Swedish PC owners face TV fees
p2pnet news | TV:- Swedish TV licensing agency Radiotjänst wants computer owners to pay a yearly license fee of around 2,000 kronor ($327)
“The move comes just days after Sveriges Television (SVT) announced plans to begin broadcasting all its programmes live on the internet,” says The Local.
“It is our interpretation that a computer may be considered a licensable piece of equipment if an entire channel’s scheduled programming is available over the internet,” the story has Anna Pettersson, CEO of Radiotjänst, stating.
People who’ve already paid their TV licence fee —- and that’s about 90% of Swedish households —- wonp;t have to pay extra for their computers, but, “the move could affect many students, who for financial reasons may have a computer with an internet connection but no television,” say the story.
“The change will however not affect communal student houses where there is a TV for which the fee has already been paid.’
In Germany, “similar measures were put in place in 2007,” says The Local, adding:
“There however, computers with internet connections were equated with radios, meaning that the licence fee amounted to â¬66, considerably less than the â¬204 ($322) charged for a full television licence.”
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Also See:
The Local – Computers owners to face TV licence fees, March 18, 2008
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March 19th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
what! you gotta pay a fee to watch TV, that’s crazy.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Is this fee for the computer itself, or the internet connection?
And, yeah, paying fees to watch TV?
March 19th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
How much longer until my hand-held gaming device gets added to this list? Anyone remember the sega gamegear with tv tuner addon?
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Is the covers computer and internet connecton? or computer alone?