It had been put in place on a transitional basis after the abolition of the fee, but it could finally become permanent. The government plans to keep the current method of financing public broadcasting via a fraction of VAT, the Minister of Culture announced on Monday to the newspaper The world.
This new mechanism is supposed to end at the end of 2024. For 2023, the allocation provided for in this context should amount to 3.8 billion euros.
Pledge of independence
“Let’s see if it is possible to perpetuate the current solution (…), which seems to me to be a good balance. Legal work on this matter is ongoing,” Rima Abdul Malak told the daily.
This mechanism allows public broadcasting to be financed by a specially earmarked envelope, as was the license fee, and not directly by the State budget. This point is seen by many players in the public audiovisual sector as a guarantee of independence vis-à-vis the State.