The new Media benchmark reviews the extent to which public service broadcasters (PSBs) are allowed to launch new online services and if there are any specific limits to the launch of (text-based) news services in different EU member states.

This matter is to a large extent for member states to decide, except that EU state aid rules can come into play. 

Our research shows a split situation between countries that have set up an ex ante screening procedure (called public value test) to evaluate if these new services can be part of the service remit, and those which do not have this public value test.

Among the countries that do have a public value test, the test is usually carried out by the media authorities, but in the Netherlands the test is done by the Ministry of Culture and in Germany by the PSBs themselves.