Norway

According to the Norwegian Broadcasting Law one public broadcaster, NRK with three TV channels, is authorised to broadcast. At the national level it is accompanied by private channel TV2, which is licensed for nationwide terrestrial transmissions, and other private channels which are transmitted via satellite and cable (TVNorge, TV Pluss and TV4). Following losses of $ 4,6 million, TV3 has been closed by Swedish industry conglomerate Kinnevik in October as part of a financial stabilization ahead of a planned stock-market flotation. There are also some private pay-TV stations which broadcast via satellite from abroad.

A local Norwegian channel has been announced in July, following a decision between Nordic media giants Schibsted and Scandinavian Broadcasting Service (SBS) to merge their operations in Norway. In collaboration with newspaper company A-Pressen, new TV Kristiania will compete with Kinnevik's local NorskTV in greater Oslo. TV Kristiania will broadcast four hours of local programming, the remaining schedule will be filled with programming of SBS's TVNorge, in which Schibsted now holds a stake of 30 %.

Schibsted is Norway's biggest media group with its main interest in the newspaper market. It controls 40 % of the total newspaper circulation through two of Norway's largest newspapers and interests in regional press. However, during the last years Schibsted diversified its business into other parts of the media market, including TV and film production and TV broadcasting through Schibsted Film A/S. It owns a third of TV2 and in addition launched its own channel TV Pluss. As mentioned before, Schibsted also took a 30 % stake in SBS's TVNorge. Chances for a further expansion in the TV market seem to be limited due to planned restrictions of media ownership in Norway.

© October 1996 by Jens Barkemeyer