TV”. The most important german media-investors are Bertelsmann (RTL, Premiere)
and the Kirch-Group (Sat 1, Kabel 1, Pro 7). Both groups are accused to violate
the ownership and monopoly-law that will be renewed within this year.
Because of the relative liberal-license-law in 1994 more than 10 new
entrepeneurs anounced to apply for a german TV-license (e.g. Disney).
5. SWEDEN
5.1 HISTORY
Unlike Germany and France where they started with experimental TV-broadcasting
in the late 30?s Sweden launched its first channel in 1956. But like in France
and Germany the state had a monopoly on broadcasting. The first Swedish channel
was Channel 1 the second channel (TV 2) was launched in 1969. Since 1987 the two
public television channels have been organized in such a way that TV 1 is based
on programme production in Stockholm and and TV 2 on production in ten TV
districts in the provinces.
The first two private Swedish channels where introduced in Sweden in 1987 by
satellite and cable. TV 3 and Filmnet-pay TV are swedish owned but were not
allowed and licensed to send on terrestrial frequencies so they transmit via
satellite and cable. In 1989 the third satellite broadcaster the Nordic Channel
was launched and two more pay-TV channels, TV 1000 and SF-Succ? where introduced
to the market. TV 1000 and Succ? merged two years later. The first private
channel licensed to transmitt terrestrial within Sweden was TV 4 in 1991.
To summarise, today the Swedish TV-broadcasters are :
public: TV 1private :TV 3
TV 2TV 4
TV 5
Nordic (pay-tv)
TV 1000 (pay-tv)
5.2 CABLE AND SAT
The construction of cable networks begann in 1984. This share was supposed to
bring 3 000 employments perr year for 7 years and was a mean to protect
telephone monopoly. Now Sweden is among the european countries with the most
cable subscribers (B, NL, CH). Up to 50% of all households in sweden have acces
to the cable and 7% own a satellite-dish
Like in France the cable-networks gave a chance for local stations. Advertising
is not allowed for these local stations so they have a lack of money and often
broadcast only a few hours a day. Local-TV is provided in circa 30 towns and can
be seen by 16% of all Swedes (1993).
Satellite installation was given birth in the middle of the 1970?s through an
agreement among the five Nordic countries to launch NORDSAT. This satellite
would inforce the cooperation between these countries and also helpes to promote
nordic culture. In fact this project died and a Tele-X was launched by Sweden
and Norway, then Finland joined the project. Nowadays 60 % of the Swedish
households have access to the satellite channels.
5.3 LAWS AND REGULATIONS
-cable transmission legislation 1992 In Sweden, the Radio Act and the Enabling
Agreement between the braodcasting companies and the State are leading
broadcasting policies The State exercise no control over the programms prior to
broadcasting. However a Broadcasting council is empowered to raise objections to
specific programms.
The Cable Law
-The two Swedish public channels are financed by a license fee.
6. CONCLUSION
In the times of public-tv the few possible frequencies for terrestrical-
broadcasting where used by the very few public channels in each country. These
channels were under control of the state and not connected to financiel
interests of owners or investors. With the beginning of the 80s the invention of
cable TV made broadcasting from up to 30 channels possible. Our governments had
to face the demand for TV-licenses and also had to invest in cable-
infrastructure. In the late 80s new direct broadcasting satelites gave the same
number of channels to households in less developed regions.
One thing we found out and can face now as a major fact is that there is no
cable-infrastructure in France and only a few commercial channels (compared to
the 57 million inhibitants). The market seems to be influenced by the default of
the state to provide cable access. For some reasons we can?t evaluate from
sweden in a few weeks how the “sleeping beauty” France managed not to develop a
cable-network.
But we can compare the facts for all three countries and conclude: -dual system
in all 3 countries (public and private tv since mid 80s) -tv is important in all
countries 97% (see chart) -pay tv is introduced in all countries
7. QUESTIONS TO THE CLASS
-maybe there is no demand for cable in France?
-will the public channels survive?
-we only evaluated quantity and historical information and facts-what about
quality?