Swedish Broadcasting Commission
Encyclopedia
Granskningsnämnden för radio och TV (GRN) – English title: The Swedish Broadcasting Commission – was a Swedish
government agency formed in 1994 to regulate already broadcasted radio
and television
in Sweden.
observe the rules laid down in the Swedish Radio and Television Act. It has the power to impose fines on broadcasters it judges to have broken those rules.
A number of channels broadcasting primarily to Sweden do not actually broadcast from Sweden itself. This is principally to allow these channels to circumvent the strict regulation of broadcast advertising in Sweden (advertising breaks were illegal until 2002). The main channels targeting Sweden, but not broadcasting from there, are TV3
and Kanal 5
, both of which are broadcast from London
in the UK.
The GRN has repeatedly ruled that TV3 and Kanal 5, since they do not broadcast from Sweden, do not have to adhere to Swedish broadcasting regulations but are subject to the control of the British broadcasting regulator Ofcom
. Other Swedish channels broadcasting from the UK are ZTV
, TV6
, and The Voice TV
.
Representatives of commercial broadcaster TV4
have several times criticized both the Commission and the foreign channels and argued for abolition of the GRN, letting the Swedish Press Council Pressens Opinionsnämnd
take over its functions. Starting with TV4 Fakta
in 2005, TV4 has decided to broadcast its new channels from Finland
.
In practice, therefore, the GRN supervises only broadcasts from Sweden – including TV4 and its sister channels TV4 Plus
and TV400. With the digital franchise renewal of 2006, however, the licence terms were changed so that TV4's digital-only channels would no longer be subject to the same terms as those applying to its analogue licence.
(SR)'s broadcasting licence. In December 2004, for example, the GRN ruled that the programme had broken the terms of the licence when its presenter declared: "the fact that I'm a republican
, have always been a republican, and always will be a republican isn't something I can do anything about". This statement was considered biased, since SR (like SVT, TV4, and UR) are required by their licences to maintain impartiality.
In 2004, GRN ruled that it was not clear that The Man Show
, broadcast on TV4 Plus, was clearly satirical in intent. Since then TV4 AB has shown a disclaimer whenever it has broadcast the show. When shown on the youth channel TV400, this was replaced with a satirical film containing photographs of the members of the GRN.
The Oprah Winfrey Show
was fined several times for improper support (mostly concerning "Oprah's favorite things") and had to be moved from TV4 to TV3.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
government agency formed in 1994 to regulate already broadcasted radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in Sweden.
Jurisdiction
The Commission's primary function is to ensure that radio and television channels broadcasting in and from Sweden under licences issued by the government or the Swedish Radio and TV Authorityobserve the rules laid down in the Swedish Radio and Television Act. It has the power to impose fines on broadcasters it judges to have broken those rules.
A number of channels broadcasting primarily to Sweden do not actually broadcast from Sweden itself. This is principally to allow these channels to circumvent the strict regulation of broadcast advertising in Sweden (advertising breaks were illegal until 2002). The main channels targeting Sweden, but not broadcasting from there, are TV3
TV3 (Viasat)
TV3 is the brand name used by Viasat's flagship channels in Scandinavia, the Baltic States, and Slovenia. Viasat is part of the Swedish media company Modern Times Group...
and Kanal 5
Kanal 5 (Sweden)
Kanal 5 is a Swedish commercial television channel established in 1989. It is owned by the media corporation ProSiebenSat.1 Media.After a troublesome 1990s, Kanal 5 launched new strategies in the early 2000s that established it as a popular entertainment channel targeting young people...
, both of which are broadcast from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the UK.
The GRN has repeatedly ruled that TV3 and Kanal 5, since they do not broadcast from Sweden, do not have to adhere to Swedish broadcasting regulations but are subject to the control of the British broadcasting regulator Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
. Other Swedish channels broadcasting from the UK are ZTV
ZTV
-History:The channel started in Sweden as a daily afternoon show in TV3 and TV4 in February 1991. The channel got its name as it was a simulcast version of the radio station Z Radio. There was also a Z magazine available for some time....
, TV6
TV6
TV6 may refer to:*TV-6 , defunct Russian television channel, closed by Russian authorities in 2002*TV6 , defunct French television channel broadcasting in 1986 and 1987, predecessor to M6...
, and The Voice TV
The Voice TV
The Voice TV is a network of music television channels that is owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media . In 2004 it started broadcasting from Finland with localized feeds for Denmark, Norway and Sweden . In Finland The Voice TV is broadcast only in digital...
.
Representatives of commercial broadcaster TV4
TV4 AB
TV4 Group is a Swedish media company that owns the largest commercial television channel in Sweden, TV4.Since 2007, the company is fully owned by Bonnier through Nordic Broadcasting Oy...
have several times criticized both the Commission and the foreign channels and argued for abolition of the GRN, letting the Swedish Press Council Pressens Opinionsnämnd
Pressens Opinionsnämnd
The Swedish Press Council is a body governed by the Swedish print media tasked with determining whether the actions of a newspaper is in line with good journalistic practice...
take over its functions. Starting with TV4 Fakta
TV4 Fakta
TV4 Fakta is a Swedish documentary channel owned by TV4 Group. It started broadcasting in 2005.Much of the programming is taken from the A&E Television Networks. Since December 2005, the remainder of the schedule is filled with the English language Euronews...
in 2005, TV4 has decided to broadcast its new channels from Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
In practice, therefore, the GRN supervises only broadcasts from Sweden – including TV4 and its sister channels TV4 Plus
TV4 Plus
Sjuan is a sister channel of Swedish TV4, owned by TV4 AB. The main focus of the channel is on entertainment, sports and lifestyle programmes. The channel started as TV4 Plus in 2003 but changed name to Sjuan in September 2011....
and TV400. With the digital franchise renewal of 2006, however, the licence terms were changed so that TV4's digital-only channels would no longer be subject to the same terms as those applying to its analogue licence.
Cases
The Commission has on several occasions found Ring P1, a call-in show on the public talk radio channel P1, to have been in breach of the requirements of Sveriges RadioSveriges Radio
Sveriges Radio AB – Swedish Radio Ltd – is Sweden's national publicly funded radio broadcaster. The Swedish public-broadcasting system is in many respects modelled after the one used in the United Kingdom, and Sveriges Radio - like Sveriges Television - shares many characteristics with...
(SR)'s broadcasting licence. In December 2004, for example, the GRN ruled that the programme had broken the terms of the licence when its presenter declared: "the fact that I'm a republican
Republicanism
Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, where the head of state is appointed by means other than heredity, often elections. The exact meaning of republicanism varies depending on the cultural and historical context...
, have always been a republican, and always will be a republican isn't something I can do anything about". This statement was considered biased, since SR (like SVT, TV4, and UR) are required by their licences to maintain impartiality.
In 2004, GRN ruled that it was not clear that The Man Show
The Man Show
The Man Show is an American comedy television show on Comedy Central. It was created in 1999 by its two original co-hosts, Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla, and their executive producer Daniel Kellison.-Format:...
, broadcast on TV4 Plus, was clearly satirical in intent. Since then TV4 AB has shown a disclaimer whenever it has broadcast the show. When shown on the youth channel TV400, this was replaced with a satirical film containing photographs of the members of the GRN.
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
was fined several times for improper support (mostly concerning "Oprah's favorite things") and had to be moved from TV4 to TV3.