TV4's decision to become a pay channel and exit the terrestrial network has prompted the Swedish government to take action. The Social Democrats have called on Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand to address the potential financial impact on public service broadcasting. Concerns are rising over increased distribution costs and the future of public service funding.
Swedish Government Summons Culture Minister Over TV4's Exit from Terrestrial Network
Swedish Government Summons Culture Minister Over TV4's Exit from Terrestrial Network
TV4 will cease broadcasting on the terrestrial network, drawing the government into the situation. The Social Democrats have summoned the Culture Minister to the cultural committee.
"The Culture Minister must come to the parliament and explain how the government intends to handle this situation," writes Lawen Redar, the cultural policy spokesperson for the Social Democrats, to the concerned channel.
TV4 is set to become a pay channel and leave the terrestrial network, which means that households receiving TV4 via an antenna will no longer be able to watch the channel after the new year. This change could also lead to soaring public service costs.
This development worries, among others, the CEO of Swedish Radio, Cilla Benkö, who warns of the trend on Sveriges Radio.
– More and more of the money that the Swedish public believes they are paying for content is going to distribution costs to a state-owned company, she says.
Summoned to the Committee
The cost issue also concerns the Social Democrats, who, through their cultural policy spokesperson Lawen Redar, have summoned Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand (M) to the cultural committee.
In a comment to TV4, Redar states that the government cannot "stand passive when TV4 leaves the terrestrial network." According to her, the economic consequences for SVT and SR are worrying, and she demands that the Culture Minister provide clarity on how the government will secure funding and what plans they have to guarantee public service's special position in total defense.
"The Culture Minister must come to the parliament and explain how the government intends to handle this situation."
Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand has previously stated that the government has no opinion on how TV4, as a commercial channel, chooses to distribute its content, and that the government is investigating how the terrestrial network should be financed.
"To safeguard public service independence, there is a special system for financing the companies. This means that the issue must be handled in a special manner and that the government therefore needs to return," writes Parisa Liljestrand in a comment to Expressen.