Yesterday, Sunday, the population in the Principality of Liechtenstein voted on the future of the Liechtenstein public radio – and buried it.
The state’s public radio station was particularly a thorn in the side of the opposition in the small country. The allegations were too little local, too little focused on Liechtenstein. Therefore, a referendum was initiated with the aim of cutting state funding for the radio station.
What’s next for Radio Liechtenstein?
The popular initiative was launched by the small party “Democrats for Liechtenstein” (DPL). Of the 12,243 votes cast, 55.4 percent were in favor of abolishing public broadcasting. The deciding factor for the vote was because Radio Liechtenstein claimed 70 percent of the total money for media funding in the principality every year. Which amounted to almost four million Swiss francs. In addition, the station repeatedly slipped into financial difficulties and had to be rescued with emergency loans. No broadcasting fee is charged in Liechtenstein.
Public or private?
In the run-up to the vote, the DPL expressed the opinion that a private broadcaster with an appropriate service mandate could be operated much more efficiently. Private radio stations from Switzerland were cited as positive examples.
The government, however, is skeptical. She represents the not unjustified view that a private broadcaster cannot be operated profitably in a small state with only 40,000 inhabitants. There is therefore a great risk that there will no longer be any radio stations in Liechtenstein in the future.
What does the no to Radio Liechtenstein mean?
By saying no to Radio Liechtenstein, the small country has buried its most important and trustworthy source of information. With it, an objective medium that contributes to the formation of public opinion and upholds Liechtenstein’s identity is now dying. The loss of one’s own radio station can be equated with a weakening of democracy. Radio Liechtenstein was the only public broadcaster in the country. There is no television station in Liechtenstein.
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Source: www.digitalfernsehen.de
