Licences to broadcast digital terrestrial television

The Swedish Radio and Television Authority shall issue all licences to broadcast television other than public service radio and television (SVT & UR).

The Swedish Radio and TV Authority is developing a strategy describing the Authority’s positions and direction for its work in the area of terrestrial television, in matters that are not directly regulated in the Swedish Radio and Television Act. In this policy document we present our preliminary views and a possible direction for the Authority’s work on these issues. We plan to set the strategy after taking part of the different stakeholders’ viewpoints. Read more

Licence process
1. The Swedish Government decides upon the broadcast areas and broadcast capacity that are to be made available for television broadcasts.

2. The Swedish Radio and Television Authority announces opportunities to apply for licences to broadcast terrestrial television. The Authority also decides matters related to application documents.
The information about the opportunity to apply for licences is provided in advertisements in the daily newspapers and on the Authority’s website.

3. Applications must be made on a special form submitted to the Swedish Radio and Television Authority.

4. The Swedish Radio and Television Authority will process applications and assess them based on selection criteria as provided by law:

• The Authority shall assess the applicant’s financial and technical prerequisites for engaging in broadcasting operations in accordance with the application.
• The Authority shall give particular consideration to that the broadcast capacity can be used for various television channels (programme services) that appeal to a variety of interests and tastes. There shall be breadth in programming, including both television channels that offer mixed content as well as niche channels.
• Capacity in the terrestrial network shall be allocated to nationwide as well as local and regional television channels. 
• There shall be television channels provided by multiple mutually independent programme providers.

The Authority shall also assess the applicant’s willingness to cooperate with other licensees concerning technical matters. As provided by law, conditions for technical cooperation and agreement between programme providers shall refer to:

• Multiplexing, i.e., combining programme carrier data in a multiplex. 
• Electronic programme guides, EPG, which are a kind of search system that makes it possible for the consumer to navigate among different programme services.
• Application software, i.e., standards for the software that controls e.g. certain interactive television services.
• Conditional access, i.e., coding of pay television channels. Conditional access is practised so that only subscribers to a pay television channel are able to view the channel. Conditional access is achieved by encrypting the transmission of programme services and equipping the digital television receiver with a programme card capable of restoring the encrypted programmes to viewable form. Free television channels are not affected by this function.

5. The Swedish Radio and Television Authority issues broadcast licences and licence conditions. 

Read the Authority's decison Licence to broadcast TV programmes  (pdf) (The appendices to the decision have not been translated.)

Read the Review of some licence conditions to broadcast TV programmes (pdf)

Read the Agreement on cooperation between broadcasters on certain technical issues (pdf)