Public service broadcasting of sport, shows, and news as economic solution to the voter's paradox of rational ignorance.

Rothbauer, Julia and Sieg, Gernot (2010): Public service broadcasting of sport, shows, and news as economic solution to the voter's paradox of rational ignorance.

Abstract

Rational individuals may use a Public Service TV channel as welfare improving institution to solve the paradox of rationally being uninformed. To induce voters to watch unbiased serious informational contend the Public Service TV channel is not only broadcasting (unbiased serious) news but also sport and shows even though in many markets sport and shows are already broadcasted by private TV channels. Our approach is based on two-sided markets and the assumption of decreasing marginal returns of the factor information in the production process of democratic decisions.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Media Industry; voter behavior; two-sided markets; education
• Subjects: L - Industrial Organization > L3 - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise > L32 - Public Enterprises ; Public-Private Enterprises; L - Industrial Organization > L8 - Industry Studies: Services > L82 - Entertainment ; Media; D - Microeconomics > D7 - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making > D72 - Political Processes: Rent-Seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior

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