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Media Landscape - Norway

INTRODUCTION

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The Norwegian media landscape has some very stable, institutional elements. The dominant newspapers, and magazine and book publishing houses were established 75 to 150 years ago, and they still play an important role. The most important changes in these sectors are related to ownership of the companies.

The major public service broadcasting company is approaching 75 years of age, and despite dramatic changes in the broadcasting sector, Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK) has been able to maintain its position as the supplier of the most popular radio and television channels. But the non commercial public service sector is now competing heavily with a lively commercial sector for the attention of the audience.

All these media activities take place in a country located in the European border with the North Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Sea, with a population of only 4.6 million people. The most densely populated in the areas are in the south eastern parts of the country, surrounding the capital (Oslo), but all regions in the country have cities with administrative functions, which also function as centers for regional and local newspapers and radio and television production.


1. WRITTEN PRESS

There is a high number of newspaper titles (approximately 215 papers) and the newspaper readership is the highest in the world (550 − 600 copies are sold per 1000 inhabitants). Almost all segments of the population − geographically and socially − are regular newspaper readers. Both quality papers and popular newspapers are read in all segments of the society.

Newspaper circulation reached its peak in the mid 1990s. Since then there has been a minor drop in circulation. The national press is dominated by two national popular newspapers, VG (344,000) and Dagbladet (162,000). Though subscription is the dominant form of selling newspapers in Norway, the two popular papers are sold exclusively in single copies. Revenues from advertising are still high. The number of newspaper titles is very high, but there is a considerable concentration of newspaper ownership. For the last 15 years, three major newspaper owners account for 55-60 per cent of circulation: Schibsted, Orkla and A-pressen. All these three companies are Norwegian.

Like other print media, the magazine sector has lost readers during the last fifteen to twenty years. The most successful is the picture magazine Se og Hør, withy is focus on royalty and the rich and famous. Free newspapers so far play a minor role in the Norwegian newspaper market.


2. AUDIOVISUAL MEDIA

Advertising was banned in Norwegian television until 1992 (in radio until 1988). The public service broadcasting company (NRK) was established in 1933 and maintained its monopoly status until 1981, when independent local radio and television were introduced.

Between 1981 and 1992 local radio and television was established. In 1992 a national, commercial television channel was opened. This was Norway’s second national television channel with terrestrial distribution. The Norwegian radio and television is divided into a privately owned, commercial sector, and a state owned public service broadcasting sector. NRK (3 radio channels and 2 television channels) is owned by the Norwegian State. An interesting actor in the Norwegian media market, is Telenor − the old state owned telecommunications monopoly. It has been partly privatized, but the state owns more than 50 percent of the shares. Telenor owns one of the two large cable television operators and a payment system for satellite channels.

At the moment there are two terrestrial television channels with full national coverage: NRK1 and TV 2. NRK2 and TVNorge combine terrestrial transmission with satellite distribution (cable and dishes), and reach somewhere between 60 and 80 per cent. In 2005, NRK1 had a market share of approximately 40 per cent, NRK2 had 4 per cent, TV 2 29 per cent, TVNorge 11 per cent, TV3 6 per cent, and other channels together (Swedish public service channels, CNN, Eurosport etc.) 10 per cent.

NRK’s monopoly on national radio broadcasting lasted until 1993, when the private, commercial radio company P4 was established. At the same time NRK increased its number of channels from two to three (P1, P2 and P3). In 2005 a second private channel was established, called Kanal24. In addition to these national channels, there are a lot of local channels as well.

Private, national radio and television channels also have some public service obligations. Although television viewing has increased since the early 1990s, Norwegians still watch television much less than most other European countries.


3. DIGITAL MEDIA

Digital radio services have been available fore more than ten years, but by the end of 2006 few people have invested in digital receivers. Digital television will be introduced gradually from 2007 until the end of 2008, when the whole country will be covered.

There are plans to close down the analogue networks when the digital services have been in full operation for a few years.


4. ONLINE MEDIA

Internet services are popular, and a lot of people spend a lot of time consuming national and international services. According to an annual survey, more than half the population used Internet on an average day in 2005.

The “old” media are the main providers of news and other information services. All major newspapers, radio and television channels have websites with news and other material, and these are the most frequently used sources of news and other kinds of general information.

Almost 3 out of 4 Norwegians have access the Internet at home.


5. NEWS AGENCIES

There is uncertainty about the future of the old, national news agency Norsk Telegrambyrå (NTB), as its services are being undermined by agencies belonging to the major newspaper chains are expanding.


6. MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS

There is one organization for journalists, one for editors and one for most of the media firms. A separate organization called Norsk Presseforbund (NP – the Norwegian Press Association) is responsible for media ethics. NP is responsible for the preservation and development of the “Cods of Ethics for the Norwegian Press”, which is also applicable for other media.

There are a lot of organizations in the media field in Norway, but four are important across different media: Norsk Journalistlag (NJ – Norwegian Union of Journalists), Mediebedriftenes landsforening (MBL – Norwegian Media Businesses’ Association), Norsk Redaktørforening (NR – Association of Norwegian Editors), Norsk Presseforbund (NP – the Norwegian Press Association). All these organizations are members of international associations in their respective areas.


7. NATIONAL MEDIA POLICIES

Freedom of expression is secured by the Constitution and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. In 2004, the parliament changed the constitution in a way that gave better protection for freedom of expression and instructed the government to promote diversity in the media and public debate.

There is specific legislation for broadcasting, film and cinema, but no press law and very little legislation specific for the Internet etc. Advance censorship in prohibited (with the exception of cinema films intended for children).

Newspapers and books are exempted from VAT. There is a continuous discussion about a similar exemption for magazines and journals. The state owned public service broadcasting company is regarded as an important contribution to the diversity of the Norwegian media system.

In order to maintain local competition and national diversity, there is a system for newspaper subsidies. In 2005 the direct subsidies added to 300 million NOK (approximately 40 million €) and account for some 3 per cent of the newspapers’ total revenue. The subsidies are distributed according to specific criteria in order reach national ideological and political newspapers, the ‘number 2' newspapers in areas with local competition, and the smallest local newspapers.

With a few exceptions, the Norwegian media are owned by Norwegian (the State, Schibsted, A-pressen, Orkla), Swedish (Kinnevik, Bonnier) and Danish (Aller, Egmont) multimedia companies. The major exception is SBS (TVNorge, Radio1 and Canal+ Norway). In 1998, the Norwegian Parliament passed new legislation to prevent ownership concentration. A new administration was established in 1999 in order to enforce the new law.


8. ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS

The accountability system can be divided into to parts: One is based on formal legislation and breaches are handled by government bodies or courts of law. The other is based on rules and practices within the media, and breaches are handled either informally or by committees or councils with representation for the media.

The Press Council is responsible for the monitoring of media ethics. In 1936 a set of ethical rules were adopted: “Code of Ethics of the Norwegian Press”. This code has been changed several times, and the present rules are from 2005. Debates and decisions in the Press Council can be initiated by complaints or from the secretariat of the council. All news media are covered by the code and the Press Council.

Some media have their own ethical rules and ways of handling complaints. Some newspapers have an ombudsman for the readers. Medietilsynet (The Norwegian Media Authority) is a branch of the public administration, subordinate to the Ministry of Culture. It performs administrative duties for radio and television (licensing of local stations etc.), the press (press subsidies), film and cinema (film censorship), and the ownership regulations (radio, television and the press).


9. MAIN RECENT MEDIA DEVELOPMENTS

Compared to most European countries, the press plays a more important role in Norway. Public service broadcasting has maintained a strong position. In both radio and television NRK channels are the most popular. NRK’s position as a state owned institution financed mainly by a license fee is under continuous discussion, but not really threatened. And the dominant privately owned channels also operate according to at least some public service obligations.

In most media there are trends towards commercialization of the production of content. For the media with a broad approach, aiming at the mass market (commercial radio and television channels, some magazines and popular newspapers), there is a trend towards homogenization of content, both within and between the media. At the same time, however, there is a distinct trend towards specialization in the magazine, radio, and television markets. In the television market, specialized movie and sports channels are operating in the Norwegian language (films subtitled in Norwegian, transmission of international sports events with Norwegian commentaries).

Although Norway is not a member of the European Union, most of the EU regulations are implemented. But the most important European influence on the Norwegian media regulations has not come from the European Union, but from the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights.


10. REFERENCES

In English: * Nordic Media Trends 4: Nordic Baltic Media Statistics 1998, Gothenburg: Nordicom 1999, see also Internet: http://www.nordicom.gu.se/ Updated information is available at Nordicom: http://www.ij.no/omij/aboutij.htm which also provide information on available literature, media legislation, professional organizations etc * MedieNorge provide statistical information about important aspects of Norwegian media. From 2006 the most important information is available in English: http://medienorge.uib.no/english * See also information from Statistics Norway: http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/ . See in particular Subject 07.


11. AUTHOR

Helge Østbye (born 1946) is professor at the Department of Information Science and Media Studies, University of Bergen, Norway. His main research interests are media structure, recent media history, media politics and media economics. He has previously written about the Norwegian media structure in 'The Media in Western Europe', 'The Euromedia Handbook' (London: Sage 1992, new editions in 1997 and 2004). He has also written textbooks in Norway media studies in Norwegian. Mail Helge Østbye at: .


12. MEDIA RESOURCES

Newspapers

Audio/Visual Media

Television

Radio

Media Institutions

Blogs/Civil Media

Excerpt from EUROPEAN MEDIA GOVERNANCE: THE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL DIMENSIONS, published by Intellect (http://www.intellectbooks.com).

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