Publication: Broadcasting and Development : Options for the World Bank
Date
2003-09
ISSN
Published
2003-09
Author(s)
Eltzroth, Carter
Kenny, Charles
Abstract
Broadcasting can have a significant part
to play in the fight to reduce global poverty. At least 77
percent of the world's population is estimated to be
within easy access of broadcast technology (compared to
perhaps 4 percent for the Internet), broadcast services are
easily accessible by the illiterate and those that speak
minority languages. Broadcast operations have been proven
sustainable even in low income rural areas. They can play an
important role in information transfer (conveying crop
prices and employment opportunities, for example). They have
played an important role in a range of development
projects-including interactive radio instruction, where they
have been found to be a highly cost effective intervention.
Access to broadcast technologies also has been found to
correlate with improved access to government services.
Convergence of information and communications technologies
(ICT) is allowing broadcast services to be provided over
telecommunications networks and Internet services to use
broadcast systems. Differentiating broadcast and
telecommunications is becoming increasingly anachronistic,
many countries are already moving towards a model of
convergence regulation that encompasses both sub-sectors.
For the World Bank Group to be involved in
telecommunications while eschewing broadcast will frequently
involve forcing our client countries into suboptimal policy
and regulatory solutions. Further, the use of broadcast to
provide Internet services is a potential development
opportunity that should not be ignored by the Bank in its operations.
Citation
“Eltzroth, Carter; Kenny, Charles. 2003. Broadcasting and Development : Options for the World Bank. World Bank Working Paper;No. 11. © Washington, DC: World Bank. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/a4a4137c-1837-518f-a5f4-c0ebf849dc35 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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