Belgium

Belgium started cable transmission in the 1960s and is by now the most densely cabled country in the world, achieving a penetration rate of about 95%. Besides the Belgian public (Flemish: BRT; French: RTBF) and private (Flemish: VTM, KANAL2, London based VT4; French RTL-TVI, Club RTL) television channels, there are many foreign channels from France, Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Portugal that are broadcasted via cable. Especially French TF1 and Dutch Nederland 1-3 are a significant threat to Belgian channels.

The powers relating to broadcasting rest with the three language Communities: French, Flemish and German, although the latter is very small and therefore does not have any impact on the television policy. Foreign broadcasters have to enter into agreements with all three Communities’ governments if they want to be seen in Belgium. After they have been admitted, their programmings are transmitted by BELGACOM telecommunication company to local private or public cable operators.

Public channels are primarily financed by licence fee which is cashed in by BELGACOM and passed on to the three Communities according to a certain distribution key. Private channels and, since 1989, to a certain extend also the public channels, are financed by advertising. In the French Community, the advertising revenues are shared between public and private channels by an independent organization which has obtained the exclusive advertising revenue concession. Foreign broadcasters with advertising revenues making up more than 75% of their budget have to pay at least 10 mio. Belgian Francs per cent of their audience ratings or to produce programmings in co-operation with Belgian broadcasters instead.

The European Union’s Commission criticizes that the "Television without Frontiers" Directive (which covers the freedom of reception, a quota for European and independent productions, the regulation of advertising) is infringed in Belgium and therefore filed an action against its government at the European Court of Justice. The judgement is expected for the end of June 1996, and experts believe that Belgium will have to revise a lot of its broadcasting regulation.

© May 1996 by Jens Barkemeyer