On the first of April 2020, TV4 received a renewed permit to broadcast its channels TV4 Fakta and TV4 Film in the TV terrestrial network. The permit would be valid until December 2025. It is the Swedish Agency for Press, Radio and Television that decides who is allowed to broadcast what in the terrestrial network.

But now the authority is revoking TV4's permit.

This is because the channels did not broadcast any television.

- Our mission is to work for freedom of expression, diversity and accessibility. The terrestrial network is an important resource in this assignment. It is therefore essential that the licensees really use the frequencies we have given them for television broadcasts. It is against this background that the revocation should be seen, says Charlotte Ingvar-Nilsson, Director General of the Swedish Press, Radio and Television Authority.

Has not reached an agreement

The condition for being allowed to transmit in the terrestrial network is based on a channel transmitting to the entire country during a certain minimum transmission time.

These conditions have not been met by TV4. The reason is that the channel has not reached an agreement with the TV operator Boxer Comhem, which mediates the terrestrial pay-TV.

- It is an expected and logical consequence of the fact that we do not use the licenses as they lack distribution, says Charlie Forsberg, communications manager for TV4.