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Catalonia's audiovisual sector must grow looking out toward the world

Apr 24, 2008 - BM news

The Catalan audiovisual sector has to grow by opening itself up to the world: this is one of the conclusions of the report entitled The audiovisual sector in Catalonia, is the motor running?, which was co-drafted by Vicente López, Director General of Barcelona Media (BM).

“Catalonia's cultural industries, in general, and the audiovisual sector, in particular, cannot plan their future growth by focusing exclusively on the rest of Spain: in a network society, the market is the world”. This is one of the statements from the report on Catalonia's audiovisual sector, which was the main subject of the April 22@Update Breakfast, held on the 24th of the month at the headquarters of 22@Barcelona.

The report was presented by its author, Imma Tubella, Dean of the UOC; Vicente López, Xavier Cubeles, Francesc Canosa and Carles Ferreiro also contributed to the drafting of the document.

Restructuring

In Catalonia, the report notes, the cultural industries and the audiovisual sector could become a strategic sector for the country's economy. However, in order for this to become possible, the authors believe that what is required is "a specific restructuring, accompanied by coherent public policies that will guarantee competitiveness and at the same time promote innovation and creativity, so that in the environment that we are moving towards, the important thing is not who owns the channels, but who owns the content and that, in the long-term, what matters is not where it is broadcast from, but where it is created”.

The text begins by analysing the revolution in what is called the quinary sector, which covers the following activities: information and cultural industries; scientific and technical professional services; education services; health and social services, and art, entertainment and leisure. The second part of the report concentrates on cultural industries and the position they occupy in the Catalan economy, as well as in relation to the rest of Spain. In the third part, the authors examine the audiovisual sector, including analysis and data on each of the sub-sectors of which it is comprised: cinema, television, the world of publishing, digital press, video games, music and advertising.

The study The audiovisual sector in Catalonia, is the motor running? has been published as issue No. 10 of the collection "Prospectiva" del Pla Estratègic Metropolità de Barcelona, and has 135 pages.

Report The audiovisual sector in Catalonia, is the motor running?, by Imma Tubella