Sweden's TV4 to begin broadcasting from Finland
Move aimed at circumventing Sweden's strict regulations on amount and content of advertising
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The Swedish commercial television channel TV4 plans to launch two or three new channels next year, the broadcasts of which would originate in Finland.
The company announced in the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet that the reason for the move is that Finland’s regulations on television advertising are less restrictive than those in Sweden.
The company’s first new channel broadcasting from Finland to Sweden, TV4 Fakta, which focuses on documentaries, is to begin operations already this month. It is expected to reach 1.2 million of Sweden’s 4.2 million households.
By originating its broadcasts from Finland, TV4 can circumvent Swedish rules on advertising, allowing it to sell 50% more commercials. Beer and wine advertisements are banned in Sweden, but permitted in Finland.
Also allowed in Finland and banned in Sweden are advertisements targeting children.
"They can do this. It is not illegal", said Kerstin Persdottir of Sweden’s Ministry of Culture, which monitors the media.
The phenomenon is not completely new. Two other commercial broadcasters, TV3 and Kanal 5, broadcast to Sweden from Britain.
TV4 says that it plans for the new channels to be relayed from Finland to other Nordic Countries as well.
Sources close to Sweden’s Minister of Culture Leif Pagrotsky said on Tuesday that the country plans to take an active role in efforts to harmonise European advertising regulations. Jan Scherman, CEO of TV4, says that the reason for the move to Finland is that Sweden has not adapted its legislation to standards that prevail elsewhere in the EU.
"It would be very important for the different countries to have the same rules on advertising", said a political official at the Ministry of Culture, who wished to remain anonymous. Sweden’s political leadership remains very sensitive to the issue of alcohol advertising, and to advertising that targets children.
"On the question of the total amount of advertising, we are less ideological and less principled", the ministry source says.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 7.9.2005 - TODAY |
 Sweden's TV4 to begin broadcasting from Finland |
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