This is an open access book. Media industry research and EU policymaking are predominantly tailored to large (and, in the latter case, Western) European markets. This open access book addresses the specific qualities of smaller media markets, highlighting their vulnerability to global digital competition and outlining survival strategies for them. New online distribution models and new trends in the consumption of audiovisual content are limited by, and pose new challenges for, existing audiovisual business models and their legal framework in the EU. The European Commission’s Digital Single Market (DSM) strategy, which was intended e.g. to remove obstacles to the cross-border distribution of audiovisual content, has triggered a heated debate on the transformation of the existing ecosystem for European screen industries. While most current discussions focus on the United States, Western Europe, and the multinational giants, this book approaches these industry trends and policy questions from the perspective of relatively small and peripheral (in terms of their population, language, cross-border cultural flows, and financial and/or symbolic capital) media markets.
Petr Szczepanik is an Associate Professor at Charles University, Prague (Czech Republic). His current research focuses on East-Central European screen industries, production cultures, and public service media in the internet era. His historical research on the state socialist mode of film production was published in the book ‘Behind the Screen: Inside European Production Culture’ (Palgrave, co-edited with Patrick Vonderau, 2013).
Pavel Zahrádka currently works at the Department of Theatre, Film and Media Studies, Palacký University Olomouc (Czech Republic). Dr. Zahrádka's research focuses on the impact of the European Commission's Digital Single Market strategy on the Czech audiovisual industry, internet piracy, ethics and aesthetics.
Jakub Macek currently works as a chair of the Department of Media Studies and Journalism, Masaryk University (Czech Republic). Dr. Macek's research fields involve social science, communication and media. His current projects are focused on convergent media audiences, on the role of media in societal polarization, and on trust in media.
Paul Stepan teaches Cultural Economics, Economics of Copyright and Economics of Cultural and Creative Industries at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Austria) and at Palacký University Olomouc (Czech Republic). His research focuses on the impact of digitization on the cultural and media sector in general with emphasis on the film industry.
