Sveriges Television (SVT) is the Swedish public service television operator in Sweden. It has a history dating back to 1956 and currently operates four channels.
Media assets
Television: SVT1, SVT2, SVT2 HD, Barnkanalen, Kunskapskanalen, SVT24
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent Public (IP)
Ownership and governance
SVT is a limited company owned by a foundation. This structure was created to insulate the broadcaster from government pressure. The foundation serves as the main governing body for all public media in Sweden, including SVT and Sveriges Radio.
It has a 13-member board, with members appointed based on proposals from political parties but not according to the parties’ power in government. While the government formally appoints these members, the government doesn’t have control over the foundation’s overall funding and cannot directly appoint anyone to the foundation’s board. This structure has proven effective in ensuring the broadcaster’s autonomy. The foundation’s board appoints the SVT board.
Source of funding and budget
Since 2019, SVT has been funded by a public service fee, which is based on income and collected like a tax. In Sweden, individuals pay a maximum of SEK 1,300 (US$ 160) per year for the public service media fee. The money this tax collects goes to a special account managed by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce.
In 2021, SVT had a total budget of SEK 5.3bm (US$ 585m) and did not generate commercial revenues, except for sponsorship of sports events. According to the company’s annual report, in 2022, SVT’s budget was nearly SEK 5.3bn (US$ 496m).
Editorial independence
SVT is known for its editorial independence and quality programming. Our research for this project has found no evidence of government editorial control, and the government is not allowed to impose any rules on SVT’s editorial coverage.
The SVT charter, signed by the SVT and the Swedish government, guarantees the station’s editorial independence. This means it is protected from interference by the government, pressure groups, political parties, state bodies, or corporations.
In fact, the charter obliges SVT to “scrutinize authorities, organizations, and private firms which exert influence over policy affecting the public and cover the activities of these and other bodies.”
There are two bodies that handle reports about content produced and broadcast by SVT: the Review Board, an independent decision-making body that monitors whether the content of programs broadcast on Swedish public radio and television follows the rules, and the Public Media Ombudsman (MO), whose mission is to determine whether SVT has caused unjustifiable damage to individuals. The ombudsman also monitors media content published by other media outlets in Sweden.
Such accountability mechanisms have a long tradition in Sweden, dating back to 1900, when rules to ensure fairness in publishing were adopted.
August 2024