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.
Swiss TV news on computer
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Switzerland’s federal communications office (Ofcom) director, Martin Dumermuth, told the Berner Zeitung newspaper Thursday that he plans to propose in January a change to the current license fee regulations. Owners of television sets and radios are subject to fees, but Dumermuth would like to include computer and cell phone owners. He was quick to point out that the goal is not to increase license fee revenue: the same amount would be collected, but spread among a larger group, reducing the fee for each type of equipment.
Not jolly, Roger.
Lucerne and Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – A husband and wife taxi driver team in Kriens, canton Lucerne, have received a notice from Billag demanding that they pay the television and radio license fee for the car radio installed in their taxi, reports Blick newspaper, 22 October.
Normally, a car radio is covered by the fee paid per household, however many radios or tvs the household owns. Unless, that is, the radio is used commercially. Then the license costs from CHF223.6o per year. That is Billag’s argument in this case.
