The government confirms the disappearance of the TV license fee for 2022.
So it’s done. The contribution to public broadcasting, more commonly known as “TV fee”, will disappear during Emmanuel Macron’s second five-year term. It will even bow out fairly quickly, since its end is announced for 2022. This is specified in the report of the Council of Ministers of May 11, published on the government website.
End of the TV license fee in France
The TV license fee is a mechanism that guarantees the funding of public service on television and radio. The amount collected each year is divided between France Télévisions (France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5, Culturebox, France Info and La Première), Radio France, Arte, France 24, RFI, Monte Carlo, TV5 Monde and the National Audiovisual Institute (INA).
This contribution was backed by the housing tax, but a reform had the effect of eliminating it for the majority of taxpayers for the main residence (it still exists in the case of a secondary residence). In fact, the medium on which the TV license fee was based having disappeared, the contribution to public broadcasting was isolated.
Its amount in 2021 was 138 euros per year for a household in metropolitan France and 88 euros per year for overseas. The government presents this judgment as a measure of purchasing power which will benefit 23 million households. Those who own a television (or similar device) are liable. Those who do not have one are already exempt.
In place, ” the financing of public broadcasting will be ensured in compliance with the constitutional objective of pluralism and independence of the media “. As such, Parliament will have to vote a budget line for an amount to be determined and for a period to be fixed in order to ensure the follow-up. By way of comparison, the TV license fee generated around 3 billion euros per year.