Slovakia to abolish broadcasting fees

Every week, new reports from Slovakia focus on TV and radio. After the European Union recently approved support for digital television in Slovakia (as we reported), the latest news from Slovakia concerns this sector: broadcasting fees will soon be abolished entirely.

Good news for consumers in Slovakia—but bad news for public broadcaster STV, which will now have to manage without fee revenue. The parliament in Bratislava passed a corresponding bill by a narrow majority. It had been initiated by Culture Minister Daniel Krajcer and his staff. The first step in Slovakia’s broadcasting reform is to merge the profitable public-service radio broadcaster with TV channel STV at the beginning of next year, forming “Rozhlas a Televízia Slovenská (RTV).” Financial considerations are a major factor: STV is expected to post a deficit of 27 million euros this year alone. It is therefore time for a new funding model, which will be the main task of the director general of Slovakia’s new broadcasting and TV group, to be appointed by the Slovak parliament early next year. A nine-member RTV council will assist the new director in making decisions, Culture Minister Krajcer told the dpa news agency last Wednesday.

The Slovak government hopes the new reform and the resulting abolition of broadcasting fees will save more than 1.7 million euros per year. The next step in the broadcasting reform, following the merger, is due to take effect on New Year’s Day 2012, when broadcasting fees will be abolished altogether. From then on, RTV is to be funded largely from Slovakia’s state budget.