Sweden - Current situation - History

12.07.2023

On 17 May 2023, the Swedish Press and Broadcasting Authority [Myndigheten för press, radio och tv / MPRT] advertised new digital commercial radio licences. MPRT said it "assesses that the available capacity corresponds to the possibility of the following:

Transmitter network 3:
Five (5) national licences that are regionally divisible into 34 regions.
Up to 29 regional licences, which means free space in all regional areas except Gothenburg,
Trollhättan, Halmstad/Varberg, Borås and Skövde.
Transmitter network 4:
Two (2) national licences that are regionally breakable in 34 regions.
Up to 30 regional licences, which means free space in all regional areas except Stockholm,
Malmö, Helsingborg and Kristianstad.

Transmissions may take place on the basis of the licence from 1 September 2023 at the earliest.
The licences will be valid until 31 July 2026.

On 23 February 2023, the Swedish Ministry of Culture announced that a parliamentary committee will propose how the public service remit should be regulated from 2026 onwards and what should be included in the remit during the licensing period 2026-2033.  This includes the possible expansion of DAB broadcasting. The remit of the inquiry states:

SR and UR operate digital terrestrial radio broadcasting (DAB broadcasting). The broadcasting licence entitles the holder to broadcast in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö areas and in Norrbotten. Several commercial broadcasters operate DAB broadcasts with a licence from the Press, Radio and Television Authority. The licences are valid until July 2026 and include with a requirement to expand to 65% population coverage by 31 July 2025.

[…]

The Committee shall therefore

[…]

- analyse whether there is a need for an expansion of SR's DAB broadcasting, and if so, describe the costs of such an expansion and make proposals on how it could be financed within the public service remit, without prejudice to the public service remit content.

[…]

The mission shall be reported by 30 April 2024.

Committee directive Long-term conditions for a sustainable and independent public service

 

 The Swedish Regulator MPRT has been commissioned by the Swedish government to review the conditions for commercial radio in the longer term (Ku 2021/01993). In dialogue with relevant actors, including the industry, the authority plans to analyse the need for any changes in the regulations for licensing with the aim of submitting a final report to the Ministry of Culture by December 2022.  

DAB transmissions in Sweden started in 1995 and today population coverage stands at 42%, with services from public service broadcaster Swedish Radio (SR) and commercial radio. 

Swedish Radio operates a multiplex covering 42% of the population in the capital of Stockholm as well as in Södertälje, Uppsala, Gothenburg, Malmö and Luleå.

Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT) also has a multiplex in operation covering Stockholm, Uppsala, Gävle. This multiplex was expanded in to Gothenburg and Malmö and now covers 43% of the population.

In November 2019, Swedish Radio submitted an application to the Ministry of Culture for a national DAB+ permit for the 2020-2025 period. With its current permit, the public broadcaster is authorised to broadcast digital radio in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Norrbotten. As part of its new application, Swedish Radio has requested a nationwide permit for ten channels.

In February 2020, Bauer Media announced it would be launching DAB+ services in Sweden in the summer of 2020, with multiplexes launching in the cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.

Bauer Media broadcasts started in July 2020, and increased them in November 2020 with the launch of DAB+ services in Gotenburg and Malmo. Bauer Media's DAB services now cover 40% of the population, and are expected to reach 50% by the end of 2021.

19.05.2023

On 17 May 2023, the Swedish Press and Broadcasting Authority [Myndigheten för press, radio och tv / MPRT] advertised new digital commercial radio licences. MPRT said it "assesses that the available capacity corresponds to the possibility of the following:

Transmitter network 3:
Five (5) national licences that are regionally divisible into 34 regions.
Up to 29 regional licences, which means free space in all regional areas except Gothenburg,
Trollhättan, Halmstad/Varberg, Borås and Skövde.
Transmitter network 4:
Two (2) national licences that are regionally breakable in 34 regions.
Up to 30 regional licences, which means free space in all regional areas except Stockholm,
Malmö, Helsingborg and Kristianstad.

Transmissions may take place on the basis of the licence from 1 September 2023 at the earliest.
The licences will be valid until 31 July 2026.

 

On 23 February 2023, the Swedish Ministry of Culture announced that a parliamentary committee will propose how the public service remit should be regulated from 2026 onwards and what should be included in the remit during the licensing period 2026-2033.  This includes the possible expansion of DAB broadcasting. The remit of the inquiry states:

SR and UR operate digital terrestrial radio broadcasting (DAB broadcasting). The broadcasting licence entitles the holder to broadcast in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö areas and in Norrbotten. Several commercial broadcasters operate DAB broadcasts with a licence from the Press, Radio and Television Authority. The licences are valid until July 2026 and include with a requirement to expand to 65% population coverage by 31 July 2025.

[…]

The Committee shall therefore

[…]

- analyse whether there is a need for an expansion of SR's DAB broadcasting, and if so, describe the costs of such an expansion and make proposals on how it could be financed within the public service remit, without prejudice to the public service remit content.

[…]

The mission shall be reported by 30 April 2024.

Committee directive Long-term conditions for a sustainable and independent public service

 

 The Swedish Regulator MPRT has been commissioned by the Swedish government to review the conditions for commercial radio in the longer term (Ku 2021/01993). In dialogue with relevant actors, including the industry, the authority plans to analyse the need for any changes in the regulations for licensing with the aim of submitting a final report to the Ministry of Culture by December 2022.  

DAB transmissions in Sweden started in 1995 and today population coverage stands at 42%, with services from public service broadcaster Swedish Radio (SR) and commercial radio. 

Swedish Radio operates a multiplex covering 42% of the population in the capital of Stockholm as well as in Södertälje, Uppsala, Gothenburg, Malmö and Luleå.

Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT) also has a multiplex in operation covering Stockholm, Uppsala, Gävle. This multiplex was expanded in to Gothenburg and Malmö and now covers 43% of the population.

In November 2019, Swedish Radio submitted an application to the Ministry of Culture for a national DAB+ permit for the 2020-2025 period. With its current permit, the public broadcaster is authorised to broadcast digital radio in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Norrbotten. As part of its new application, Swedish Radio has requested a nationwide permit for ten channels.

In February 2020, Bauer Media announced it would be launching DAB+ services in Sweden in the summer of 2020, with multiplexes launching in the cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.

Bauer Media broadcasts started in July 2020, and increased them in November 2020 with the launch of DAB+ services in Gotenburg and Malmo. Bauer Media's DAB services now cover 40% of the population, and are expected to reach 50% by the end of 2021.

14.04.2023

In April 2023, the Swedish Press and Broadcasting Authority [Myndigheten för press, radio och tv / MPRT] announced plans to advertise free space in the DAB+ broadcasting networks for digital commercial radio in May 2023. The Authority estimates that the space corresponds to approximately seven national programme services and several regional stations. The licences will begin to apply in the early autumn of 2023. More detailed information will be provided in the call for applications in May. Prior to the call, there is a draft strategy for the granting of licences and draft regulations on the application procedure and impact assessment.

 

On 23 February 2023, the Swedish Ministry of Culture announced that a parliamentary committee will propose how the public service remit should be regulated from 2026 onwards and what should be included in the remit during the licensing period 2026-2033.  This includes the possible expansion of DAB broadcasting. The remit of the inquiry states:

SR and UR operate digital terrestrial radio broadcasting (DAB broadcasting). The broadcasting licence entitles the holder to broadcast in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö areas and in Norrbotten. Several commercial broadcasters operate DAB broadcasts with a licence from the Press, Radio and Television Authority. The licences are valid until July 2026 and include with a requirement to expand to 65% population coverage by 31 July 2025.

[…]

The Committee shall therefore

[…]

- analyse whether there is a need for an expansion of SR's DAB broadcasting, and if so, describe the costs of such an expansion and make proposals on how it could be financed within the public service remit, without prejudice to the public service remit content.

[…]

The mission shall be reported by 30 April 2024.

Committee directive Long-term conditions for a sustainable and independent public service

 

 The Swedish Regulator MPRT has been commissioned by the Swedish government to review the conditions for commercial radio in the longer term (Ku 2021/01993). In dialogue with relevant actors, including the industry, the authority plans to analyse the need for any changes in the regulations for licensing with the aim of submitting a final report to the Ministry of Culture by December 2022.  

DAB transmissions in Sweden started in 1995 and today population coverage stands at 42%, with services from public service broadcaster Swedish Radio (SR) and commercial radio. 

Swedish Radio operates a multiplex covering 42% of the population in the capital of Stockholm as well as in Södertälje, Uppsala, Gothenburg, Malmö and Luleå.

Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT) also has a multiplex in operation covering Stockholm, Uppsala, Gävle. This multiplex was expanded in to Gothenburg and Malmö and now covers 43% of the population.

In November 2019, Swedish Radio submitted an application to the Ministry of Culture for a national DAB+ permit for the 2020-2025 period. With its current permit, the public broadcaster is authorised to broadcast digital radio in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Norrbotten. As part of its new application, Swedish Radio has requested a nationwide permit for ten channels.

In February 2020, Bauer Media announced it would be launching DAB+ services in Sweden in the summer of 2020, with multiplexes launching in the cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.

Bauer Media broadcasts started in July 2020, and increased them in November 2020 with the launch of DAB+ services in Gotenburg and Malmo. Bauer Media's DAB services now cover 40% of the population, and are expected to reach 50% by the end of 2021.