Switzerland rejects plan to cut TV licence fee
March 9, 2026
Citizens in Switzerland have voted against an initiative to reduce the annual licence fee to the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) – the country’s national public broadcaster.
The fee, which has already been cut in recent years, currently costs 335 Swiss francs (€372) per household per year. The initiative, backed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, had called for the fee to be almost halved to 200 Swiss francs, with businesses exempt. But the proposal was defeated in the March 8th referendum, gaining just 38 per cent support, with 62 per cent voting to keep the licence fee at the current price.
The right-wing Swiss People’s Party had argued that the fee was too high, given the rise in the cost of living. The country’s government and all other parliamentary parties opposed the move, arguing that the licence fee was essential in providing representative content for Switzerland’s four languages – French, German, Italian and Romantsch. There were further concerns that cuts would impact foreign news and sports coverage.
The Swiss government has already decided to reduce the contribution to 300 Swiss francs by 2029. Under the plans, more companies will be exempt from the fee.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) welcomes the outcome of the Swiss public vote. EBU Director General, Noel Curran, commented:
“We are delighted that the Swiss voting public has given such a clear and decisive endorsement of public media in Switzerland. Adequately funded public service media contributes to higher levels of public trust in news and information and is closely linked to more resilient democratic systems, better able to withstand polarisation and disinformation. This vote sends a clear message: trusted and independent sources of information must be protected — especially now, when they are needed most.”
“Swiss voters have recognised that SRG SSR must be equipped with the resources necessary to provide content and services that are regionally rooted, relevant to people’s lives and serve all communities. At a time when global digital platforms are reshaping the media environment, our Members must continue to invest in innovation and transformation. Meeting these challenges — particularly in countries with multiple linguistic regions such as Switzerland — while maintaining universal access to trusted content, requires funding that is adequate, sustainable and aligned with the full breadth of the public service mission,” added Curran.
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