What about licence fees for TV on the Net?
What about licence fees for TV on the Net?
"I often listen to the radio and therefore pay the BILLAG radio licence fee. However, I don't have a television and therefore don't pay the BILLAG television licence fee. Am I allowed to watch television on the Internet?
Yvette, Crans
According to Art. 68 of the Federal Law on Radio and Television, anyone who installs or operates equipment for the reception of radio and television programmes (receiver) must first register it with the Swiss body responsible for collecting fees, which is BILLAG SA.
The obligation to register and pay fees for the reception of radio or television programmes applies to equipment intended for the reception of programmes, or comprising components designed exclusively for reception, as well as to multifunctional equipment, if it enables the reception of a variety of programmes with good sound and/or image quality.
Although your household has no other equipment for receiving television programmes, the obligation to register applies to the reception of television programmes via the Internet if you have a broadband connection (e.g. ADSL, cable network), specific software (e.g. Mediaplayer, Realplayer) that makes reception possible and a paid subscription for the reception of television programmes has been taken out or your household has registered with a provider that offers free access to television programmes.
The monthly fee for radio reception is CHF 14.10, for television reception CHF 24.40, and for both combined it is CHF 38.50. In practical terms, you can register directly on the www.billag.com website.
Offenders risk a fine. It should be noted that people who receive supplementary benefits from the Confederation in addition to their AVS or AI pension may be exempted from paying the fees upon written request.
