The RTVG Will Take Effect in July
Starting July 1, local radio and television stations will receive more funding from the license fee pool. On Wednesday, the Federal Council set the revised Radio and Television Act (RTVG) to take effect on that date.
Voters approved the law last summer by a narrow majority. This also lays the groundwork for the transition from the current reception fee to a device-independent levy. However, this transition will not take place until later—by early 2019 at the latest, as the Federal Council states in a press release. The device-based fee will be replaced by a general levy. This is intended to reflect the fact that most households have reception devices, since radio and TV programs can now also be received on cell phones and computers. Registration with Billag will no longer be required, and inspections will also be eliminated. It remains to be seen who will collect the household levy. What is certain is that households will see a reduction in their burden. The levy will drop from the current 451 francs to a maximum of 400 francs per year, as the Federal Council states. Most companies will also pay less. Private radio and television stations will benefit from the revision. In the future, they will receive 67.5 million francs from radio and television reception fees—13.5 million francs more than they do today. Subtitling for the main news programs of regional television stations will also be financed by the reception fee. An additional 45 million francs from previous license fee revenues will be made available for digitization. (SDA)
