Public service broadcasting put to test: Ex post control of online services

Online services of public service broadcasters (PSBs) in Europe are disputed because they directly compete with online activities of the private media. In recent regulatory responses, European countries have taken a path of proactive control comprising specific regulations as well as formal and systematic procedures. Regulatory challenges do not end with the enactment of such rules, however. After rule-making, questions of how to ensure and control compliance with regulations move centre stage. While many EU countries have introduced ex ante tests to assess PSBs’ online offers, Switzerland controls compliance with regulations ex post. This article presents the results of an ex post analysis of the online offer of the Swiss public broadcaster, discusses regulatory implications of its findings and contributes to understanding the challenges facing rule enforcement on the Internet.