Sweden : Head of Swedish Radio reject tax plan

Cilla Benkö is the incoming head of Swedish public radio

A proposal to replace the Swedish television licence fee with a tax on everyone over 18 has been criticised by the leaders of Swedish public radio.

A government investigation is to decide the future direction of Sweden's public service broadcasters: Swedish Television (SVT), Swedish Radio (SR) and the Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company (UR). Radio Sweden is part of SR.

Writing in Tuesday's Dagens Nyheter the investigators propose replacing the licence fee with a income-based tax to pay for public service broadcasting.

But the heads of Swedish Radio, Mats Svegfors and Cilla Benkö, say that this move would be "a blow against our independence" and bring the public service broadcasters closer to the politicians.

The investigation also proposes switching radio over to digital. Currently only 35 percent of Swedes are in an area with digital radio coverage.

The government study is to be officially presented at lunchtime today.

(Source : Radio Sweden)