The Educat ional Character of Publ ic Service Broadcast ing From Cultural Enr ichment to Knowledge Society

A b s t r a c t A gradual erosion of the general principles of public service broadcasting has left a system increasingly susceptible to economic and political interests in the neoliberal marketplace. Education has a vital, but often overlooked role to play in the maintenance of public communication, as this case study of Irish broadcasting reveals. Education is located on the cusp of tensions between the social and political objectives of public service broadcasting and the economic reality in which it finds itself operating. Documentary and qualitative interviews reveal how education seeks to resolve these tensions, and the ambivalent consequences for public service broadcasting. Key Words education, knowledge society, Ireland, public service broadcasting Introduction: framing education’s role in public service broadcasting Although treasured as one of the core principles of public service broad