New management practices and the public broadcaster’s cultural remit: a means to an end or an end in itself?

In recent years, policymakers have increasingly come to emphasize the necessity of public
broadcasters working together with other public institutions and even private sector
competitors. Public broadcasting organizations themselves have picked up on this
argumentation, propagating it elaborately in their own strategy documents. Notably in the
cultural arena, partnerships seem to be incorporated as a genuine strategy for public
broadcasting. The question at the core of this paper is whether the partnership agenda truly
introduces a new management culture within public broadcasters or whether it is merely a
concept used to legitimize public service broadcasting in difficult times. The paper provides
an analysis of two relatively small public broadcasters, i.e. VRT (Flanders) and NPO (The
Netherlands). Evidence derives from literature review, analysis of relevant policy statements
and expert interviews in the framework of the Flemish management contract renewal.