Tim Raats is Associate Professor at the Communication Sciences department of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) where he teaches courses on media policy and markets. He is also head of the Educational Board of the department also coordinates the VUB Medialab. Tim is head of the Media Economics and Policy Research unit at imec-SMIT-VUB (Studies on Media, Innovation and Technology), a group of 20+ junior and senior researchers working on fundamental and applied tracks. He obtained a PhD in Media and Communication Studies in 2014 on the role and position of public service broadcasting in a networked media environment. He specializes in policy and market research on production and distribution of audiovisual content in small media markets, EU media policy and public service media. Tim coordinated or served as principal investigator in EU projects (Horizon Europe, Chanse). He has coordinated research for the Minister of Media, the Flemish Department of Culture, Youth and Media, the Sector Council for Media in Flanders and the public broadcaster VRT. He is currently coordinating the Marie-Curie Doctoral Network Revisioning Public Interest Media (Repim). Since 2018, he is appointed member of the Board of Governors of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund. Since 2025, he is appointed Government Commissioner of the Fanders Media Regulator. Tim joined the Euromedia Research Group in 2025. 

 Key recent publications

Van der Elst, P., Iordache, C., & Raats, T. (2025). Catching the waves: The case of VRT’s digital-first audio strategy. European Journal of Communication, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/02673231251370877

Iordache, C., García Leiva, M. T. & Raats, T., (2025) “Close Contact for Context: Qualitative Methodological Considerations for Assessing Prominence and Discoverability”, Media Industries 12(1): 7. doi: https://doi.org/10.3998/mij.7625

Van der Elst, P., Afilipoaie A. , Raats T. (2025). Challenges and requirements for implementing due prominence: aligning stakeholder interests in Flanders. In: Frontiers in Communication, 10, https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1569132

Pakvis, M., Raats, T., & Iordache, C. (2025). Defining Impartiality In European Public Service Media. A Comparative Analysis of the BBC, RTÉ, and VRT. Media Studies, 16(31), 56-76. https://doi.org/10.20901/ms.16.31.3

Van den Bulck H, Horowitz M. and Raats T. (2025). Rethinking transparency in public service media: a multidimensional framework for better governance. Front. Commun. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1569363.

Domazetovikj, N., Raats, T., K. Donders (2024). Global SVoD services in small audio-visual market contexts: Commissioning patterns in Flanders, Ireland and Norway. In: Journal of Digital Media & Policy, 15, 213-235, https://doi.org/10.1386/jdmp_00147_1.

Raats, T., Ramsey, P. & K. Donders (2024). People, Platforms and Politics: The challenges for public service media in Ireland. In: Journal of Digital Media and Policy, 15(1): 101-121.

Rohn, U., von Rimscha, M. & Raats, T. (2024). De Gruyter Handbook of Media Economics. De Gruyter.

Ranaivoson, H., Raats, T. & S. Broughton-Micova (2023). European audiovisual policy in transition (eds). Milton Park: Routledge.