Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The Swiss Federal Council has accepted a parliamentary commission’s proposal that the  television and radio licence fee be extended to include virtually everyone and not just owners of TV sets and radios. The council has asked Parliament to prepare a bill for consideration. Current federal broadcasting legislation will need to be revised as well.

The commission notes that mobile phones and personal computers are also used to receive radio and television broadcasts. It argues that the related administrative costs involved in billing and hunting down freeloaders are now too high.

The Federal Council says that if a greater number of businesses were charged licence fees the annual fee might be cut.

This would involve shifting the burden onto more than 372,000 Swiss businesses, few of which do not have at least one PC. Broadening the base in this way, and abolishing Billag could reduce costs to individuals.

Billag is the private company charged with collecting the fees.

Swiss consumers’ organizations welcomed the move. The Swiss Union of Small Businesses (Usam) criticized the proposal, saying it was absurd. Opponents have promised a bitter fight in parliament, says NZZ.

The Federal Council has asked Parliament to prepare a bill for consideration. The current federal broadcasting legislation will need to be revised as well.

Background: “Computer and cell-phone users targeted for radio, tv licence fees“, 13 November 2009, GenevaLunch

Links to other sites: Le Temps (Fre), NZZ (Ger), Ofcom site

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