Community	
  Broadcasting	
  –	
  Country	
  Case	
  Studies	
  
	
  
	
  
Austria	
  
	
  
Community	
  broadcasting	
  in	
  Austria	
  is	
  recognized,	
  legalized,	
  and	
  supported	
  by	
  law.	
  Thousands	
  
of	
  Austrian	
  citizens	
  devote	
  their	
  time	
  and	
  energy	
  as	
  volunteer	
  participants	
  in	
  14	
  radio	
  and	
  three	
  
television	
  community	
  broadcasting	
  organizations.	
  These	
  organizations	
  are	
  regulated	
  and	
  
funded	
  by	
  government	
  in	
  a	
  cooperative	
  and	
  collaborative	
  environment.	
  The	
  policy	
  that	
  enables	
  
the	
  effectiveness	
  and	
  sustainability	
  of	
  community	
  broadcasting	
  in	
  Austria	
  was	
  developed	
  with	
  
substantial	
  contributions	
  from	
  scholars,	
  advocates	
  and	
  leaders	
  in	
  the	
  sector.	
  But	
  the	
  road	
  
travelled	
  to	
  arrive	
  at	
  this	
  point	
  was	
  long	
  and	
  difficult.	
  	
  
	
  
Media	
  Landscape	
  
Mass	
  media	
  broadcasting	
  in	
  Austria	
  throughout	
  the	
  20th	
  century	
  is	
  largely	
  the	
  history	
  of	
  
Österreicher	
  Rundfunk	
  (ÖRF),	
  the	
  state-­‐run	
  radio	
  and	
  television	
  monopoly.	
  The	
  radio	
  services	
  
that	
  became	
  the	
  structure,	
  mandate	
  and	
  programming	
  of	
  ÖRF	
  originated	
  in	
  the	
  1920s,	
  and	
  
evolved	
  as	
  a	
  component	
  of	
  the	
  changing	
  Austrian	
  society	
  (Frank	
  2003).	
  The	
  identity	
  of	
  ÖRF	
  and	
  
its	
  monopoly	
  of	
  terrestrial	
  radio	
  and	
  television	
  frequencies,	
  without	
  competition	
  from	
  
commercial	
  or	
  community	
  broadcasters,	
  was	
  established	
  in	
  1957	
  and	
  affirmed	
  by	
  legislation	
  
again	
  in	
  19851
.	
  That	
  changed	
  in	
  1993,	
  when	
  the	
  European	
  Court	
  of	
  Human	
  Rights,	
  in	
  an	
  action	
  
brought	
  by	
  Austrian	
  alternative	
  media	
  activists,	
  examined	
  the	
  public	
  monopoly	
  on	
  
broadcasting.	
  The	
  court,	
  in	
  the	
  case	
  of	
  Informationsverein	
  Lentia	
  and	
  Radio	
  Agora,	
  found	
  
violations	
  of	
  Article	
  10	
  of	
  the	
  European	
  Convention	
  on	
  Human	
  Rights2
.	
  The	
  court	
  ruled	
  that	
  the	
  
interferences	
  which	
  the	
  ÖRF	
  monopoly	
  had	
  caused	
  the	
  applicants	
  were	
  “not	
  necessary	
  in	
  a	
  
democratic	
  society”	
  (Council	
  of	
  Europe	
  2007,	
  62).	
  The	
  verdict	
  forced	
  open	
  the	
  radio	
  airwaves	
  to	
  
private	
  broadcasters,	
  and	
  subsequently	
  led	
  to	
  the	
  1995	
  Austria	
  Regional	
  Radio	
  Act3
,	
  which	
  
finally	
  broke	
  the	
  ÖRF	
  monopoly	
  and	
  fundamentally	
  changed	
  the	
  public	
  broadcaster.	
  
	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
1
The full list of legislation and guidelines enacted pertaining to Österreicher Rundfunk is here:
https://www.rtr.at/de/m/ORFG.
2
Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights can be accessed here:
http://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Convention_ENG.pdf.
3
The 1995 Ausria Regionla Radio Act is described in detail here:
http://merlin.obs.coe.int/iris/1996/9/article22.en.html.
In	
  television,	
  several	
  court	
  rulings	
  and	
  legislative	
  actions	
  at	
  both	
  the	
  European	
  and	
  Austrian	
  
levels,	
  coupled	
  with	
  new	
  digital	
  distribution	
  platforms,	
  opened	
  the	
  spectrum	
  to	
  private	
  
broadcasters	
  in	
  the	
  2000s.	
  Concurrently,	
  ÖRF	
  itself	
  went	
  through	
  a	
  structural	
  change	
  resulting	
  
from	
  the	
  2001	
  Audiovisual	
  Law4
	
  that	
  reorganized	
  the	
  institution	
  as	
  an	
  independent,	
  semi-­‐
autonomous	
  entity,	
  legally	
  separate	
  from	
  the	
  government.	
  Among	
  the	
  reforms,	
  ÖRF	
  was	
  now	
  
charged	
  with	
  offering	
  programming	
  that:	
  “serves	
  the	
  general	
  public	
  with	
  special	
  consideration	
  
of	
  ethnic	
  minorities”	
  (Thiele	
  2009,	
  253).	
  Funding	
  of	
  ÖRF	
  operations	
  has	
  recently	
  come	
  under	
  
increased	
  scrutiny	
  for	
  its	
  ability	
  to	
  effectively	
  deliver	
  on	
  its	
  mandate	
  within	
  the	
  prescribed	
  
financial	
  budgets.	
  Nevertheless,	
  ÖRF	
  radio	
  and	
  television	
  today	
  are	
  generally	
  considered	
  
legitimate	
  and	
  independent	
  public	
  service	
  broadcasters	
  with	
  both	
  national	
  and	
  regional	
  outputs	
  
garnering	
  significant	
  shares	
  of	
  audience,	
  though	
  somewhat	
  less	
  than	
  earlier	
  years	
  due	
  to	
  
competition	
  from	
  the	
  commercial	
  and	
  community	
  sectors	
  (Peissl	
  2013).	
  	
  
	
  
Community	
  Radio	
  
The	
  community	
  radio	
  sector,	
  known	
  as	
  “Freie	
  Radios”,	
  originated	
  in	
  the	
  Second	
  Republic’s	
  
monopolistic	
  media	
  environment	
  of	
  the	
  1970s,	
  when	
  unlicensed	
  pirate	
  radios	
  in	
  Vienna,	
  Linz,	
  
Klagenfurt,	
  and	
  elsewhere	
  in	
  Austria	
  were	
  established	
  as	
  non-­‐conforming	
  illegal	
  enterprises.	
  
Through	
  the	
  1980s,	
  they	
  grew	
  along	
  with	
  social	
  movements	
  outside	
  of	
  the	
  mainstream	
  to	
  
become	
  important	
  components	
  of	
  the	
  alternative	
  political	
  and	
  cultural	
  scene.	
  Ironically,	
  despite	
  
their	
  counter-­‐public	
  identities,	
  some	
  of	
  these	
  pirate	
  radios	
  were	
  receiving	
  government	
  arts	
  and	
  
culture	
  funding	
  for	
  their	
  activities	
  (Peissl	
  2013).	
  The	
  1990s	
  saw	
  continued	
  growth	
  of	
  illegal	
  
pirate	
  operations,	
  but	
  also	
  brought	
  increased	
  enforcement	
  by	
  the	
  regulator,	
  as	
  dozens	
  of	
  
transmitters	
  were	
  seized	
  and	
  substantial	
  financial	
  penalties	
  assessed.	
  	
  
	
  
The	
  political	
  activities	
  of	
  community	
  broadcasting	
  activists	
  in	
  collaboration	
  with	
  the	
  Green	
  Party	
  
and	
  Social	
  Democrats	
  were	
  also	
  laying	
  the	
  foundation	
  for	
  a	
  new	
  legal	
  private	
  radio	
  sector	
  with	
  
access	
  to	
  the	
  restricted	
  FM	
  radio	
  frequencies.	
  Even	
  before	
  the	
  legalization	
  of	
  the	
  sector	
  and	
  the	
  
establishment	
  of	
  radios,	
  the	
  association	
  of	
  the	
  free	
  radios	
  was	
  established	
  1993.	
  The	
  Verband	
  
Freier	
  Radios	
  Österreich	
  (VFRÖ)	
  was	
  founded	
  to	
  provide	
  leadership	
  for	
  the	
  community	
  radio	
  
sector	
  through	
  interventions	
  in	
  policy	
  discourse	
  (Wahl	
  2013).	
  It	
  still	
  operates	
  today,	
  supporting	
  
the	
  effective	
  and	
  sustainable	
  operation	
  of	
  member	
  radios	
  with	
  capacity-­‐building	
  initiatives,	
  and	
  
the	
  charter	
  of	
  the	
  organization	
  guides	
  the	
  sector	
  with	
  a	
  set	
  of	
  principles	
  which	
  govern	
  the	
  
participants	
  and	
  organizational	
  members	
  (VFRÖ	
  2015).	
  
	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
4
The 2001 Audiovisual law: Bundeskanzleramt Rechtsinformationssytems “Bundesrecht Konsolidiert: Gesamte
Rechtsvorschrift für Fernseh-Exklusivrechtegesetz” is available here:
https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=20001413.
The	
  Regional	
  Radio	
  Act	
  of	
  1995	
  was	
  amended	
  in	
  1997	
  with	
  new	
  provisions	
  creating	
  both	
  
regional	
  and	
  local	
  radio	
  services,	
  allotting	
  42	
  local	
  frequencies	
  from	
  more	
  than	
  300	
  applications	
  
(Haller	
  1996).	
  From	
  that	
  allotment	
  eight	
  new	
  not-­‐for-­‐profit	
  radios	
  were	
  granted	
  licenses	
  in	
  
1998,	
  and	
  the	
  community	
  broadcasting	
  sector	
  of	
  Austria	
  was	
  legally	
  established	
  (Hirner	
  2003).	
  
After	
  2002,	
  several	
  educational	
  channels	
  were	
  re-­‐licensed	
  as	
  community	
  radios	
  including	
  Radio	
  
Helsinki	
  in	
  Graz,	
  and	
  Campus/City	
  Radio	
  in	
  St.	
  Pölten.	
  Further	
  development	
  of	
  the	
  sector	
  
yielded	
  the	
  licensing	
  of	
  Radio	
  Freistadt	
  in	
  2003,	
  Radio	
  B138	
  in	
  Kirchdorf	
  an	
  der	
  Krems	
  in	
  2008,	
  
and	
  Radio	
  Oberpullendorf	
  in	
  2009,	
  bringing	
  the	
  total	
  to	
  14	
  community	
  radios	
  in	
  Austria	
  
(Tremetzberger	
  2016).	
  
	
  
The	
  collaboration	
  among	
  legislators,	
  regulators	
  and	
  practitioners,	
  which	
  began	
  during	
  the	
  
formation	
  of	
  the	
  community	
  radio	
  sector	
  in	
  the	
  1990s,	
  was	
  reaffirmed	
  after	
  a	
  difficult	
  decade	
  in	
  
the	
  2000s	
  as	
  insufficient	
  funding	
  mechanisms	
  threatened	
  its	
  sustainability.	
  The	
  various	
  
stakeholders	
  worked	
  together	
  to	
  formulate	
  new	
  policy	
  initiatives	
  designed	
  to	
  set	
  community	
  
radio	
  on	
  a	
  path	
  of	
  effectiveness	
  and	
  sustainability	
  (Peissl	
  2015).	
  As	
  a	
  result,	
  many	
  of	
  the	
  guiding	
  
elements	
  from	
  the	
  VFRÖ	
  charter	
  were	
  used	
  in	
  developing	
  new	
  recognition	
  and	
  funding	
  
guidelines	
  for	
  non-­‐commercial	
  broadcasting,	
  established	
  in	
  2009	
  by	
  the	
  Rundfunk	
  und	
  Telekom	
  
Regulierungs	
  GmbH	
  (RTR).	
  That	
  new	
  policy	
  initiative	
  created	
  the	
  “Fonds	
  zur	
  Förderung	
  des	
  
nichtkommerziellen	
  Rundfunks”5
	
  (Fund	
  for	
  Non-­‐Commercial	
  Broadcasting),	
  which	
  diverts	
  a	
  
portion	
  of	
  the	
  broadcasting	
  user	
  fees	
  to	
  community	
  radio	
  and	
  television.	
  To	
  manage	
  and	
  
control	
  this	
  funding	
  program,	
  the	
  RTR	
  established	
  a	
  set	
  of	
  guidelines	
  for	
  applicants	
  in	
  the	
  
“Fonds	
  zur	
  Forderung	
  des	
  Nichtkommerzialen	
  Rundfunks	
  Richtilien”	
  (Funding	
  Guidelines	
  for	
  
Non-­‐Commercial	
  Broadcasters)	
  6
.	
  Under	
  these	
  guidelines,	
  annual	
  proposals	
  by	
  the	
  individual	
  
radios	
  and	
  televisions	
  are	
  submitted	
  to	
  the	
  media	
  regulator	
  for	
  review,	
  and	
  roughly	
  €2	
  million	
  
per	
  year	
  is	
  competitively	
  granted	
  over	
  and	
  above	
  a	
  minimum	
  standard	
  amount	
  for	
  every	
  
qualifying	
  applicant	
  (Altendorf	
  2014).	
  Although	
  a	
  high	
  degree	
  of	
  dependence	
  on	
  government	
  
funding	
  is	
  an	
  ongoing	
  concern	
  of	
  the	
  stakeholders,	
  government	
  support	
  continues	
  to	
  assure	
  the	
  
relative	
  financial	
  sustainability	
  of	
  the	
  sector.	
  
	
  
As	
  a	
  result	
  of	
  their	
  shared	
  history,	
  Austrian	
  community	
  radios	
  are	
  very	
  similar	
  in	
  their	
  
characteristics.	
  The	
  organizations	
  that	
  comprise	
  the	
  Austrian	
  community	
  radio	
  landscape	
  are	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
5
A description of the Austrian fund for non-commercial broadcasting can be seen here:
https://www.rtr.at/de/foe/NKRF_Fonds.
6
The guidelines for the Austrian non-commercial broadcast funding are here:
https://www.rtr.at/en/foe/RichtlinienNKRF_Fonds/NKRF_Richtlinien_20150930.pdf.
generally	
  mixed-­‐model	
  broadcasters	
  that	
  cover	
  a	
  local	
  geographic	
  area,	
  aspiring	
  to	
  serve	
  the	
  
communities	
  identified	
  within	
  their	
  geographic	
  reach.	
  Thus,	
  they	
  typically	
  feature	
  a	
  wide	
  range	
  
of	
  programs	
  about	
  social,	
  cultural,	
  and	
  political	
  subjects	
  important	
  to	
  the	
  local	
  community,	
  
produced	
  by	
  individuals	
  and	
  teams	
  of	
  mostly	
  volunteer	
  participants.	
  These	
  volunteers	
  are	
  
tasked	
  by	
  organizational	
  charters	
  and	
  regulatory	
  guidelines	
  to	
  observe	
  and	
  promote	
  the	
  values	
  
and	
  philosophies	
  of	
  community	
  broadcasting,	
  both	
  in	
  the	
  programs	
  they	
  offer,	
  and	
  within	
  the	
  
organizations	
  they	
  operate.	
  
	
  
Because	
  the	
  Austrian	
  technological	
  model	
  for	
  community	
  radio	
  deploys	
  citywide	
  standard	
  FM	
  
broadcast	
  coverage	
  areas,	
  the	
  largest	
  cities	
  in	
  Austria	
  predictably	
  also	
  have	
  the	
  largest	
  radios	
  in	
  
terms	
  of	
  volunteers,	
  staff	
  and	
  subsidies.	
  In	
  Vienna,	
  Radio	
  Orange	
  is	
  an	
  iconic	
  institution	
  among	
  
the	
  diverse	
  population,	
  with	
  more	
  than	
  500	
  participant	
  producers	
  making	
  programs	
  in	
  more	
  
than	
  15	
  languages	
  (Moser	
  2013).	
  Radio	
  FRO	
  in	
  Linz	
  and	
  RadioFabrik	
  in	
  Salzburg	
  are	
  also	
  large	
  
organizations	
  with	
  hundreds	
  of	
  volunteer	
  participants	
  from	
  a	
  diverse	
  number	
  of	
  communities	
  
(Wahl	
  2013).	
  A	
  second	
  tier	
  of	
  free	
  radios	
  in	
  smaller	
  cities	
  and	
  towns	
  is	
  highlighted	
  by	
  the	
  
successful	
  organizations	
  of	
  Radio	
  Helsinki	
  in	
  Graz,	
  Radio	
  Salzkammergut	
  in	
  Bad	
  Ischl,	
  Radio	
  
Agora	
  in	
  Klagenfurt,	
  and	
  Freirad	
  Radio	
  in	
  Innsbruck,	
  all	
  of	
  which	
  are	
  estimated	
  to	
  have	
  more	
  
than	
  50	
  volunteer	
  participants	
  each.	
  The	
  balance	
  of	
  the	
  sector	
  is	
  comprised	
  of	
  local	
  radios	
  
usually	
  with	
  fewer	
  than	
  50	
  volunteers	
  serving	
  smaller	
  towns	
  across	
  the	
  country	
  (see	
  figure	
  9),	
  
from	
  Radio	
  Proton	
  in	
  Dornbirn	
  in	
  the	
  west,	
  to	
  Radio	
  Freistadt	
  in	
  the	
  north,	
  to	
  Radio	
  Ypsilon	
  in	
  
Hollabrunn	
  in	
  the	
  east7
.	
  In	
  terms	
  of	
  enabling	
  policy,	
  organizational	
  development,	
  volunteer	
  
participation,	
  and	
  service	
  to	
  diverse	
  communities,	
  the	
  Austrian	
  community	
  radio	
  sector	
  can	
  be	
  
seen	
  as	
  among	
  the	
  most	
  successful	
  in	
  Europe	
  (CMFE	
  2011).	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
7
Austrian activist and practioner Alf Altendorf reports these numbers are highly problematic: the radios publish their
user numbers following different principles, such as active users, members of organisations (if any), number of
programes and so on. For example, Radiofabrik (2016) has 320 active producers, 220 members, 160 programes.
	
  
Figure 9. Map of Community Radios in Austria. VFRÖ 2015
	
  
Community	
  Television	
  
The	
  success	
  of	
  the	
  community	
  radio	
  sector	
  also	
  helped	
  spawn	
  the	
  community	
  television	
  sector	
  
in	
  Austria,	
  as	
  activists	
  from	
  these	
  radios	
  substantially	
  contributed	
  to	
  establishing	
  new	
  
community	
  televisions	
  in	
  Austria	
  (Tremetzberger	
  2014).	
  The	
  ÖRF	
  television	
  monopoly	
  ended	
  in	
  
2001	
  when	
  the	
  Federal	
  ÖRF	
  Television	
  Act	
  opened	
  up	
  the	
  television	
  delivery	
  spectrum	
  to	
  
private	
  operators8
.	
  This	
  development	
  led	
  to	
  the	
  establishment	
  of	
  a	
  number	
  of	
  regional	
  and	
  local	
  
TV	
  commercial	
  channels	
  on	
  terrestrial	
  and	
  cable	
  platforms,	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  numerous	
  popular	
  
foreign-­‐based	
  commercial	
  channels	
  (Trappel	
  2007).	
  It	
  also	
  provided	
  the	
  first	
  opportunity	
  for	
  
establishment	
  of	
  a	
  legal	
  non-­‐commercial	
  community	
  television	
  sector.	
  
	
  
In	
  Austria,	
  similar	
  to	
  neighboring	
  Germany,	
  despite	
  the	
  ÖRF	
  monopoly,	
  the	
  community	
  
television	
  ideal	
  did	
  manifest	
  itself	
  in	
  some	
  small	
  project	
  initiatives	
  emanating	
  from	
  academia	
  
and	
  civil	
  society	
  as	
  far	
  back	
  as	
  the	
  1970s	
  and	
  1980s.	
  The	
  Styrian	
  Academy	
  and	
  the	
  City	
  of	
  Graz	
  
supported	
  a	
  non-­‐profit	
  organization	
  under	
  the	
  name:	
  "Workers	
  Making	
  Television"	
  that	
  
produced	
  videos	
  from	
  1976-­‐1983	
  with	
  the	
  aim	
  of	
  "promoting	
  political	
  and	
  cultural	
  education,	
  
school	
  and	
  extracurricular	
  elementary	
  and	
  adult	
  education,	
  especially	
  by	
  means	
  of	
  the	
  
implementation	
  of	
  video	
  work	
  "	
  (Schutz,	
  et	
  al	
  2002,	
  66).	
  	
  “Local	
  Television	
  Burgenland”	
  was	
  
launched	
  in	
  1976	
  with	
  support	
  from	
  the	
  regional	
  government	
  culture	
  ministry	
  and	
  was	
  followed	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
8
The Federal ÖRF Act can be seen here: https://www.rtr.at/en/m/ORFG.
by	
  “Local	
  Television	
  Styria”	
  which	
  grew	
  to	
  locations	
  in	
  four	
  cities	
  in	
  the	
  region.	
  These	
  video	
  
services	
  lacked	
  access	
  to	
  broadcast	
  spectrum,	
  were	
  project-­‐based,	
  and	
  lasted	
  only	
  a	
  few	
  years.	
  	
  
	
  
Ironically,	
  although	
  Austrian	
  community	
  television	
  as	
  a	
  genuine	
  sector	
  was	
  not	
  established	
  until	
  
2005,	
  the	
  1970s	
  video	
  pioneers	
  of	
  Austria	
  were	
  seen	
  to	
  be	
  an	
  inspirational	
  model	
  in	
  the	
  much	
  
earlier	
  establishment	
  of	
  open-­‐channels	
  in	
  Germany	
  (Schutz	
  et	
  al	
  2002).	
  The	
  first	
  alternative	
  
television	
  in	
  Vienna	
  was	
  initially	
  realized	
  in	
  the	
  founding	
  of	
  “True	
  Image	
  Vision”,	
  a	
  
commercially-­‐funded	
  project	
  offering	
  two	
  hours	
  of	
  programming	
  per	
  day,	
  distributed	
  on	
  the	
  
local	
  cable	
  system	
  from	
  1999-­‐2001	
  (Stachel	
  2002).	
  Though	
  this	
  commercial	
  model	
  of	
  an	
  
alternative	
  channel	
  proved	
  unsuccessful,	
  several	
  participants	
  in	
  the	
  venture,	
  including	
  Amina	
  
Handke	
  and	
  Alf	
  Altendorf,	
  later	
  went	
  on	
  to	
  help	
  establish	
  the	
  community	
  channel	
  TV	
  Okto	
  in	
  
Vienna,	
  and	
  subsequently	
  FS-­‐1	
  television	
  in	
  Salzburg	
  (Bauer	
  2013).	
  
	
  
In	
  the	
  latter	
  half	
  of	
  the	
  1990s	
  and	
  into	
  the	
  2000s,	
  the	
  drive	
  to	
  establish	
  a	
  true	
  alternative	
  
community	
  television	
  in	
  Vienna	
  was	
  supported	
  by	
  a	
  wide	
  range	
  of	
  activists	
  from	
  civil	
  society	
  (Alf	
  
Altendorf,	
  Barbara	
  Eppensteiner),	
  academia	
  (Thomas	
  Bauer,	
  Johannes	
  Schutz),	
  politics	
  
(Christoph	
  Chorherr,	
  Marie	
  Ringler),	
  and	
  community	
  radio	
  (Fiona	
  Steinert,	
  Thomas	
  Thurnher).	
  
The	
  2002	
  report	
  for	
  the	
  city	
  of	
  Vienna:	
  “Studie	
  zur	
  praktischen	
  Umsetzung	
  des	
  offenen	
  
Fernsehkanals	
  Wien”	
  proposed	
  the	
  establishment	
  of	
  Okto	
  TV,	
  citing	
  the	
  success	
  of	
  community	
  
channels	
  in	
  the	
  Netherlands,	
  Australia,	
  and	
  Germany,	
  but	
  recommending	
  an	
  “independent”	
  
model	
  with	
  autonomous	
  ownership	
  and	
  control	
  (Schutz,	
  et	
  al	
  2002).	
  Led	
  by	
  a	
  coalition	
  of	
  
political	
  parties,	
  the	
  city	
  council	
  in	
  2003	
  approved	
  a	
  measure	
  authorizing	
  annual	
  funding	
  for	
  the	
  
new	
  Vienna	
  community	
  television	
  channel	
  of	
  approximately	
  one	
  million	
  euros	
  (Bauer	
  2016).	
  	
  
Subsequent	
  organizational	
  development	
  saw	
  the	
  formation	
  of	
  a	
  board	
  of	
  directors	
  led	
  by	
  
Thomas	
  Bauer,	
  and	
  a	
  management	
  team	
  headed	
  by	
  Christian	
  Jungwirth.	
  They	
  incorporated	
  the	
  
student	
  television	
  at	
  the	
  University	
  of	
  Vienna	
  into	
  the	
  technical	
  development	
  of	
  studios	
  and	
  
transmission	
  capacities,	
  resulting	
  in	
  the	
  launch	
  of	
  Okto	
  TV	
  in	
  2005	
  on	
  channel	
  8	
  of	
  the	
  Vienna	
  
cable	
  television	
  system.	
  Okto	
  TV	
  has	
  grown	
  incrementally	
  in	
  the	
  more	
  than	
  ten	
  years	
  since	
  its	
  
founding,	
  eventually	
  moving	
  into	
  new	
  studios	
  and	
  offices	
  which	
  now	
  accommodate	
  a	
  team	
  of	
  
salaried	
  employees	
  and	
  more	
  than	
  500	
  volunteer	
  participants	
  comprising	
  150	
  production	
  
groups	
  (Jungwirth	
  2016a).	
  Annual	
  funding	
  from	
  the	
  City	
  of	
  Vienna	
  continues	
  apace,	
  as	
  do	
  grants	
  
from	
  the	
  RTR	
  Fund	
  for	
  Non-­‐Commercial	
  Broadcasting	
  and	
  fees	
  for	
  services,	
  assuring	
  at	
  least	
  on	
  
annual	
  basis,	
  the	
  sustainability	
  of	
  the	
  channel.	
  
	
  
An	
  outgrowth	
  from	
  the	
  successful	
  ARS	
  Electronica	
  Festival9
	
  in	
  Linz,	
  DORF	
  TV	
  was	
  conceptualized	
  
in	
  2005	
  by	
  a	
  group	
  of	
  artists	
  and	
  media	
  activists	
  including	
  Otto	
  Tremetzberger,	
  Gabrielle	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
9
More information about the ARS festival is here: http://www.aec.at/festival/en/.
Kepplinger	
  and	
  Georg	
  Ritter	
  as	
  an	
  interactive	
  open	
  access	
  TV	
  channel.	
  The	
  concept	
  was	
  based	
  
upon	
  experiences	
  of	
  Stadtwerkstatt	
  TV10
	
  and	
  the	
  Austrian	
  community	
  radios	
  to	
  be	
  "TV	
  as	
  an	
  
instrument	
  of	
  art"	
  (Tremetzberger	
  2005).	
  A	
  2008	
  funding	
  and	
  development	
  program	
  supported	
  
the	
  initiative,	
  and	
  the	
  first	
  broadcasts	
  took	
  place	
  via	
  digital	
  video	
  broadcast	
  (DVB)	
  in	
  2010.	
  After	
  
repeated	
  refusals	
  of	
  the	
  Linz	
  cable	
  system	
  operator	
  to	
  offer	
  access,	
  the	
  group	
  filed	
  a	
  “must	
  
carry”	
  complaint	
  with	
  the	
  Austrian	
  media	
  authority	
  in	
  2013,	
  and	
  the	
  cable	
  system	
  was	
  ordered	
  
to	
  carry	
  DORF’s	
  programs.	
  The	
  channel	
  is	
  supported	
  by	
  shareholding	
  organizational	
  scheme	
  
that	
  supplements	
  local,	
  regional	
  and	
  national	
  government	
  funding,	
  and	
  includes	
  more	
  than	
  180	
  
registered	
  local	
  arts	
  organizations,	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  more	
  than	
  800	
  individuals	
  registered	
  as	
  supporters	
  
and/or	
  volunteers.	
  DORF	
  TV	
  is	
  especially	
  noteworthy	
  for	
  its	
  technological	
  development	
  of	
  
systems	
  that	
  encourage	
  production	
  of	
  user-­‐generated	
  video	
  via	
  mobile	
  telephones	
  
(Tremetzberger	
  2014).	
  	
  
	
  
The	
  development	
  of	
  community	
  television	
  in	
  Salzburg	
  originated	
  with	
  a	
  public	
  proposal	
  by	
  
Salzburg´s	
  community	
  radio	
  Radiofabrik	
  in	
  2009	
  by	
  managing	
  director	
  Alf	
  Altendorf.	
  In	
  2010	
  
Markus	
  Weisheitinger-­‐Hermann	
  (IMB	
  –	
  Institute	
  for	
  Media	
  Education	
  Salzburg)	
  joined	
  along	
  
with	
  the	
  collaboration	
  of	
  more	
  than	
  30	
  local	
  cultural	
  organizations.	
  Together	
  they	
  founded	
  the	
  
legal	
  organization	
  “Community	
  TV	
  Salzburg”,	
  and	
  in	
  2011	
  the	
  group	
  secured	
  a	
  commitment	
  for	
  
transmission	
  of	
  a	
  new	
  community	
  television	
  channel	
  via	
  a	
  local	
  digital	
  television	
  service	
  and	
  by	
  
the	
  local	
  cable	
  system	
  Kabelnet	
  Salzburg	
  AG.	
  After	
  some	
  delays	
  due	
  to	
  legal	
  and	
  financial	
  
concerns,	
  the	
  channel	
  was	
  reorganized	
  as	
  a	
  legal	
  shareholders’	
  entity	
  with	
  local	
  individuals,	
  
groups,	
  and	
  institutions	
  co-­‐owning	
  the	
  not-­‐for-­‐profit	
  enterprise.	
  The	
  new	
  shareholding	
  
organizational	
  scheme	
  proved	
  effective	
  in	
  generating	
  local	
  private	
  revenue11
,	
  and	
  also	
  secured	
  
an	
  annual	
  funding	
  grant	
  of	
  €193,000	
  from	
  the	
  Non-­‐Commercial	
  Broadcasting	
  Fund	
  of	
  the	
  RTR	
  in	
  
2012	
  (FS-­‐1	
  2015).	
  Later	
  that	
  year,	
  the	
  TV	
  was	
  renamed	
  FS-­‐1,	
  and	
  proceeded	
  to	
  launch	
  its	
  video	
  
broadcasting	
  service	
  from	
  newly-­‐reconstructed	
  studios	
  and	
  offices	
  in	
  the	
  arts	
  quarter	
  of	
  
Salzburg	
  (Altendorf	
  2016).	
  
	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
10
Te original Stadtwerk TV website can be found here: http://www.stwst.at/kunst/stwsttv/stwsttv.htm.
11
Though not commonly found in community media, shareholder’s organizational schemes and similar membership
models of funding have also proven successful at Radio Populare in Milan, with more than 10,000 supporting
members (CMFE 2015) and community TV Sheffield Live in the UK, which raised 160,000 selling shares for its
launch in 2014 (Sheffield Live 2015). One of the world’s largest non-profit shareholders’ enterprises is the Green
Bay Packers Football Club, with over 350,000 shareholders and an estimated value of nearly $2 billion USD
(Forbes 2014).
FS-­‐1	
  provides	
  a	
  24-­‐hour	
  daily	
  program	
  service	
  supported	
  by	
  more	
  than	
  50	
  registered	
  members	
  
and	
  150	
  active	
  volunteer	
  producers,	
  managed	
  by	
  a	
  small	
  salaried	
  management	
  staff.	
  The	
  
organization	
  is	
  sustained	
  financially	
  through	
  the	
  shareholder’s	
  scheme	
  and	
  an	
  ongoing	
  
combination	
  of	
  private	
  and	
  public	
  support,	
  highlighted	
  by	
  grants	
  from	
  the	
  RTR,	
  city	
  of	
  Salzburg,	
  
and	
  Salzburg	
  regional	
  government.	
  FS-­‐1	
  prioritizes	
  the	
  recruitment	
  and	
  training	
  of	
  youth	
  video	
  
producers,	
  many	
  of	
  whom	
  contribute	
  to	
  a	
  robust	
  selection	
  of	
  youth-­‐based	
  programs	
  on	
  the	
  
channel.	
  
	
  
The	
  three	
  television	
  channels	
  of	
  Austrian	
  community	
  television	
  sector	
  developed	
  in	
  sequential	
  
overlapping	
  time	
  frames,	
  beginning	
  in	
  2005	
  with	
  OKTO	
  TV	
  in	
  Vienna,	
  followed	
  by	
  the	
  2010	
  
debut	
  of	
  DORF	
  TV	
  in	
  Linz,	
  and	
  finally	
  in	
  2013	
  with	
  FS-­‐1	
  TV	
  in	
  Salzburg.	
  Each	
  television	
  originated	
  
as	
  an	
  independent	
  organism	
  within	
  their	
  local,	
  social,	
  economic,	
  political,	
  and	
  technical	
  
environments,	
  and	
  each	
  developed	
  within	
  the	
  governance	
  and	
  funding	
  of	
  the	
  media	
  regulator	
  
RTR,	
  complemented	
  by	
  local	
  and	
  regional	
  government	
  support	
  (Tremetzberger	
  2015).	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
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  A.	
  (2014).	
  Interview	
  by	
  author.	
  Salzburg,	
  Austria.	
  29.4.2014.	
  
———.	
  (2016).	
  Correspondence	
  11.1.2016.	
  
	
  
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  T.	
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  Vienna,	
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———.	
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———.	
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———.	
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  Vienna,	
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———.	
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  S.	
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Peissl,	
  H.	
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  Klosterneuburg,	
  Austria.	
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———.	
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  Klosterneuburg,	
  Austria.	
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———.	
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  author.	
  Vienna,	
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Schutz,	
  J.,	
  et	
  al.	
  (2002).	
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Wiedererkennbarkeit”.	
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  R.	
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In	
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  J.	
  Schutz.	
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  -­‐	
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  Informationsdiendstes	
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  Wien.	
  
	
  
Thiele,	
  M.	
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Public	
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Trappel,	
  J.	
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Tremetztberger,	
  O.	
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  "Reactors	
  for	
  Open	
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  A	
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  Media	
  Experience	
  Crossing	
  
the	
  Border	
  to	
  the	
  Czech	
  Republic".	
  Masters	
  thesis	
  at	
  International	
  Center	
  for	
  Cultural	
  
Management.	
  Salzburg	
  Management	
  Business	
  School.	
  
———.	
  (2014).	
  Interview	
  by	
  author.	
  Linz,	
  Austria.	
  2.12.2013.	
  
———.	
  (2015).	
  Interview	
  by	
  author.	
  Freistadt,	
  Austria.	
  30.1.2015.	
  
———.	
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  Linz,	
  Austria.	
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