Economic
A healthy broadcasting industry is beneficial to the Scottish economy.
Already, broadcasting in Scotland contributes to the employment of creative and technical people, the viability of services which support the industry and the communication of ideas and issues.
There is real, significant value in the way broadcasting can be a catalyst for wider economic growth. The Work Foundation and Demos, amongst others, have examined how inter-related 'creative industries' can spark economic success and have looked at the factors leading to such success.
The Commission is looking to consider 'what works?' How can the sector's strengths and public resources be harnessed to best grow the industry? How can we maximise the economic benefits which can flow from a strong broadcasting sector?
Cultural
Broadcasting has become a central part of our culture. What we see and hear shapes what we know, how we think and feel, and even how we behave. It can spark heated debate in the work place and it can inspire children to become the next sporting hero.
A modern society needs to look not only to its cultural history, but how its people live now - what's important to their lives and how this is reflected and represented, not just here in Scotland but across the rest of the UK, Europe and the world.
Lord Reith, the (Scottish) first Director General of the BBC advocated the idea that a society should take very seriously what it puts on the television and radio, making use of broadcasting's full potential to inform, educate and entertain. While much has changed since then, as broadcasting and technology have evolved, many still share this aim.
We want to examine how Scottish broadcasting currently fulfils its role and whether there is more it could do. Can people see and hear the programmes they want to, when they want to? We live in a time when the choice of what to watch is expanding rapidly and there are questions over quality, distinctiveness, access. How can the viewing public, here and around the world, and those in the industry benefit from new opportunities and a more sophisticated, demand-driven society?
These are some of the many issues we'll be considering and we would like to hear your thoughts and any supporting evidence - experiences, examples, studies - to help us to try to answer some of these questions.
Democratic
Viewers and listeners regard news as the most important of the public service functions provided by broadcasters and television still remains a main source of news and factual information for many people.
Devolution has introduced new challenges for broadcasters whether this is how Scotland is reflected and reported in network news and current affairs or how audiences in Scotland want to receive news, wherever and whatever the story is.
One part of the Scottish Broadcasting Commission's task is to look at the relationship between democracy and broadcasting and consider what audiences in Scotland today are looking for in order to keep informed and to take part in the democratic process.