Funding Public Service Broadcasting: The Case of Norway
Public service broadcasting exists in a state of constant turmoil. Yet, one of the more stable aspects
of public service broadcasting in the Nordic region has been the funding scheme. Publicly owned
institutions have been funded by a licence fee – the idea of which is to secure a steady income
stream and thereby independence from the state as well as commercial actors. This organization has
proved comparatively resilient across the Nordic region. But in the era of digital media, when
traditional broadcast media are changing and public service institutions have expanded to new
platforms such as the internet, the licence fee is also called into question.
This paper deals with the case of Norway. It explains in some detail the history and specific layout of
the Norwegian funding scheme. On that basis, the paper scrutinizes the debate on alternatives to the
licence fee. I argue that the debate in Norway has until recently been surprisingly low-key: the
fundamental status of the public service broadcaster NRK remains largely uncontroversial. Still, this
does not mean public service broadcasting in Norway is safe and sound. In closing, the paper
discusses the most possible outcomes of the current situation.