This interdisciplinary advisory group has been tasked with the mission to develop recommendations for the reform of public service broadcasting, its use and acceptance.
According to the coordinator of the Broadcasting Commission, Heike Raab, State Secretary of Rhineland-Palatinate, the advisory group’s recommendations will focus mainly on three topics:
- Shaping digital transformation and strengthening quality;
- Optimising structures and cooperation in public broadcasting and ensuring stable contributions;
- Further strengthening good governance.
The recommendations are expected to be shared with the Commission before the end of this year.
“It is obviously a great honour to have been selected as one member of this very small expert group, confirming that the importance of the focus on EU law and comparative legal approach we apply here at the Department of Law in Luxembourg receives attention beyond our national borders. The rapidly evolving changes in the media and communication spaces need adequate answers also from a regulatory perspective,” commented Prof. Cole.
“In times of challenges because of economic difficulties or the spread of disinformation, the future role of public service media needs to be redefined.” In Germany a political will has been expressed to approach these challenges broadly and I hope that the impulses coming from our expert group will be able to provide some basis for translation into the subsequent legislative process. To me, it promises to be very interesting work ahead of us, as many observations on the role and place of public service media have the potential of being relevant beyond Germany,” he continued.
Full professor at the University of Luxembourg since 2015, Prof. Mark D. Cole specialises in Media Law, covering both traditional mass media as well as the law of the new information technologies. Prof. Cole has published and guest lectured in many European countries and the U.S. in addition to regularly participating in conferences, not only on subjects of Media Law, but online regulation, data protection, intellectual property law as well as. Prof. Cole also serves as Director of Academic Affairs of the Institute of European Media Law (EMR) and is regularly consulted as expert by public institutions on EU and national level.
More information on the appointment to the “Future Council” can be found via the official press release from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Photo credit: Jens Jeske