February 3, 2000 12:00am
Source: European Intelligence Wire

Europe Intelligence Wire: In relation to everything from childcare to freedom of information, Sweden is often held up as a shining example of how a healthy, open democracy looks after its citizens and its media.

So what do Swedish citizens think of their latest digital medium? Well, they don't - think of it, that is, because no one is bothering to watch.

In April of last year, Sweden launched its digital terrestrial TV package, with plenty of fanfare and the promise of dramatically expanded viewing options. 'Terrestrial' means the technology is pretty simple: no need for cables or satellite dishes - the signal can be picked up by an antenna and read by a set-top box. It's generally deemed the most accessible of digital standards, and it's the sort of thing we can expect to see in Ireland later this year.

The programming was deemed, by Swedish standards, to be attractive, if a bit heavy on news and talk by our Murdoch-affected measures, and perhaps a bit low on sport and shoot-em-ups. The programmes are supplied by public broadcaster SVT, the private analogue terrestrial channel TV4 and the pay-film channel Canal+.

The result, so far, has been a bit of a disaster. Even in a era when companies are willing to invest vast amounts of cash in high-tech ventures with long-term prospects - unprofitable Internet companies being the prime example - the Swedish experiment looks like a waste of money and effort.

The number of subscribers in November, seven months after the launch of the service, was just 500. That's five hundred. At that rate, broadcasters can hardly afford to broadcast, and not surprisingly some of the commercial channels that have been allocated frequencies on the system have simply refused to do so. Last month, the Swedish authority that regulates television, RTTV, threatened to revoke the licences of broadcasters which weren't broadcasting.

Of course, the less programming that's actually available on digital terrestrial television, the more likely it is that no one will bother watching.
Questions about the relevant legislation don't help either. Most of the licensed channels are commercial, but it has been suggested that the broadcast law in its current form actually forbids advertising.

As in Ireland, a substantial number of urban Swedes have access to cable systems, some of them with digital capacity, all of them with plenty of stations.

So far, most Swedish viewers, faced with the promise of digital terrestrial, have answered the question: 'Don't you want more TV?' with a resounding 'No!'

What will Irish viewers say?