Misplaced Pages

#898101

77-686: The government had expected the committee to report that the television licence fee used to fund the BBC should be scrapped. However, the Peacock Committee favoured retaining the licence fee as they believed it was the 'least worst' option. The immediate recommendations of the report were: This article related to broadcasting in the United Kingdom is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Television licence A television licence or broadcast receiving licence

154-660: A licence may now increase to account for inflation. As of April 2024, the licence fee is £169.50 for a colour and £57 for a black and white television Licence As it is classified in law as a tax, evasion of licence fees is a criminal offence. 204,018 people were prosecuted or fined in 2014 for TV licence offences: 173,044 in England, 12,536 in Wales, 4,905 people in Northern Ireland and 15 in the Isle of Man. The licence fee

231-483: A licence, giving access to radio and online services free of advertising. The Albanian licence fee is 100 lekë per month, paid as part of the electricity bill. This makes up part of RTSH 's funding: 58 per cent comes directly from the government through taxes with the remainder from commercials and the licence fee. Under Austria 's TV and Radio Licence Law ( Fernseh- und Hörfunklizenzrecht ), all operational broadcast reception equipment must be registered. Since 1998,

308-580: A minor part out of deference to the Austrian press and the 'neutralism' policy of the federal government (the July Revolt of 1927 was not even mentioned). Nevertheless, also regular sportscasts began in 1928 and in 1930 the Austrian legislative election was comprehensively covered. At that time, RAVAG registered about 500,000 listeners, having become a mass medium . In the course of the abolition of

385-622: A minority share. Within HRT, 66 per cent of the licence fee income goes to television and 34 per cent to radio. The licence fee in the Czech Republic is 135 Kč per month for television and 45 Kč per month for radio, amounting to 2160 Kč per year. Paid advertisements are not permitted on television except in narrowly defined circumstances during a transitional period. Each household that owns at least one television pays for one licence, regardless of how many televisions they own. Corporations and

462-545: A monthly fee of two schillings . Radio programmes often aimed at an educated audience, featuring classical music, literature, and lectures. Early RAVAG shows, however, already catered to children and "arts and crafts" (e.g. Bastelstunde ). The first outside broadcasts aired in 1925, transmitted from the Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival . On the other hand, news broadcasts only played

539-719: A powerful transmitter, designed by the German Telefunken company, was installed on the roof of the former War Ministry building in Ringstraße in central Vienna. It was, however, the public Radio-Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft ('Radio Communication Company Ltd', RAVAG), a joint venture of the Austrian Federal Government , the City of Vienna and several bank companies, which, in February 1924,

616-694: A reduced or zero licence fee. Faced with licence fee evasion, some countries chose to fund public broadcasters directly from taxation or via methods such as a co-payment with electricity billing. In some countries, national public broadcasters carry advertising. In 1989, the Council of Europe created the European Convention on Transfrontier Television. Among other things, this regulates advertising. The treaty came into force in 1993 when it had been ratified by seven countries, including five EU member states . As of 2010 , 34 countries have acceded to

693-625: A result, some loopholes such as removing the antenna or tuner from television sets in order to declare them "GIS-Free" and hence exempt from the GIS fee (declared legal in a report to the Austrian Parliament in 2008, and confirmed as such by the Supreme Administrative Court of Austria in 2015, hence creating a market for selling regular and smart TVs without built-in antennas or tuners ) will be closed under

770-697: A television set is required to have a licence, but in 2006 non-payment was described as "epidemic" following a series of scandals involving NHK. In 2005, it was reported that "there is no fine or any other form of sanction for non-payment". The NHK Party , often called the Anti-NHK Party, was founded in 2013 as a single-issue political party to oppose the license fee, with its only policy being to encrypt NHK's broadcast signal, meaning only those who watch NHK pay for it . ORF (broadcaster) Österreichischer Rundfunk (lit.: 'Austrian Broadcasting'; ORF , German: [oːɛʁˈɛf] )

847-456: A very broad Internet presence with media portals, news and TV programs. National broadcasters abandoned an earlier pledge to restrict their online activities. This resulted in newspapers taking court action against the ARD, claiming that its Tagessschau smartphone app was unfairly subsidised by the licence fee, to the detriment of free-market providers of news content apps. The case was dismissed with

SECTION 10

#1732793809899

924-427: Is 8.70 zł per month. One licence is required per household, irrespective of the number of sets. The fee is waived for people over 75. Public health institutions, nurseries, educational institutions, hospices and retirement homes need only one licence per building or building complex they occupy. Commercial premises need a licence for each set, including radios and televisions in company vehicles. Around 60 per cent of

1001-408: Is a payment required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts or the possession of a television set . In some countries, a licence is also required to own a radio or receive radio broadcasts . In such countries, some broadcasts are funded in full or in part by the licence fees. Licence fees are effectively a hypothecated tax to fund public broadcasting . Radio broadcasters in

1078-509: Is a supporter of the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) initiative that is promoting and establishing an open European standard for hybrid set-top boxes for the reception of broadcast TV and broadband multimedia applications with a single user interface. From 6 March 1995 ORF broadcasts 24 hours a day. The ORF has one regional studio in each state, where each state produces its own radio and state television, which

1155-511: Is an Austrian national public broadcaster . Funded from a combination of television licence fee revenue and limited on-air advertising, ORF is the dominant player in the Austrian broadcast media. Austria was the last country in continental Europe after Albania to allow nationwide private television broadcasting, although commercial TV channels from neighbouring Germany have been present in Austria on pay-TV and via terrestrial overspill since

1232-563: Is approximately €46 per year. The Bosnian War and associated collapse of infrastructure caused very high evasion rates. This has partly been resolved by collecting the licence fee as part of each household's monthly telephone bill. The licence fee is divided between three broadcasters: The licence fee in Croatia is regulated by the Croatian Radiotelevision Act, 2003. This law was written to ensure compliance with

1309-652: Is available exclusively via internet: this is Ö1 Inforadio which relays all of Ö1's news content and fills the 'gaps', during which Ö1 is transmitting music and cultural programmes, with additional news broadcasts. A version of Ö1 is broadcast internationally via short wave (and satellite in Europe) as Ö1 International . Its schedule includes a small number of programmes in English and Spanish. An additional service, Radio 1476 , formerly broadcast on medium wave each evening from 18.00 until just after midnight. Its schedule

1386-435: Is billed monthly but typically paid quarterly or yearly. It is collected by Beitragsservice von ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio which is sometimes criticized for its enforcement measures. Since 2013, only recipients of certain social benefits such as Arbeitslosengeld II or student loans and grants are exempt from the licence fee. People with certain disabilities can apply to pay a reduced fee of €5.83. Low income, in general,

1463-626: Is broadcast over ORF2. The regional studio in Tyrol , also produces regional television and radio for the German-speaking population of South Tyrol , Italy. Even though each state has its own studio, most ORF productions are heavily focused on Vienna, since most shows are made there. The ORF is funded by a television license fee, which since 1998 has been administered by its subsidiary Gebühren Info Service  [ de ] (GIS). The amount payable differs by state. As of 2022, Styria has

1540-432: Is charged to all owners of equipment capable of receiving television or radio broadcasts. It is set at 1.5 per cent of the previous year's average net salary, which is €137 per year per household with at least one radio or television receiver. It 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

1617-652: Is no longer a reason for exemption. Since the fee is billed to a person and not to a dwelling, empty dwellings are exempt. The licence fee is used to fund the public broadcasters ZDF and Deutschlandradio , as well as the nine regional broadcasters of the ARD network. Together, they run 22 television channels (10 regional, 10 national, 2 international: Arte and 3sat ) and 61 radio stations (58 regional, 3 national). Two national television stations and 32 regional radio stations carry limited advertising. The 14 regional regulatory authorities for private broadcasters are also funded by

SECTION 20

#1732793809899

1694-511: Is paid to the state broadcaster, Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi (ERT). In June 2013, ERT was closed down to save money for the Greek government and licence fees were temporarily suspended. In June 2015, ERT reopened and the licence fee resumed at a rate of €36 per year. As of 2020, the cost of a television licence in Ireland is €160 per year. The licence applies to premises so a separate licence

1771-455: Is required for each household where television programmes are watched or recorded as they are broadcast, irrespective of the signal method (terrestrial, satellite, cable or the Internet). As of September 2016, users of BBC iPlayer must also have a television licence to watch on-demand television content from the service. As of 1 April 2017, after a price freeze that began in 2010, the cost of

1848-439: Is required for holiday homes or motor vehicles which contain a television. The licence must be paid for premises that have any equipment that can potentially decode TV signals, regardless of whether they view RTÉ's content. The licence is free to anyone over the age of 70, to some people over 66, to people on a disability allowance, and people who are blind (these licences are paid for by the state). The Irish post office, An Post ,

1925-489: Is required to pay a broadcasting subscription fee. The monthly fee is €3.50, or €42.00 per annum. Funds are distributed, The Broadcasting Agency of Montenegro collected the fee through telephone bills, but after the privatization of Telekom , the new owners, T-com, announced they would not administer the fee after July 2007. As of 2023, the licence fee in Poland for a television set is 27.30 zł per month, or for radio only

2002-406: Is responsible for the collection of the licence fee and commencement of prosecution proceedings in cases of non-payment, but An Post has signalled its intention to withdraw from its licence fee business. The licence fee makes up 50 per cent of the revenue of RTÉ , the national broadcaster with the rest coming from radio and television advertisements. Some RTÉ services have not historically relied on

2079-459: Is used almost entirely to fund BBC domestic radio, television and internet services. Money received from the licence represents approximately 75 per cent of the cost of these services, with most of the remainder coming from the profits of BBC Studios , a commercial arm of the corporation which distributes content outside of the United Kingdom, and operates or licences BBC-branded television services and brands. The BBC also receives some funding from

2156-939: Is used to fund the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation . The licence fee in South Africa is R 265 (about €23) per annum (R312 per year if paid on a monthly basis) for television. A concessionary rate of R70 is available for those over 70, disabled persons and war veterans who are on social welfare. The licence fee partially funds the public broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), providing R972 million (almost €90 million) in 2008–9. SABC derives much of its income from advertising. Proposals to abolish licensing have circulated since October 2009. The national carrier hopes to receive funding entirely from state subsidies and commercials. In Japan,

2233-616: The BBC . In most countries that introduced radio licensing, possession of a licence was simply an indication of having paid the fee. However in Canada, between 1914 and 1922 people needed to pass an "Amateur Experimental Certificate of Proficiency", demonstrating the ability to send and receive Morse code at five words per minute, to be allowed to use a radio receiver. With the arrival of television, some countries created separate television licences. Other countries increased radio licence fees to cover

2310-807: The First Austrian Republic and the implementation of the Austrofascist Ständestaat by Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß in 1934, the RAVAG studios were armed during the Austrian Civil War in February, as well as by the protagonists of the Nazi July Putsch , when several insurgents entered the studio and had Dollfuß's resignation announced (he actually was killed in his occupied Chancellery office). Dollfuß's successor Kurt Schuschnigg (1897–1977) had

2387-562: The Gebühren Info Service  [ de ] (GIS) has been responsible for licence administration. GIS was renamed to ORF-Beitragsservice (OBS) in 2024. It is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Austrian public broadcaster, ( ORF ) and an agency of the Federal Ministry of Finance . GIS aims to inform people about licensing, using a four-channel communication strategy consisting of: In 2007 the total licensing income

Peacock Committee - Misplaced Pages Continue

2464-583: The Munich region, but also promoted the live transmission of mass celebrations. With the Austrian Anschluss to Nazi Germany and the invasion of Wehrmacht troops in 1938, RAVAG was dissolved and replaced by Reichssender Wien subordinate to the national Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft network ( Großdeutscher Rundfunk from 1939) in Berlin , where programmes were also produced from. One of

2541-732: The Scottish Government via MG Alba to finance the BBC Alba Gaelic-language television service in Scotland. The BBC used to receive a direct government grant from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to fund television and radio services broadcast to other countries, such as the BBC World Service radio and BBC Arabic Television . These services run on a non-profit, non-commercial basis. The grant

2618-474: The Swiss national public broadcaster SRG SSR must be registered and pay licence fees. The fee is CHF 335 per year for TV and radio for single households, and CHF 670 for multiple households, e.g. nursing homes . Households unable to receive broadcast transmissions are exempt from the fees until 2023 if residents apply to opt out. Residential licence fees are collected by Serafe AG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of

2695-520: The public radios stations have no commercial advertising. RTP3 and RTP Memória can broadcast commercial advertising on cable, satellite and IPTV platforms but not on digital terrestrial television. Licence fees in Serbia are bundled together with electricity bills and collected monthly. There have been increasing indications that the Government of Serbia is considering the temporary cessation of

2772-490: The Österreichischer Rundfunk GmbH , forerunner of today's ORF. The former Ö2 has been replaced by nine regional channels (one for each Bundesland , or federal state): All of these radio channels are broadcast terrestrially on FM and via the digital service of the SES Astra satellites at 19.2° east . All of ORF's domestic radio channels are also streamed over the internet. An extra 24-hour all-news channel

2849-501: The "Taxa de Contribuição Audiovisual" (Portuguese for Broadcasting Contribution Tax ), charged monthly through the electricity bills. Following the 2010–2014 Portuguese financial crisis , government grants ended and RTP was financed only through the "Taxa de Contribuição Audiovisual" and advertising. Since July 2016, the fee is €2.85 + VAT per month. RTP1 can broadcast only 6 minutes of commercial advertising per hour (commercial channels can broadcast 12 minutes per hour). RTP2 and

2926-537: The 1980s. The first unregulated test transmissions in Austria began on 1 April 1923 by Radio Hekaphon , run by the radio pioneer and enthusiast Oskar Czeija  [ de ] (1887–1958), who applied for a radio licence in 1921; first in his telephone factory in the Brigittenau district of Vienna , later in the nearby TGM technical college. On 2 September, it aired a first broadcast address by Austrian President Michael Hainisch (1858–1940). One year later,

3003-753: The American English-speaking 'Blue Danube' armed forces network (BDN; not to be confused with the later Blue Danube Radio ) and the British Forces Network (BND), which became quite popular with younger Austrian listeners. The RAVAG/Radio Wien transmissions were limited to the Eastern Austrian Soviet occupation zone, and as the Cold War progressed was increasingly considered Communist propaganda broadcasting. Several other radio stations began broadcasting in

3080-412: The BBC. These other broadcasters are much smaller than the BBC. In addition to public broadcasters, the United Kingdom has a wide range of commercial television funded by advertising and subscription. A television licence is still required of viewers who solely watch such commercial channels, although 74.9 per cent of the population watches BBC One in any given week, making it the most popular channel in

3157-403: The European Convention on Transfrontier Television, which Croatia joined between 1999 and 2002. In addition to the licensing, the law regulates television advertising. Up to 9 per cent of air time on HRT may be given to advertising, with a limit of only one commercial during short breaks and no breaks during films. This is less than the limit permitted for commercial broadcasters. The licence fee

Peacock Committee - Misplaced Pages Continue

3234-666: The German Reichspost . In World War II , listening to Feindsender ('enemy radio stations') became a capital offence, however, such stations such as the Swiss Radio Beromünster as well as the German-language programmes of the BBC , Voice of America (VOA) and Vatican Radio , were widely used information sources. Reichssender Wien transmissions were important for strategic bombing alerts. The Funkhaus broadcasting centre itself

3311-522: The Stars . The most popular comedy show on ORF is Wir sind Kaiser ('We Are Emperor') with comedian Robert Palfrader playing Emperor Robert Heinrich I, inviting celebrity guests to make fun of them. The best known news anchors are talk show host Ingrid Thurnher  [ de ] who was given seven Romy awards as most popular presenter; Armin Wolf who is best known for his hard-hitting interviews on

3388-468: The additional cost of television broadcasting, changing the 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. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom and Japan, have lower fees for households that only own monochrome television sets. In many countries, elderly and disabled consumers have

3465-531: The annual licence fee ( Japanese : 受信料 , jushin-ryo ) for terrestrial television broadcasts is ¥ 14,205, and ¥24,740 for those receiving satellite broadcasts. The fee is slightly less if paid by direct debit . There is a separate licence for monochrome TV, and fees are slightly less in Okinawa . The Japanese licence fee pays for the national broadcaster, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (NHK) . Every household in Japan with

3542-632: The country. A similar licence existed for radio but was abolished in 1971. The licence fee in Ghana was reintroduced in 2015, and is used to fund the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). Households have to pay between GH¢36 and GH¢60 per year for using one or more televisions at home. The licence fee in Mauritius is Rs 1,800 per year (around €29), collected as part of the electricity bill. The fee provides 60 per cent of

3619-515: The court advising the two sides to find a compromise. The licence fee in Greece is paid through electricity bills. It is charged to every electricity account, including private residences and businesses. There has been discussion of replacing it with a direct licence fee after complaints from people who do not own a television set. An often-quoted joke is that even the dead pay the licence fee, since graveyards have electricity bills. Licensing income

3696-525: The demolished broadcasting centre replaced by the new Radiokulturhaus building (present-day Funkhaus Wien ) near the Theresianum academy in Wieden , Vienna, designed by Clemens Holzmeister (1886–1983) and erected from 1935 to 1939. The Austrian government widely used RAVAG broadcasts for propaganda activities, defying massive cross-border Nazi propaganda broadcasts aired from German transmitters in

3773-467: The different occupation zones and radio became a popular medium among Austrians: in 1952 there were 1.5 million radio sets in Austrian homes. The Western Allies could operate their programmes nationwide from Vienna, with a significantly higher popularity rating than the outdated RAVAG transmissions. In 1955, the various regional stations were brought together as the Österreichisches Rundspruchwesen ('Austrian Broadcasting Entity') which later, in 1957, became

3850-400: The early 20th century needed to raise funds for their services. In some countries, this was achieved via advertising, while others adopted a compulsory subscription model with households that owned a radio set being required to purchase a licence. The United Kingdom was the first country to adopt compulsory public subscription with a licence, originally known as a wireless licence , used to fund

3927-510: The fee goes to Telewizja Polska with the rest going to Polskie Radio . Advertisements are allowed between programmes on public television but it is not permitted to interrupt its programmes for advertisements. The licence is collected and maintained by the Polish post office, Poczta Polska . There is a major problem with licence evasion in Poland: in 2012 around 65 per cent of households evaded

SECTION 50

#1732793809899

4004-601: The fee was €90.00. Sixty-six per cent of RAI 's income comes from the licence fee (up from about half of total income seven years ago), with another twenty-five per cent from advertising, which is aired pretty regularly every 20 minutes or so, with very few exceptions (football matches, special events, Eurovision Song Contest) Under the Broadcasting Law of December 2002, each household and legal entity in Montenegro able to receive radio or television programmes

4081-566: The highest annual television licence cost, at €343.80, and Salzburg and Burgenland have the highest annual radio licence cost, at €94.92. Annual fees from July 2022 are: From January 2024, as part of reforms to the ORF tabled by the Nehammer Cabinet , the GIS organisation will be abolished and its associated TV licensing fee is expected to be replaced with a new compulsory ORF household tax, administered by ORF-Beitrags Service GmbH . As

4158-551: The highest annual television licence cost, at €343.80, and Salzburg and Burgenland have the highest annual radio licence cost, at €94.92. Annual fees from July 2022 are: Since 2024, the broadcasting fee has been replaced by a household tax that every household pays. It is €15.30 per month. In the federal states of Burgenland, Carinthia, Styria and Tyrol, an additional state tax must be paid - this amounts to between €3.10 and €4.70 per month. The licence fee in Bosnia and Herzegovina

4235-473: The income for Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). Most of the remaining funds come from television and radio commercials. The introduction of private broadcasting in 2002 has put pressure on MBC's commercial revenues. Private stations argue that MBC affects their profitability and they want the government to make MBC commercial-free. The licence fee in Namibia was N$ 204 (about €23) in 2001. The fee

4312-505: The insurance collections agency Secon. Non-payment of licence fees incurs fines of up to CHF 100,000. For businesses, the fee is on a scale based on the company's annual turnover and is collected by the Swiss Federal Tax Administration. The majority of the fee, CHF 1.2 billion, goes to SRG SSR, with the rest going to a collection of small regional radio and television broadcasters. On 4 March 2018, there

4389-503: The last RAVAG transmissions was Schuschnigg's farewell address on 11 March 1938 ('God Save Austria'). Only hours later, live broadcasts featured the cheering devotees of his Nazi successor Arthur Seyss-Inquart (1892–1946), the triumphant entry of Adolf Hitler in Linz the next day, and his speech on Heldenplatz in Vienna. In 1939, the former RAVAG transmission facilities were taken over by

4466-406: The late evening news show ZiB 2 ; and Gabi Waldner  [ de ] , moderator of the weekly political magazine Report . The ORF's first corporate logo , called the 'ORF eye', was designed by the Austrian illustrator and cartoonist Erich Sokol in 1968, who also served as ORF's chief graphics artist and later as art director from 1967 until 1992. The 'ORF eye' logo is often compared to

4543-496: The licence fee (compared to an average of 10 per cent in the European Union ), and in 2020, only 8 per cent of Polish households paid the licence fee. Reasons for non-payment include the opt-in system in which there is no effective means to compel people to register or to prosecute those that fail to do so. Licensing inspectors, who are usually postal workers , do not have the right of entry to inspect premises and must get

4620-458: The licence fee until a more effective financing solution is found. However, as of 28 August 2013 this has yet to be realized. Since June 2013, the annual licence fee in Slovenia is €12.75 per household per month to receive both television and radio services, or €3.77 per month for radio only, regardless of the number of devices capable of receiving television or radio broadcasts. Businesses and

4697-557: The licence fee, and in some states, non-profit community radio stations get small amounts of the licence fee. Germany's international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle , is fully funded by the German federal government, though much of its new content is provided by the ARD. Germany's per capita budget for public broadcasting is close to the European average but the total is one of the largest in the world. In 2006, annual income from licence fees

SECTION 60

#1732793809899

4774-539: The licence for income, such as RTÉ 2fm , RTÉ Aertel , RTÉ.ie but since 2012 RTÉ 2FM has had some financial support from the licence. The RTÉ Transmission Network operates on an entirely commercial basis. Five per cent of the licence fee goes to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland 's "Sound and Vision Scheme", which provides funds for programme production and restoration of archive material. From 2011 until 2018, five per cent of RTÉ's licence income

4851-523: The new system. Many of Austria's best known TV stars work for ORF. According to surveys the most prominent television presenter in the country is former alpine skier Armin Assinger who is the host of the Millionen-Show , Austria's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? . Mirjam Weichselbraun , a former MTV presenter is co-host of Dancing Stars , Austria's edition of Dancing With

4928-464: The owner's or occupier's permission to enter. Also, the public media are frequently accused of producing pro-government propaganda and not being independent public broadcasters. Due to widespread non-payment of the licence fee, in 2020 the government gave a 2 billion złoty grant for public media. From September 2003, the Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) was financed through government grants and

5005-413: The producer or importer of the television receiving equipment. Consumers indirectly pay this fee when purchasing equipment. No registration is required for television receiving equipment, except for cellular phones as mandated by a separate law. TRT also receives funding via advertisements. Previously a 2 per cent tax was added to monthly electricity bills but this has been abolished. A television licence

5082-429: The self-employed must pay for a licence for each television and radio. The licence fee in Germany is €18.36 per month (€220 per annum) for all apartments, secondary residences, holiday homes and summer houses. Since 2003 it has been payable regardless of possession or use of television and radio. Businesses and institutions must pay, based on factors including numbers of employees, vehicles and, for hotels, beds. The fee

5159-476: The self-employed pay this amount for each set, and pay higher rates where they are intended for public viewing rather than private use by employees. The licence fee is used to fund the national broadcaster RTV Slovenija . In 2007, the licence fee raised €78.1 million, approximately 68 per cent of the broadcaster's operating revenue. RTV Slovenija's advertising income in 2007 was €21.6 million. Any household that receives radio or television programs from

5236-455: The treaty. Usage and costs of television licences vary greatly between countries. The Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago reports that two-thirds of countries in Europe and half of countries in Asia and Africa use television licences to fund public television. Television licensing is rare in the Americas, largely confined to British Overseas Territories . In some countries, radio channels and broadcasters' websites are also funded by

5313-415: Was a referendum on whether TV licensing should be scrapped, with the slogan "No Billag", a reference to the previous collector of the licence fees. Parliament have advocated a no vote. Voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposal by 71.6 to 28.4 per cent and in all cantons. Following the vote, the fee was significantly reduced. A licence fee of up to 16 per cent is paid to the state broadcaster TRT by

5390-456: Was a mixture of items from Ö1, programmes for linguistic and cultural minorities, folk music, and special productions. The ORF television channels are broadcast terrestrially and via the SES Astra 1H satellite at 19.2° east . Via satellite ORF 1 and ORF2 are encrypted , allowing only Austrian residents who pay the Austrian television licence fee (GIS) to watch them. ORF2 Europe is unencrypted and receivable via satellite in Europe. ORF

5467-415: Was abolished on 1 April 2014, leaving these services to be funded by the UK licence fee, a move which has caused some controversy. Channel 4 is also a public television service but it is funded through advertising. The Welsh language S4C is funded through a combination of a direct grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and advertising, and receives some programming free of charge from

5544-516: Was awarded the concession to begin broadcasting, with Czeja as its director-general . Regular transmissions began on 1 October 1924 from provisional studios inside the War Ministry building that was to become known as Radio Wien (Welle 530) . By the end of October 1924 it already had 30,000 listeners, and by January 1925 100,000. Relay transmitters, established across the country by 1934, ensured that all Austrians could listen to Radio Wien at

5621-818: Was damaged by Allied bombs in January and February 1945, followed by the Red Army Vienna Offensive . Reichssender Wien last aired 6 April, before retiring Schutzstaffel troops blew up the Bisamberg transmitter. Following the Wehrmacht defeat, independent Austrian RAVAG radio broadcasting resumed in Allied-occupied Austria 24 April 1945, when it announced the formation of a provisional Austrian state government led by Karl Renner (1870–1950). A new Radio Wien station

5698-751: Was founded, broadcasting from Funkhaus Wien by a provisional transmitter on the rooftop, once again under Oskar Czeija, who nevertheless was ousted shortly afterward on pressure by the Soviet military administration. As the Funkhaus was located in the Soviet occupation sector of Vienna, the Western Allies established their own radio stations like the Alpenland network on British-occupied territory, Radio Rot-Weiß-Rot on US-occupied territory, Sendegruppe West on French-occupied territory, as well as

5775-542: Was granted to TG4 . RTÉ is now required to provide TG4 with programming. The remainder of TG4's funding is from direct state grants and commercial income. The licence fee in Italy is charged to each household with a television set, regardless of use, and to all public premises with one or more televisions or radios. In 2016, the government reduced the licence fee to €100 per household and incorporated it into electricity bills in an attempt to eliminate evasion, and as of 2018,

5852-485: Was more than €7.9 billion. The board of public broadcasters sued the German states for interference with their budgeting process, and on 11 September 2007, the Supreme Court decided in their favour. This effectively rendered the public broadcasters independent and self-governing. Public broadcasters have announced that they are determined to use all available ways to reach their "customers" and as such have started

5929-454: Was €682 million, 66 per cent of which was allocated to the ORF. The remaining 34 per cent was allocated to the federal government and local governments to fund cultural activities. GIS employs 191 people and has approximately 125 freelancers in the field service. 3.4 million Austrian households are registered with the GIS with 2.5 per cent evading the licence. The television & radio licence fee varies between states . As of 2022, Styria has

#898101