Funding of European public broadcasters

TV licence      Television licence only      Television licence and advertising      Television licence, advertising and government grants A broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum licence that grants the licensee the right to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1245x1245, 80 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Television licence ... No TV licence      Government grants, and advertising      Commercial only      Unknown

A telvision licence (or broadcast receiver licence) is an official licence required in many countries for all owners of television (and sometimes also radio) receivers. It is a form of hypothecation tax to fund public broadcasting, thus allowing public broadcasters to transmit programmes without, or with only supplemental, funding from radio and television commercials. A license or licence is a document or agreement giving permission to do something. ... Hypothecation is a pledge of property as security for a debt without transfer of possession. ... “Taxes” redirects here. ... Public broadcasting is a form of public service broadcasting (PSB) intended to serve the diverse needs of the viewing or listening public. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

The television licence was originally known as a radio licence, and was used to fund public radio broadcasting. With the arrival of television some countries created a separate additional television licence, while others simply increased the radio licence fee to cover the additional cost of TV broadcasting, changing the licence's name from "radio licence" to "TV licence" or "receiver licence". Today most countries fund public radio broadcasting from the same licence fee that is used for television, although a few still have separate radio licences, or apply a lower or no fee at all for consumers who only have a radio. Some countries also have different fees for users with colour or monochrome TV. Many give discounts for elderly and/or disabled consumers.

Television licences around the world

The Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago^[1] notes that two-thirds of the countries in Europe and half of the countries in Asia and Africa use television licences to fund public television. TV licensing is rare in the Americas, largely being confined to French overseas departments. The Museum of Broadcast Communications is located in Chicago, Illinois. ... Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City 234. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the continents of North America[1] and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... Under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic, the French colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana in the Caribbean and Réunion in the Indian Ocean became départements doutre-mer (Overseas departments) or DOMs. ...

The actual cost and implementation of the television licence varies greatly from country to country. The rest of this section looks at the licence fee in a number of countries around the world.

Europe

Albania

The Albanian licence fee is 800 Lekë (around €6.30) per year.^[2] However, the licence fee makes up only a small part of public broadcaster RTSh's funding. RTSh is mainly funded directly from the government through taxes (58%), the remaining 42% comes from commercials and the licence fee. Lek is the currency used in Albania. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) is the state broadcaster in Albania, founded in 1938 under Italian rule and operated from Tirana. ...

Austria

In accordance with the Austria RGG (TV and Radio Licence Law) all broadcasting reception equipment in use or operational at a given location must be registered. The location of the equipment is taken to be places of residence or any other premises with a uniform purpose of use.

Responsible for licence administration in Austria is GIS - Gebühren Info Service GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of the Austrian Broadcasting Company (ORF), as well as an agency of the Ministry of Finance, charged with performing functions concerning national interests. Transaction volume in 2006 amounted to EUR 668 million, 66% of which are allocated to the ORF for financing the organisation and its programs, and 34% are allocated to the federal government and the local governments (taxes and funding of local cultural activities). GIS employs some 193 people and appr. 125 free lancers in field service. 3.3 million Austrian households are registered at GIS, percentage of licence dodgers in Austria amounts to 4%. ORF (Österreichischer Rundfunk, literally Austrian Broadcasting) is the national Austrian public service broadcaster. ...

The main principle of GIS'communication strategy is to inform instead of control. To achieve this goal GIS uses a four-channel communication strategy:

• Above-the-line activities (advertising campaigns in print media, radio and TV)
• Direct Mails
• Distribution channels – outlets where people can acquire the necessary forms for registering (post offices, banks, tobacconists, five GIS Service Centers throughout Austria)
• Field service – customer consultants visiting households not yet registered

The annual television & radio licence varies in price depending on which state one lives in. Annual fees from June 2006 are:^[3] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Burgenland (Hungarian Várvidék, Őrvidék or FelsÅ‘Å‘rvidék, Croatian Gradišće, Slovenian Gradiščansko) is the easternmost and least populous state or Land of Austria. ... Carinthia (German: Kärnten, Slovenian: KoroÅ¡ka) is the southernmost Austrian state or Land; it is chiefly famous for its mountains and lakes. ... Map of Lower Austria showing districts and the four quarters (Waldviertel in green, Weinviertel in red, Mostviertel in yellow and Industrieviertel in blue) Lower Austria (de: Niederösterreich) is one of the nine states or Bundesländer in Austria. ... Upper Austria (Ober sterreich) is one of the nine federal states or Bundesl nder of Austria. ... Salzburg is a state or Land of Austria with an area of 7,154 km², located adjacent to the German border. ... Styria redirects here. ... Coat of arms of the Counts of Tyrol Austria-Hungary in 1914, showing Tirol–Vorarlberg as the left-most province, coloured cream Capital Meran (Merano), until 1848 Government Principality Historical era Middle Ages  - Created County 1140  - Bequeathed to Habsburgs 1363 or 1369  - Joined Council of Princes 1582  - Trent, Tyrol and... Vorarlberg is the westernmost state (Land) of Austria. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ...

Belgium (Walloon region)

The licence fee in Belgium's Walloon region (encompassing the French and German speaking communities) is €149.67 for a TV and €26.72 for a car radio.^[4] Only one licence is needed for each household regardless of how many television sets there are. However, each car with a radio must have a separate car radio licence. Household radios do not require a licence. The money raised by the fee is used to fund Belgium's French and German public broadcasters (RTBF and BRF respectively). National motto: Walon todi ! (Walloon forever!) Official languages French, German Capital Namur Minister-President Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe Area  - Total 16,844 km² Population  - Total (2002)  - Density 3,358,560 inhabitants 199. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... RTBF official logo RTBF or Radio télévision belge de la communauté française is the national broadcasting organisation of the government of the French-speaking southern part of Belgium, the counterpart to the Dutch-speaking VRT in the northern part of the country. ... BRF headquarters in Eupen. ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The licence fee in Bosnia and Herzegovina is around € 36 per year.^[5] The civil war and the associated collapse of infrastructure caused very high evasion rates. This has in part been resolved by collecting the licence fee as part of a household's telephone bill. The licence is used to fund PBSBiH (Public Broadcasting Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina) which is a umbrella organisation of three separate broadcasters. These are BHRT (Radio Television of Bosnia Herzegovina), which serves the whole country; RTFBiH (Radio-Television of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina) that serves Bosnian-Croat and Bosniak population; and RTRS (Radio-Television of the Republika Srpska), which serves the Bosnian Serb people. For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... Combatants Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Predominantly Bosniak) Army of Republika Srpska, Yugoslav Peoples Army, various paramilitary units from Serbia and Montenegro (Serbian) Croatian Defence Council, Croatian Army (Croatian) Commanders Alija Izetbegović (President of Bosnia and Herzegovina) Sefer Halilović (Army chief of staff 1992-1993) Rasim... In the Objectivist philosophy, and in theories of psychology whose authors are influenced by that philosophy, evasion is the refusal to think about a specific subject. ... For other uses, see Telephone (disambiguation). ... PBSBiH (Public Broadcasting Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina, locally known as Javni radiotelevizijski servis Bosne i Hercegovine) is an umbrella broadcasting organization and the only member of the European Broadcasting Union from Bosnia and Herzegovina. ... ... Language(s) Bosnian Religion(s) Predominantly Islam Related ethnic groups Slavs (South Slavs) The Bosniaks or Bosniacs[1] (Bosnian: BoÅ¡njaci, IPA: ) are a South Slavic people, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia) and the Sandžak region of Serbia and Montenegro, with a smaller autochthonous population also present... ... Today, Republika Srpska is the poorer political entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. ...

Croatia

The licence fee in Croatia is set each year in accordance with the Croatian Radio Television Act, 2001. The act states that the total licence fee is equal to 1.5% of the average net salary in the previous year.^[6][7] This works out at about €100 per year per household with at least one radio or TV receiver.

The fee is the main source of revenue for the national broadcaster Hrvatska Radiotelevizija (HRT), and a secondary source of income for other national and local broadcasters, which receive a minority share of this money. Despite the licence money, HRT's programmes are still not free of advertisements, but the percentage of air time which may be devoted to advertising is limited by law and is lower than the one that applies to commercial broadcasters. Croatian Radiotelevision or Hrvatska radiotelevizija (HRT) is the Croatian public broadcasting company. ...

Cyprus

The licence fee in Cyprus is indirect but obligatory and paid through electricity bills. The amount to be paid varies according to the total floor area of the property. Its beneficiary is the state broadcaster Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC). The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (Ραδιοφωνικό Ίδρυμα Κύπρου) or CyBC (ΡΙΚ) is Cyprus public broadcasting service, transmitting island-wide on four radio and two television channels. ...

Northern Cyprus ("TRNC" only recognised by Turkey) does not pay the Cypriot licence fee as Cypriot jurisdiction is not applicable in the North. Bayrak Radio and Television Corporation, the North's public broadcaster gets it funds through the North Cypriot government. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus(TRNC) {NOTE: the name is not accepted by UN} , in Turkish Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti, is a self-proclaimed state occupying the northern third of the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean. ... Bayrak Radio and Television Corporation (In Turkish: Bayrak Radyo Televizyon Kurumu), is the quasi-official radio and television broadcasting corporation of the de facto state Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. ...

Czech Republic

The licence fee in the Czech Republic, is currently 1440 Kč (€50.58) as from January 1, 2007, Česká Televize 2006, Czech Television External Relations.</ref> This will increase further to 1620 Kč (€56.90) on January 1 2008. Each household pays for one TV Licence regardless of how many televisions they own. Corporations and the self-employed must pay for a licence for each television. The licence currently forms 68% of, public broadcaster, Česká televize's income, with the rest coming from advertising, sponsorship, and commercial ventures. However, advertising and sponsorship are being phased out as a form of funding for Česká televize. From 2008 no commercials or teleshopping will be allowed except for adverts related to sports and cultural transmissions^[8] is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Logo of ÄŒeská televizes ÄŒT1 channel. ...

Denmark

The licence fee in Denmark is 2,150 kr^[9] (around €288) in media licence fee (which applies to all TVs, computers with internet access above 256 kbit/s or with TV tuners or other devices that can receive broadcast TV: which actually means that you have to pay TV licence if you have a relatively new mobile phone). Radio licence is 320 kr (around €43). The black/white TV rate is no longer offered after January 1st, 2007. The majority of the licence fee is used to fund the national radio and TV broadcaster DR. However, a proportion is used to fund TV 2's regional services.^[10] The Danish krone is the currency used in Denmark and the Danish dependency of Greenland. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... Danmarks Radio (normally referred to as just DR) is Denmarks national broadcasting corporation. ... TV 2 is a Danish government-owned television station broadcasting from Odense on Funen. ...

Finland

The television fee in Finland is between €208.15 and €215.40 (depending on the interval of payments) per annum for a household with TV (as of 2007). It is the primary source of funding for Yleisradio (YLE). The amount is being adjusted yearly for reasons including transition to digital television. For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... YLE (Yleisradio in Finnish, Rundradion in Swedish), Finlands National Broadcasting Company, was founded in 1926. ... Digital television (DTV) is a telecommunication system for broadcasting and receiving moving pictures and sound by means of digital signals, in contrast to analog signals used by analog (traditional) TV. DTV uses digital modulation data, which is digitally compressed and requires decoding by a specially designed television set, or a...

In 1999, television license fee was renamed television fee, since at that time the new constitution of Finland was being drafted. This new constitution guarantees everyone the right to receive messages without permission as a part of freedom of speech.^[11] This had little practical effect. For the constitution of the Grand Duchy of Finland see: Swedish Constitution of 1772 The Constitution of Finland (in Finnish, Suomen perustuslaki, or in Swedish, Finlands grundlag) is the supreme source of national law of Finland. ... This article is about the general concept. ...

France

In 2005, the television licence fee in France (mainland & Corsica) is €116 and in the overseas departments it is €74. The licence funds services provided by Radio France, France Télévisions and Radio France Internationale. Overseas departments receive the Reseau France d'Outre Mer ('Télé [name of department or territory]', Tempo, and France Ô), whilst the mainland receives France 2, France 3, France 5, Arte,France 4 and Gulli.^[12] Public broadcasters in France supplement their licence fee income with that from advertising. However, changes in the law in 2000 designed to stop public television chasing ratings, have brought this into steep decline; Between 1998 and 2004 the proportion of France Télévision's income that came from advertising declined from around 40% to 30%.^[13] To keep the cost of collection low, the licence fee in France is collected as part of local taxes.^[13] For other uses, see Corsica (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... Under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic, the French colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana in the Caribbean and Réunion in the Indian Ocean became départements doutre-mer (Overseas departments) or DOMs. ... Radio France is the French public service radio broadcaster. ... Logo France télévisions headquarters in Paris France Télévisions is the French public national television broadcaster. ... Radio France Internationale logo Radio France Internationale (RFI) was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France to serve as a broadcast vehicle for French Equatorial Africa. ... The French Overseas Network —or Réseau France Outremer (RFO) in French— is a network of radio and television stations operating in French territories around the world. ... The Arte building in Strasbourg Arte (Association Relative à la Télévision Européenne) is a Franco-German TV network, which aims to promote quality programming related to the world of arts and culture. ... Gulli is a new French television network. ...

Germany

The licence fee in Germany is €204.36 per annum for TV and radio, and €66.24 for just radio.^[14] It is billed by the month, but typically paid quarterly (yearly payments are possible). The unemployed, disabled and people (nearly) solely dependent on governmental support for living do not need to pay the licence fee. Starting in 2007, the German government will establish a licence fee for every working Internet link (e.g. mobile phone or PC) if it is the only source for radio and television. These devices will be charged the radio fee. The license fee has to be paid even if the device is not attached or has no immediate capabilities to connect to internet. According to the official regulation, the fee has to be paid if the device "could potentially connect to internet without significant efforts" (which means one could buy a modem and then connect). Non-possession of internet-capable devices is no obstacle to required fees, but the virtual possibility of potential capability to receive broadband is sufficient to pay. For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ...

The licence fee is used to fund the public broadcasters ZDF, ARD, and Deutschlandradio, ARTE and the public "Third Programmes" TV channels and all public radio stations as well. Their budgets are often supplemented by limited advertisements at certain hours of the day. Germany currently has one of the largest public broadcast budgets in the world. Their annual revenue is roughly EUR 7.6 billion (which is approximately twice as much as the European and Russian space programs combined), plus EUR 500 million in commercial ads. Nevertheless the board of public broadcasters sued the German states for interference with their budgeting process, and on Sept. 11 2007, they achieved a total victory at the Supreme Court, rendering their institution as an independent and self-governing body. In addition they are allowed to charge the public for "lost revenues" in their forthcoming fee raise. Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (Second German Television), ZDF, is a public service German television channel based in Mainz. ... ARD (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland – the Consortium of public-law broadcasting institutions of the Federal Republic of Germany), is a joint organization of Germanys regional public broadcasting agencies. ... DeutschlandRadio is the national German radio network. ... The Arte building in Strasbourg Arte (Association Relative à la Télévision Européenne) is a Franco-German TV network, which aims to promote quality programming related to the world of arts and culture. ...

Public broadcasters have announced that they are determined to strongly utilize all available ways to access their "customers" and as such have started a very broad internet presence with media portals, news and TV programs. With the intention to "reach their customers" in an appropriate way, the national broadcasters have abandoned their pledge for restricting their internet activities. German society will have the world's most extensive public internet media program in the near future. However, a steep fee raise is announced for 2009.

Greece

The licence fee in Greece is indirect but obligatory and paid through electricity bills. The amount to be paid is €51.60 (2006) for every separate account of the electrical company (including residence, offices, shops and other places provided with electricity). Its beneficiary is the state broadcaster Elliniki Radiophonia Tileorassi (ERT). Predicted 2006 annual revenue of ERT from the licence fee (officially called "retributive" fee) is €262.6M (from €214.3M in 2005).^[15] Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi (Ελληνική Ραδιοφωνία Τηλεόραση — Hellenic Broadcasting [and] Television) is Greeces state-owned public television broadcasting corporation. ...

There has been some discussion about imposing a direct licence fee after complaints from people who do not own a television set and yet are still forced to fund ERT. An often quoted anecdote is that even dead people pay the licence fee (since graveyards pay electricity bills).^[16]

Iceland

In Iceland the TV Licence is 32 460 kr^[17] (around €346.59) (2006). Discounts are available for black and white TVs and those who only have radios. The TV Licence is used to fund RÚV.^[18] However, this income is supplemented by broadcasting commercials. The Isk are one-half of the species called the Iskoort in the fictional Animorphs books by K. A. Applegate. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... Ríkisútvarpið (IPA: ) or RÚV (English: The National Icelandic Broadcasting Service) is Icelands main public-service broadcaster. ...

Ireland

Main article: Television licensing in the Republic of Ireland

In 2006, the television licence in the Republic of Ireland is €158,^[19] up from €155 in 2005. It is free to anyone over the age of 70 and to some over 66, and the blind although these licences are in fact paid for by the state. Everybody (regardless of means or circumstances), over the age of 70, is entitled to a free lifetime licence. The Irish Post Office, An Post, is responsible for collection of the licence fee and commencement of prosecution proceedings in cases of non-payment. However, An Post has signalled its intention to withdraw from the licence fee collection business.^[20] The Irish TV licence makes up 50% of RTÉ's revenue. The rest comes from RTÉ broadcasting commercials on its radio and TV stations.^[21] Furthermore, some RTÉ services, such as RTÉ 2fm, RTÉ Aertel, rte.ie, and the transmission network operate on an entirely commercial basis. In the Republic of Ireland, a television licence is required for any resident possessing a television set. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... The An Post logo An Post (English literal translation: The Post, English official title: The Post Office) is the State-owned provider of postal services in Ireland. ... Radio Telefís Éireann[1] (RTÉ; IPA: ,  ) is the Public Service Broadcaster of the Republic of Ireland. ... RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is commonly referred to, is RTÉs second national radio station. ... RTÉ Aertel is a teletext service broadcast on RTÉ One and RTÉ Two in the Republic of Ireland, and also available in its entirity on the Internet. ... rte. ... RTÉ Network Transmission Limited (RTÉNL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Radio Telefís Éireann which runs Irelands principal terrestrial television and radio broadcast signal transmission networks. ...

The licence fee does not entirely go to RTÉ. After collection costs, 5% is used for the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland's "Sound and Vision Scheme", which provides a fund for programme production and restoration of archive material which is open to applications from any quarters. 5% of what RTÉ then receive is granted to TG4, as well as a requirement to provide them with programming. The remainder of TG4's funding is direct state grants and commercial income. The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) (Irish: Coimisiún Craolacháin na hÉireann) is the regulator of the commercial broadcasting sector in Ireland. ... TG4 (Irish: TG Ceathair or TG a Ceathair; IPA: /tiː dÊ’iː kʲahəɾʲ/) is a television channel in Ireland, aimed at Irish-language speakers and established as a wholly owned subsidiary by Radio Telefís Éireann on 31 October 1996. ...

The licence must be paid for any premises that has any equipment that can potentially decode TV signals, even those that are not RTÉ's.

Italy

In 2007, the licence fee in Italy was €104.00 per household with a TV set. It is the primary source of income for RAI, which does, however, also broadcast advertising.^[22] Italy has problems with collection of the licence, with approximately 10% of viewers not paying their licence. One of the reasons why not, is that the maximum fine is only half the licence (plus the licence on top of that), compared to the UK where the fine is £1000 (about €1500.) For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Advert redirects here. ...

Viewers in the province of Bolzano-Bozen, Italy, which has a large German-speaking majority, can also receive Austrian and German public TV and radio channels via terrestrial transmissions. However, they do not have to pay the German or Austrian license fees. Alto Adige/South Tyrol (German: Südtirol; Italian: Alto Adige, Sudtirolo or Sud Tirolo; Ladin: Sudtirol; Official Autonomous Province of Bolzano-Bozen, in German: Autonome Provinz Bozen - Südtirol; Official in Italian: Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano - Alto Adige; Official in Ladin: Provinzia Autonòma de Balsan - Sudtirol), is an autonomous...

Macedonia

The licence fee in the Republic of Macedonia is around €57 per year.^[23] It is collected monthly as part of the electricity bill. In addition to licence fee funding, Macedonian Radio-Television (MRT) also takes advertising and sponsorship. For an explanation of terms related to Macedonia, see Macedonia (terminology). ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... Macedonian Radio Television (Македонска Радио Телевизија - Makedonska Radio Televizija - MRT) is the public broadcasting organization of the Republic of Macedonia. ...

Malta

The licence fee in Malta is €34.40.^[24] It is used to fund the television (TVM) and radio channels (Radio Malta and Radju Parliament) run by Public Broadcasting Services. Approximately two-thirds of TVM's funding comes from the licence fee, with the much of the remainder coming from commercials.^[25] Television Malta is the national television station of Malta. ... Public Broadcasting Services Limited (PBS) is Maltas public broadcasting company, responsible for the TVM television channel and the Radio Malta and Radju Parlament(106. ...

Montenegro

In accordance with the Broadcasting Law (Dec. 2002), every household and legal entity, with its seat on the territory of the Republic, where technical conditions for reception of at least one radio or television programme have been provided, is obliged to pay monthly broadcasting subscription fee. The amount of monthly fee is 3.5 EUR

Broadcasting Agency of Montenegro is in charge of collecting the fee (currently through the telephone bills, but ofter the privatization of state owned Telekom, new owners - T-com, announced that they will not administrate the collection of fee upon the July of 2007). This article is about the country in Europe. ...

The funds from the subscription received by the Agency belong to:

• the Republican public broadcasting services (radio and television) - 75%;
• the Agency's fund for the support of the local public broadcasting services (radio and television) - 10%;
• the Agency's fund for the support of the commercial broadcasting services (radio and television) - 10%;
• the Agency - 5%.

Norway

The licence fee in Norway is 2103.84 kr^[26] (about €270) per annum (2007). The fee is mandatory for any owner of a TV set, and is the primary source of income for Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK). The licence fee is charged on a per household basis. Therefore addresses with more than one television receiver only require a single licence. ISO 4217 Code NOK User(s) Norway Inflation 2. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK) - the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation - is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company. ...

Poland

The current (2007) annual licence fee in Poland for television set is 204 zł (about €53) per annum^[27] The licence may be paid monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annually, there are discounts for early payment (up to 8.5% for paying for full year in advance). Those that have no TV but have a radio must pay the radio-only licence which costs 63.60 zł (about €17) per year. The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ...

Around 60% of the fee goes to Telewizja Polska with the rest going to Polskie Radio. In return public television is not permitted to interrupt its programmes with advertisements. The TV licence is waived for those over 75. Only one licence is required for a single household irrespective of number of sets, but in case of commercial premises one licence for each set must be paid. There is a major problem with licence evasion in Poland, as the inspectors do not have right of entry to inspected premises and must get the owner’s permission to enter, because of this, it is estimated that about 45% households and 98% of businesses do not pay.^[28] Telewizja Polska Spółka Akcyjna (TVP S.A., Polish Television) is Polands public television network broadcasting corporation. ... Polish Radio and Television (Polish: Polskie Radio i Telewizja) is a public-service broadcaster in Poland. ...

Romania

The licence fee in Romania for a household is 48 RON (about € 12) per annum.^[29] Small businesses pay about €45 and large businesses about € 150. The licence fee is collected as part of the electricity bill. The licence fee makes up part of Televiziunea Română's funding, with the rest coming from advertising and government grants. The Romanian leu (plural: lei; ISO 4217 code ROL) is the national currency of Romania. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... Televiziunea Română (pronunciation: télévizju:nèa ro:mÄ«nÉ™), more commonly referred to as TVR (pronunciation: tévéré) is the national state-owned public service television broadcaster of Romania. ...

Slovakia

The total licence in Slovakia comes to approximately € 42 per annum.^[30] In addition to the licence fee STV also receives state subsidies and money from advertising. For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... Slovak Television (in Slovak: Slovenská televízia) is a state owned public television network in Slovakia. ...

Slovenia

In 2004, the licence fee in Slovenia stood at SIT 31 644 (about €132).^[31] The licence fee is used to fund RTV Slovenija, which supplements its licence fee income by broadcasting commercials ISO 4217 Code SIT User(s) Slovenia Inflation 0. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... Radiotelevizija Slovenija or RTV Slovenija (English: Radio-Television Slovenia) is the national public broadcasting organization of Slovenia. ...

Sweden

Main article: Television licensing in Sweden

The current licence fee (Swedish: TV-avgift, literally TV fee) in Sweden is 1968 kr^[17](about €210) per annum. It is collected on behalf of the three public broadcasters (Sveriges Television, Sveriges Radio and Sveriges Utbildningsradio) by Radiotjänst i Kiruna AB, which is jointly owned by them. In Sweden, television licence fees are set by the parliament and go directly to the funding of the three public service broadcasters Sveriges Television, Sveriges Radio and Sveriges Utbildningsradio enabling them to provide domestic public service broadcasting to educate, inform and entertain, free of commercial advertising. ... ISO 4217 Code SEK User(s) Sweden Inflation 2. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... Sveriges Television (SVT) is a national publicly-funded television broadcaster based in Sweden. ... Sveriges Radio AB (SR) – Swedish Radio Ltd – is Swedens national publicly funded radio broadcaster. ... Sveriges Utbildningsradio (UR) — the Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company — is a public-service corporation dedicated to serving the needs of the Swedish general public by providing educational programming on radio and television. ... Radiotjänst i Kiruna is a Swedish PBS, funded by a license fee like BBC, Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) etc. ...

The fee pays for five TV channels and 16 radio channels. In Sweden, the term "television licence" was replaced a few years ago by "television fee", which was regarded as less ambiguous. The fee is leveraged based per household with TV service, not per TV set. Although the fee also pays for radio broadcasting, there is no fee for radios.

Switzerland

According to the Swiss Federal Law on Radio and Television (RTVG), the reception of radio and / or television programs must be registered and is subject to reception fees. The fees are paid per house-hold or business location and not per device.

Since 1998, Billag has been responsible for collecting these radio and television reception fees on behalf of the Swiss Federation. It sends around 12 million bills a year to three million households in Switzerland. The collection volume is approximately CHF 1.2 billion (EUR 758 million). It also sends out one million payment reminders a year. In addition, approximately 60,000 recoveries are initiated.

Billag employs approximately 260 people and was founded as a fully owned subsidiary of Swisscom, the leading telecommunications company in Switzerland. Its services make public radio and television possible. Billag is independent of SRG SSR idée suisse which is the national public broadcaster and therefore the primary beneficiary of the collected fees. Regional and local broadcasters also receive funding from fees as long as they provide a public service.

One of Billag’s jobs is also to provide information to the general public about registration and fees in all four official languages (German, French, Italian, Romansh). Radio and TV spots, an interactive website, mailings, brochures and visits by field staff are among the most important communications media.

Persons in residential care as well as those who are receiving supplementary income from the Swiss Confederation in addition to their old-age or invalidity pension, are exempt.

Treating all those subject to fees the same way protects the approximately 96% of consumers that readily fulfil their legal obligations and ensures that conditions are fair for all.

The licence fee in Switzerland is CHF 450.35 (about € 292) per annum for TV and radio.^[32] ISO 4217 Code CHF User(s) Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Campione dItalia Inflation 1. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ...

Viewers in the province of Bolzano-Bozen, Italy, which has a German-speaking majority, can also receive the Swiss German-language channels via terrestrial digital transmissions, but do not have pay a licence fee. Alto Adige/South Tyrol (German: Südtirol; Italian: Alto Adige, Sudtirolo or Sud Tirolo; Ladin: Sudtirol; Official Autonomous Province of Bolzano-Bozen, in German: Autonome Provinz Bozen - Südtirol; Official in Italian: Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano - Alto Adige; Official in Ladin: Provinzia Autonòma de Balsan - Sudtirol), is an autonomous...

United Kingdom

Main articles: Television licensing in the United Kingdom and Television licensing in the United Kingdom‎ (historical)

In the United Kingdom, the current annual cost for a colour television licence (as of 1st April 2007) is £135.50 (approximately €200) and £45.50 (approximately €65) for monochrome TV (black and white).^[33] The licence fee is charged on a per household basis. Therefore addresses with more than one television receiver only require a single licence. (However, this does not apply to sub-let rooms within a property where a the tenant requires a licence alongside the Landlord.) A similar licence, mandated by the 1904 Wireless Telegraphy Act, used to exist for radios, but was abolished in 1971. Therefore, those who only listen to radio and do not use television receiving equipment to watch or record programmes as they are being shown on TV, no longer have to pay a licence fee. In the United Kingdom and the Crown dependencies, a television licence is required to receive any publically broadcast television service, from any source. ... The Broadcasting Receiving Licence of 10 shillings was introduced in November 1922 to cover existing BBC radio broadcasts, as well as television when the BBCs 405-line service commenced in November 1936 , although it closed down in September 1939 at the start of World War II. The Television Licence... GBP redirects here. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ...

There are concessions for the elderly (free for over-75s^[34]), the licence fee here being paid for by the government. Blind people get a 50% discount on their licence or completely free if only in possession of an audio only receiver. Residents of residential care homes (for the elderly and people with physical/mental disabilities) can apply for a special licence called the licence for Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) which is £7.50 per year. This article is about the visual condition. ...

The licence fee can be paid annually, monthly or quarterly by Direct Debit, or monthly or weekly with the Monthly Cash Plan or Cash Easy Entry cards, which were introduced in the mid 1990s for those with limited means or no bank account. The Monthly Cash Plan works on the same basis as the Cash Easy Entry scheme and has been designed so as not to discriminate against those that do not receive benefits. Direct debit is a payment method that allows an organisation to instruct their bank to collect varying amounts directly from customers accounts. ...

The licence fee represents approximately 75% of the BBC's income.^[35] However, the UK's second public broadcaster, Channel 4, has claimed that it may need licence fee income if it is to continue with public broadcasting after the digital switch-over. To this end, on April 25, 2006, it was announced that Channel 4's digital switch-over bill would be paid for from the licence fee.^[36] Some of S4C's programmes such as Pobol y Cwm and Newyddion, are made by BBC Wales and provided free of charge to S4C, meaning they are paid for by the licence fee.^{[citation needed]} For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... This article is about the British television station. ... Digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom (which is also available on the Isle of Man and will one day be available on the Channel Islands) is made up of over fifty primarily free-to-air television channels (including all the national analogue stations) and over twenty radio channels from... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru, which is Welsh for Channel Four Wales) is a television channel in Wales. ... Pobol y Cwm (People of the Valley) is a Welsh language television soap opera produced by the BBC since October 1974. ... This is a service provided by BBC for S4C. Newyddion is the Welsh word for News, and exactly like any other news service, it provides local, national and global news. ... BBC Wales (Welsh: ) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. ...

Collection is enforced by criminal law. People accused of licence evasion are tried in a magistrates court. Violators can be fined up to £1000. Prior to 1991, the collection and administration of the UK licence fee was the responsibility of the Home Office. Since 1991, the revenue has been collected on behalf of the Government by the BBC and paid into Government's Consolidated Fund. From 1991 the fee was collected more directly by the BBC and was called the TV Licensing Authority. Since then collection has been contracted out and is now collected and enforced by TV Licensing Ltd, which is operated by Capita. As a consequence of the change the force of law in enforcing the licence has weakened somewhat^{[citation needed]}. By 1994, 57% of all female criminal convictions in Britain related to television licence evasion.^[37] The term criminal law, sometimes called penal law, refers to any of various bodies of rules in different jurisdictions whose common characteristic is the potential for unique and often severe impositions as punishment for failure to comply. ... A magistrates court or petty sessions is the lowest kind of court in England and Wales and other common law jurisdictions. ... The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ... Capita is the number one provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) in the UK. Simply put, BPO is defined as the outsourcing of business functions or processes, often facilitated by IT. The BPO market continues to widen as the range of functions and processes that organisations look to outsource grows. ...

Once collected, the money is then passed to the BBC via the Appropriation Act(s) where MPs vote the amounts paid to the UK's public services. During the current Charter review process, concerns were raised as to the cost of collection (£152m for 2005-2006). For the ship of the same name, see Royal Charter (ship). ...

Asia

Israel

The television licence for 2006 in Israel is ₪ 400 (about £50 or €70). The licence fee is the primary source of revenue for the Israel Broadcasting Authority, the state broadcaster; however, its radio stations carry full advertising and its TV programmes sometime receive "sponsorship" from commercial entities to supplement this income. 1 sheqel coin (1994–5). ... Israel Broadcasting Authority (often referred to as the IBA) (Hebrew: רשות השידור, Reshut haShidur) is Israels state broadcasting network. ... Advert redirects here. ...

Japan

In Japan, the annual licence fee for terrestrial television broadcasts is ¥15,490 (about €110) (slightly less if paid by direct debit) and ¥25,520 (about £110 or €164) if you receive satellite broadcasts.^[38] There is a separate licence for monochrome TV, and fees are different in Okinawa. The Japanese licence fee pays for the national broadcaster NHK. Terrestrial television (also known as over-the-air, OTA or broadcast television) was the traditional method of television broadcast signal delivery prior to the advent of cable and satellite television. ... ISO 4217 Code JPY User(s) Japan Inflation -0. ... Direct debit is a payment method that allows an organisation to instruct their bank to collect varying amounts directly from customers accounts. ... For other uses, see Satellite (disambiguation). ... This article is about the prefecture. ... NHK Broadcasting Center in Shibuya, Tokyo NHK (, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai), or the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, is Japans public broadcaster. ...

While every household in Japan with a television set is required to have a licence, there is no penalty for non-payment^{[dubious – discuss]}, and people are legally entitled to stop licensing inspectors from entering their houses.^{[citation needed][dubious – discuss]}

Korea, Republic of

In South Korea, the television licence fee is collected for Korean Broadcasting System(KBS) & Korea Educational Broadcasting System(EBS) and is ₩30000 per year^[39] (about £15 or €25). It has stood at this level since 1981, and now makes up less than 40% of KBS's income & less than 8% of EBS's income. ^[40] Its purpose is to maintain public broadcasting in South Korea, and to give public broadcasters the resources to do their best to produce and broadcast public interest programs. The fee is collected by the national electrical company (Korean Electric Power Company). ISO 4217 Code KRW User(s) Republic of Korea Inflation 2. ...

Pakistan

The television licence in Pakistan is Rs300 per year (around €3.86). It is collected as a Rs25 per month charge to all consumers of electricity.^[41] The proceeds of the fee are used to fund PTV. PKR redirects here. ... The Pakistan Television Corporation (abbreviated as PTV) (Urdu: پاکستان ٹیلیوژن کارپوریشن) is the state-run television service in Pakistan, and has been on the air since 1964. ...

Singapore

The cost of the TV licence for a household in Singapore is S$110 (about €57).^[42] Additional licences are required for radios and TVs in vehicles (S$27 and S$110 respectively). ISO 4217 Code SGD User(s) Singapore, Brunei Inflation 1% Source The World Factbook, 2006 est. ...

Africa

Ghana

The licence fee in Ghana is ¢3,000 ^[43] (about €0.29) (2006). The fee is used to fund the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). There has recently been controversy in the Ghanaian Parliament over the number of people who do not pay the licence.^[43] The cedi is the unit of currency of Ghana. ... The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation is the public broadcaster of Ghana. ...

Mauritius

The licence fee in Mauritius is Rs 1200 per year (around €29).^[44] It is collected as part of the electricity bill. The proceeds of the licence fee are used to fund the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). The licence fee makes up 60% of MBC's funding with the other 40% coming from television commercials.^[45] However, the introduction of private broadcasting in 2002 has put pressure on MBC's revenue from commercials and this is decreasing. Furthermore, MBC is affecting the profitability of the private stations who want the government to make MBC commercial free^[44] ISO 4217 Code MUR User(s) Mauritius Inflation 8. ... The Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) is the public broadcaster of Mauritius. ...

Namibia

The licence fee in Namibia was N$204 (about €23) in 2001.^[46] The fee is used to fund the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).^[47] The Namibian dollar (abbreviated N$ or NAD) is the national currency of Namibia, adopted in 1993. ... The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation is the public broadcaster of Namibia. ...

South Africa

The licence fee in South Africa is R225 (about €31) per annum (R276 per year if paid on a monthly basis) for TV.^[48] A concessionary rate of R65 is available for those over 70, and disabled persons or war veterans who are on social welfare. The licence fee funds SABC The old R1 and new R10 bank notes The Rand is the currency of South Africa. ... SABC is an abbreviation for either South African Broadcasting Corporation - in South Africa or Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council - in the United Kingdom ...

Countries where the TV licence has been abolished

The following countries have had television licences, but subsequently abolished them:

Australia

Radio licence fees were introduced in Australia in the 1920s to fund the first privately owned broadcasters which were not permitted to sell advertising. With the formation of the government-owned Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1932 the licence fees were used to fund ABC broadcasts while the privately owned stations were permitted to seek revenue from advertising and sponsorship. Television licence fees were also introduced in 1956 when the ABC began TV transmissions. All licence fees were abolished in 1974 by the Australian Labor Party government led by Gough Whitlam on the basis that the near-universality of television and radio services meant that public funding was a fairer method of providing revenue for government-owned radio and television broadcasters. The ABC has since then been funded by government grants, now totalling around A$800 million a year, and its own commercial activities (merchandising, overseas sale of programmes, etc.). In the early 1990s, passing criticism of ABC content was often referred to by the term "where your 8 cents a day goes", referring to the cost each Australian was indirectly contributing to the ABC. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation or ABC is Australias national non-profit public broadcaster. ... ALP redirects here. ... Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC (born 11 July 1916), known as Gough Whitlam (, pronounced Goff), is an Australian former politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia. ... ISO 4217 Code AUD User(s) Australia, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island Inflation 1. ...

Belgium (Flemish region)

The Flemish region of Belgium abolished its television licence in 2001. The Flemish broadcaster VRT is now funded from general taxation. The Flemish region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium (alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region). ... The term Flemings (Dutch: ) denotes the majority population in Flanders (the northern half of Belgium). ... The Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep, or VRT, is a publicly-funded broadcaster of radio and television in Flanders (northern part of Belgium). ...

Gibraltar

It was announced in Gibraltar's budget speech of June 23, 2006 that Gibraltar would abolish its TV licence.^[49] The 7,452^[50] TV licence fees were previously used to part fund the Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). However, the majority of the GBC's funding came in the form of a grant from the government. Look up budget in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... GBC, Gibraltars public service broadcaster has provided the community with a radio and television service since 1963. ...

Hungary

In Hungary the government took over the payment of all television licence fees from the public in 2002.^[51] Effectively this means that funding for Magyar Televízió and Duna TV now comes from the government through taxation. As from Spring 2007 commercial units (hotels, bars etc.) have to pay television licence fees again, on a per TV set basis. Magyar Televízió (or Hungarian Television) is a Hungarian national public service television company, which operates two channels, called M1, M2. ... Duna TV or Duna Televízió is one of two state-owned public television companies in Hungary. ...

Malaysia

Malaysia abolished the TV licence at the end of 1999.

Netherlands

The licence fee in the Netherlands was abolished in 2000 due to the excessive collection costs.^[24] Public television in the Netherlands is now funded by government subsidy. In order to pay for public television from government funds, income tax was increased.^[24] Publieke Omroeps logo Public-service broadcasting in the Netherlands is provided jointly by a number of broadcasting organizations under the tutelage of the Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS). ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        An income tax is a tax levied on the financial income...

New Zealand

Licence fees were first used in New Zealand to fund the radio services of what was to become the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation. Television was introduced in 1960, and with it the television licence fee. The licence fee was capped at NZ$100 a year (around €49) in the 1970s, and the country's two television channels, while still publicly owned, became increasingly reliant on advertising. Later known as the public broadcasting fee, the licence fee was finally abolished in New Zealand in 1999, partly because the administration costs to collect the tax relative to the level of revenue was unviable, and also because the TV channels had become commercial revenue generators for the government with hardly any public service obligations left. Public broadcasting in New Zealand has undergone many changes since radio broadcasts first commenced in the 1920s. ...

Portugal

The licence fee was abolished in 1992 by the Cavaco-Silva government, the fee funded the national public broadcaster RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal). It was replaced with direct government subsidy and advertisements. ^[52] RTP headquarters in Cabo Ruivo, Lisbon. ...

Countries that never had a television or broadcasting licence

Europe

Liechtenstein

In Liechtenstein there is the public radio station Radio Liechtenstein. It was founded as private station in 1995, but was nationalized in 2004. Radio L is funded on commercials and government grants. There is no (neither public nor private) television station in Liechentenstein. People in Liechtenstein also watch and listen to Swiss, Austrian and German broadcasters.

Luxembourg

Luxembourg has never had a television licence, because when RTL (RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg) was established, it was simply a commercial broadcaster, and acted with public broadcasting dimension in its programming. Plus many Luxembourgers are trilingual in French, German and Luxembourgish, so many watched French, German and Belgian television as well as local TV, so putting a television licence in place would be seen as unfair. RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg is the main television channel in Luxembourg, broadcasting in Luxembourgish. ... Luxembourgish (Luxembourgish: , French: , German: , Walloon: ), also spelled Luxemburgish, is a West Germanic language spoken in Luxembourg. ...

Monaco

Monaco has never had a television licence, because when TMC (Télé Monte Carlo) was established, it was simply a government-owned commercial broadcaster, and acted with public broadcasting dimension in its programming. Télé Monte Carlo or TMC Monte Carlo, traditionally known as TMC is a Monégasque general entertainment television channel. ...

North America

The reasons why the idea of a licence fee never caught on in Canada or the United States bear some differences.

Canada

The Canadian public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, lagged slightly behind the private American broadcasters in providing radio and then television service to Canadians. Many, but not all, Canadians had access to radio and television signals from stations in the northern U.S. Thus unlike the BBC, the CBC had to compete with other English language stations for most of its viewing audience. A licence fee to own a television would almost certainly have been viewed as unfair by Canadians who could only watch one and later two channels, while others would presumably pay the same fee and get four and later five. Moreover, by early 1960s, close to every Canadian household had acquired a television set, giving limited weight to the argument that a licence fee is fair to those who do not own a television. As a result, the Canadian government chose to fund the CBC from its general revenues, although CBC Television also sells advertising to cover some of its expenses. Radio-Canada redirects here. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

United States

In the United States, historically, privately owned "commercial" radio stations selling advertising quickly proved to be commercially viable enterprises during the first half of the twentieth century; though a few governments owned non-commercial radio stations (such as WNYC, owned by New York City from 1922 to 1997), most were owned by charitable organizations and supported by donations. The pattern repeated itself with television in the second half of that century, except that some governments, mostly states, also established educational television stations alongside the privately owned stations. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ... WNYC (93. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... A U.S. state is any one of the 50 states which have membership of the federation known as the United States of America (USA or U.S.). The separate state governments and the U.S. federal government share sovereignty. ... Educational Television (Traditional Chinese: 教育電視), shortly known as ETV, is a series of educational television programmes jointly produced by Radio Television Hong Kong and Education and Manpower Bureau (formerly Education Department) of Hong Kong. ...

The United States did eventually create the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in 1967, which eventually led to the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio; however, those are loose networks of non-commercial stations owned by state and local governments or charitable organizations, more like U.S. commercial networks (though there are some differences) than European public broadcasters. The CPB and virtually all government-owned stations are funded through general revenues, supplemented by funding in the form of memberships, and donations from private citizens and charitable organizations. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting logo, used from 1969 to 2002. ... PBS redirects here. ... NPR redirects here. ...

Since the annual funding for public television in the United States is only about $2 per capita, a separate tax or fee for public television would probably prove unviable. The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

In some rural portions of the United States, broadcast translator districts exist, which are funded by an ad valorem property tax on all property within the district [3], or a parcel tax on each dwelling unit within the district. Failure to pay the TV translator tax has the same repercussions as failing to pay any other property tax, including a lien placed on the property and eventual seizure. [4] In addition, fines can be levied on viewers who watch TV from the signals from the translator without paying the fee. Depending on the jurisdiction, the tax may be charged regardless of whether the resident watches TV from the translator or instead watches it via cable or satellite, or the property owner may certify that they do not use the translator district's services and get a waiver. In broadcasting, a translator is an FM radio station or a TV station which acts as a full-duplex repeater. ... An Ad valorem tax is a tax based on the assessed value of real estate or personal property. ... Property tax, millage tax is an ad valorem tax that an owner of real estate or other property pays on the value of the property being taxed. ... In law, lien is the broadest term for any sort of charge or encumbrance against an item of property that secures the payment of a debt or performance of some other obligation. ... Coaxial cable is often used to transmit cable television into the house. ... Satellite television is television delivered by way of communications satellites, as compared to conventional terrestrial television and cable television. ...

Asia

Iran

Iran has never had a television licence. Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, the state broadcaster has been Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, which before 1979 was called National Iranian Radio and Television. In Iran private broadcasting is illegal. An Islamic republic, in its modern context, has come to mean several different things, some contradictory to others. ... IRIB is based in northern Tehran, adjacent to Mellat Park, where almost all studios and offices are centered at. ...

Detection of evasion of television licences

In many jurisdictions, television licences are enforced; usually 'television detector vans' are employed, such as those used by the BBC. ^[53] Besides claims of (usually undisclosed^{[citation needed]}) sophisticated^{[dubious – discuss]} technological methods for the detection of operating televisions, detection of illegal television sets is normally limited to simple methods such as the observation of the lights and sounds of an illegal television in a users home at night^{[citation needed]}. Detection is made a lot easier because nearly all houses do have a license, so only those houses that don't have a license need to be checked.

Opinions of television licensing systems

In most countries with a receiver licence there are opponents to the system. Some of the critics dislike the very idea of a mandatory charge for using a television, they regard it as an anomaly that a person can be forced to pay the licence fee while not using the services it pays for.^[13] Such claims have grown stronger with the rise of multi-channel digital television. Critics claim that the licence fee is unjustifiable on the basis that minority interest programming can now be broadcast on specialist commercial channels.^[13] Digital television (DTV) is a telecommunication system for broadcasting and receiving moving pictures and sound by means of digital signals, in contrast to analog signals used by analog (traditional) TV. DTV uses digital modulation data, which is digitally compressed and requires decoding by a specially designed television set, or a...

Others argue that a fixed licence fee is a regressive tax, and thus unfair on low-income groups.^[54] Defenders of licence fees point out that, although the licence fee is a regressive tax, the same is true of many other compulsory payments such as petrol tax, vehicle tax, VAT. Furthermore, some countries attempt to make licence fees fairer to disadvantaged groups by offering discounts. Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        A regressive tax is a tax imposed so that the tax...

Opponents point to alternatives such as commercial funding, voluntary subscription, or funding from general taxation. However, opinion polls in most countries with a TV licence have shown that an overwhelming majority prefer the current system ^{[citation needed]}, as it can give them access to TV that is not driven by commercial and political pressures as is sometimes seen with commercial, subscription, and taxation funded broadcasters (and thus "dare" to show "difficult" programmes). While this argument could be seen as valid for countries where the government is likely to wish to control a taxation-funded station, it can fall short in more democratic societies. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, for instance, which is funded by general taxation, shows more political satire shows than any other station. Programmes such as "The Glasshouse", and the multiple Chaser programmes ("CNNNN", "The Chaser's War on Everything"), not only make jokes out of general politics, but are often anti-government, no matter what their policies or political orientation is. Some claim that a licence fee also leads to better programmes on the commercial channels, as commercial broadcasters must compete with the licence fee funded broadcaster(s). There is no doubt that advertising yields more profit than the comparatively small budgets of government-funded stations, as private television station budgets frequently more than double the budgets of government-funded commissions comprising of multiple television stations, multiple AM and FM radio stations, plus publications (magazines, etc).

Many of those who support licence fees actually regard them as the "least worst option".^[55][56] That is, they believe that the disadvantages of having a licence fee are less than the disadvantages of all other methods. In fact, the disadvantages of other methods have led to some countries, especially those in the former Eastern Bloc, to consider the introduction of a TV licence. A map of the Eastern Bloc 1948-1989. ...

For example, both Bulgaria^[57] and Serbia^[58] have attempted to legislate to introduce a television licence. Lithuania^[59] and Latvia have also long debated the introduction of a licence fee but so far made little progress on legislating for one. In the case of Latvia, many media commentators believe this is partly due to the fact that the government is unwilling to relinquish the control of Latvijas Televīzija that funding from general taxation gives it.^[60] In other cases, nations with licence fees, such as the Czech Republic,^[8] have increased the proportion of funding that their public broadcaster gets from licence fee. In some cases such nations have found that the existing public service broadcasters could not compete with commercial broadcasters for advertising revenues. Conversely, others have found that the public broadcasters severely damage the prospects of commercial broadcasters by taking up a significant slice of available advertising revenue. Not to be confused with Republika Srpska. ... Latvijas TelevÄ«zija logo. ...

References

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3. ^ http://www.orf-gis.at/files/36_gebuehrentabelle_06_2006_brutto.pdf
4. ^ http://www.wallonie.be/cmsmedia/fr/autoradio_television_tout_savoir_sur_la_redevance_pdf.pdf?uri=8a838083007a58500100bd7b7b5a0eee
5. ^ (2005) Television across Europe: regulation, policy and independence: Bosnia and Herzegovina. EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program (EUMAP)/ Open Society Institute (OSI), 253 - 338. ISBN 1-891385-35-6. 
6. ^ The Croatian Radio-Television Act 2001, HRT. Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
7. ^ (2005) Television across Europe: regulation, policy and independence: Croatia. EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program (EUMAP)/ Open Society Institute (OSI), 425 - 481. ISBN 1-891385-35-6. 
8. ^ Cite error 8; No text given.
9. ^ http://www.dr.dk/OmDR/About%20DR/20061123155622.htm
10. ^ http://www.dr.dk/omdr/index.asp?aid=35
11. ^ http://www.finlex.fi/fi/esitykset/he/1998/19980034
12. ^ http://www.ddm.gouv.fr/article.php3?id_article=796
13. ^ ^{a b c d} (2005) Television across Europe: regulation, policy and independence: France. EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program (EUMAP)/ Open Society Institute (OSI), 638 - 728. ISBN 1-891385-35-6. 
14. ^ http://www.gez.de/door/gebuehren/faqs/index.html#8
15. ^ http://stocks.e-go.gr/article.asp?id=201967&cat=01003000000&section=business
16. ^ http://www.awmn.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21302&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=
17. ^ Cite error 8; No text given.
18. ^ http://www.ruv.is/heim/english/english/
19. ^ http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/MainContent/Personal+Customers/More+from+An+Post/TV+Licence/
20. ^ http://www.audgen.gov.ie/documents/vfmreports/47_TVLicence.pdf
21. ^ http://www.rte.ie/about/licence.html
22. ^ http://www.abbonamenti.rai.it/Ordinari/importi.asp
23. ^ (2005) Television across Europe: regulation, policy and independence: Republic of Macedonia. EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program (EUMAP)/ Open Society Institute (OSI), 1165 - 1230. ISBN 1-891385-35-6. 
24. ^ ^{a b c} (May 2006) Analysis of Responses on Fees for Broadcasting and Fees for Non-Commercial and Passive Services, Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) within the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT).
25. ^ (May 2002) European Benchmarking: Public Service Broadcasters in the Digital Era, Circom Regional (European Association of Regional Television). Retrieved 2006-11-21
26. ^ http://www.nrk.no/informasjon/lisens/1.2843218, Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
27. ^ [1]
28. ^ [2]
29. ^ (2005) Television across Europe: regulation, policy and independence: Romania. EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program (EUMAP)/ Open Society Institute (OSI), 1231 - 1314. ISBN 1-891385-35-6. 
30. ^ (2005) Television across Europe: regulation, policy and independence: Slovakia. EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program (EUMAP)/ Open Society Institute (OSI), 1385 - 1470. ISBN 1-891385-35-6. 
31. ^ (2005) Television across Europe: regulation, policy and independence: Slovenia. EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program (EUMAP)/ Open Society Institute (OSI), 1471 - 1538. ISBN 1-891385-35-6. 
32. ^ http://www.billag.com/web/de/gebuehrentabelle.html
33. ^ http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/index.jsp#link2
34. ^ http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/agedover74s.jsp#link7
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38. ^ http://www.nhk.or.jp/pr/english/fee/fee.html
39. ^ http://www.kbs.co.kr/susin/license/license_02.html
40. ^ http://english.kbs.co.kr/news/newsview_sub.php?menu=5&key=1004121101
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External links

TV licensing authorities

• A list of TV licence authorities by the European Audiovisual Observatory
• Billag (Switzerland)
• GEZ (Germany)
• ORF-GIS (Austria)
• Radiotjänst (Sweden)
• TV Licences (South Africa)
• TV Licensing (United Kingdom)
• TV-maksuhallinto (Finland)

Other websites

• Info and images about the history of the UK radio licence
• Essay examining the reasons for and against the licence fee
• "BBC Resistance" - a site that wishes to abolish the UK TV licence, run by the journalist Jonathan Miller
• An argument against the Irish licence fee system