Public broadcasting is defined as a meeting place where all citizens are welcome and considered equals. It is an information and education tool, accessible to all and meant for all, whatever their social or economic status. Its mandate is not restricted to information and cultural development-public broadcasting must also appeal to the imagination, and entertain. But it does so with a concern for quality that distinguishes it from commercial broadcasting.

Because it is not subject to the dictates of profitability, public broadcasting must be daring and innovative, and take risks. And when it succeeds in developing outstanding genres or ideas, it can impose its high standards and set the tone for other broadcasters. For some, such as British author Anthony Smith, writing about the British Broadcasting Corporation-seen by many as the cradle of public broadcasting-it is so important that it has "probably been the greatest of the instruments of social democracy of the century".

A historical review first enables us to place the public model by comparing it with the State and commercial models. This step is important to understand the reasons prevailing at the inception of public broadcasting. These reasons help us grasp the particular role still assigned to public broadcasters, despite the many changes that have marked the evolution of broadcasting. The second part of the paper is devoted to the principles underlying public broadcasting and its mandate and financing. The subsequent sections deal with the programming, organization, accountability and evaluation of public broadcasting. In conclusion, we ponder the future of public broadcasting in the era of digitalization and audience fragmentation. Canadian Mark Starowicz considers the role of public broadcasting and its contribution to democratic life more important than ever. "Public broadcasting institutions," he says, "are even more critical today as we see the disappearance of public space, and the atomization of audiences into special interest constituencies."