Opposes increase in TV license

Old fashioned and competition distorting! This is how Øyvind Korsberg, Progress Party spokesperson on media, characterizes the Governments proposal to increase the TV- license.

Øyvind Korsberg (FrP)

- There will be a huge debate about this. While other media actors are forced to save costs and look for new ways of generating revenues, the Government, on behalf of NRK (Norwegian BBC), is sending the bill directly to the Norwegian people. The Government is proposing the increase in TV-license fee in its proposal for the 2012 state budget. The result will be that every TV set owner will have to pay 2580 NOK. Almost all of NRK’s income is generated through the TV-license. In 2010, the income from TV-licenses was estimated to 4,5 billion NOK.

- TV-licensing is old-fashioned and not how a modern media outlet should be run. The Progress Party wants to abolish TV-licensing all together, says Korsberg. The Progress Party wants to reduce the TV license fee and eventually abolish it completely. Rather than being financed by license fees, the NRK should receive its revenues from advertising and/ or subscriptions.

- I am not surprised the Government wants to increase the TV license. At least, now we have an opportunity for a thorough debate on the future of TV-licensing, says Korsberg.