Broadcast Networks Europe
BNE
¤ Representing the interests of Terrestrial Broadcast Network Operators with regard to policy developments and regulatory intervention being undertaken by European Institutions and other organisations and stakeholders.
ID: 298887016981-26
Lobbying Activity
Response to State aid rules for public service broadcasting - Evaluation
14 Jan 2026
BNE welcomes the opportunity to comment on the to the Call for Evidence on State aid rules for public service broadcasting evaluation. The audiovisual ecosystem is evolving rapidly, with consumption and monetisation increasingly mediated by a small number of global, largely non-European platforms and algorithmic distribution models alongside the expansion of influencer-driven content. In this context, Broadcast Networks Europe underscores the need to reaffirm the strategic role in Europe of terrestrial broadcasting networksboth Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and radioas trusted, resilient and universally available pillars of Europes media infrastructure, ensuring their continued prominence and accessibility in the digital environment. Public service broadcasters and licensed DTT and radio services play a fundamental role in ensuring European sovereignty, access to European trusted high-quality content that reflects European values, cultural diversity, and democratic principles. Terrestrial broadcasting networks in Europe provide a unique and irreplaceable function: guaranteeing free, universal, and equitable access to European audiovisual services. These sovereign, neutral and transparent platforms are key to uphold citizens rights to access a diversity of trusted media sources, thereby contributing to media freedom, pluralism, and independence, while serving as a vital safeguard against disinformationwithout any form of gatekeeping or algorithmic bias. By preserving open access, these networks reinforce Europes cultural and communicative landscape, strengthen social cohesion, and protect democratic values and heritage. Moreover, terrestrial networks constitute an essential part of the European Democracy Shield, as they rely on critical sovereign infrastructures that are fundamental to ensure access to reliable information in times of crisis or disaster, including scenarios where broadband connectivity or platform services are degraded. This requires adequate funding. The architecture of the 2009 Broadcasting communication, from the Commission on the application of State aid rules to public service broadcasting, was and remains fundamentally fit for purpose. It maintains the necessary balance between financial transparency and proportionality and respect for Member States' wide discretion in defining and financing their public remit. BNE strongly supports maintaining this established architecture and its core features. In view of the wider context described above, the risk is not excess funding and over compensation of public service, but absence of adequate funding to develop an ambitious European policy for broadcasting innovation, with a focus on 5G Broadcast deployment, receiver requirements, and the promotion of interactive (HbbTV), UHD technologies and digital radio (DAB and DAB+) to strengthen the European audiovisual model.
Read full responseResponse to Digital Networks Act
11 Jul 2025
BNE strongly supports the Commissions objective to foster a more integrated, competitive, and future-proof digital infrastructure across the EU. In this context, BNE would like to highlight the essential role that terrestrial broadcast networks play in Europes digital ecosystem. Terrestrial broadcasting networks, an essential European infrastructure, recognized in the RSPP, UHF Decision, and EECC. Television and Radio are essential parts of Europeans lives. They reach 80% of European citizens weekly. On average every day, each European citizen watches TV for 3h16min and listens to radio for 2h13min . Terrestrial broadcasting plays a unique role in Europe among the competing TV and radio distribution platforms: Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) is used by over 100 million households which corresponds to more than 42% of European households. FM and DAB+ radio networks reach 4 to 5 receivers per household, supporting 60 to 80% of the radio listening hours . This social and economic importance is reflected in high level legislations: (i) the RSPP supports further development of innovative audiovisual media; (ii) the UHF Decision secures long term access to 470-694 MHz band for terrestrial broadcasting, efficiently sharing spectrum with PMSE; (iii) the EECC recognises broadcasting services needs, such as spectrum attribution procedures to be devised at national level, and ensures broadcast radio receivers are present in every car. Terrestrial broadcasting networks provide universal and resilient national coverage, being essential and critical to ensure the communication to citizens in times of emergency. At this regard and recognising the role of terrestrial broadcasting networks in times of crisis, Commission guidelines to reach a population self-sufficiency of minimum 72 hours included the need for a battery powered radio. BNE POLICY ASKS regarding the DNA but also any policy initiatives in digital, audiovisual, electronic communications, and spectrum: The DNA must reflect the value terrestrial broadcasting networks bring to society, safeguarding citizens ability to access broadcast services and recognising the critical role of terrestrial broadcasting networks as a part of the European digital ecosystem. At this regard, the DNA and the European regulatory framework should: o Foster initiatives such as the implementation of ASA (Automatic System Alert ) system and/or the role of 5G Broadcast in emergency situations. o Mandate broadcast radios presence in all vehicles, as already envisaged on EECC, ensuring secure, reliable, popular, anonymous and free-to-air platform with no gatekeeper and a lifeline in case of manmade or natural disasters. On spectrum issues: o Secure long-term access to the UHF spectrum for terrestrial broadcasting through 2040 and beyond, ensuring energy-efficient, equitable, and sustainable content delivery. o On the EU/CEPT discussion, BNE supports the current framework which allows all stakeholders participation in technical and compatibility studies and ensures technical harmonization beyond the EU and, thus, limits interference issues at its borders with non-EU CEPT members. o As per its national impact, audiovisual licenses shall remain a national issue. Develop an ambitious European policy for terrestrial broadcasting innovation , with a focus on 5G Broadcast deployment, receiver requirements, ensuring the prominence of terrestrial broadcasting services, and the promotion of interactive (HbbTV) and UHD technologies to strengthen the European audiovisual model. Find more info on the attached document.
Read full responseResponse to How to master Europe’s digital infrastructure needs?
28 Jun 2024
Broadcast Networks Europe (BNE) welcomes the opportunity to submit a consultation response and share its views on the White Paper - How to master Europes digital infrastructure needs? BNE recognises the great work done by European Commission on the White Paper to prepare next steps for digital infrastructure in Europe. In our contribution to the debate, BNE shares its views on the need to recognise Digital Terrestrial Television networks as part of the European digital infrastructure including its key role in terms of redundancy and national resiliency, and on the proposal for more spectrum harmonisation. DTT and the infrastructures behind play a key role in most of the challenges identified on the White Paper but also for a collection of European values such as democracy, universality, sustainability, diversity, inclusion and accountability. Also, DTT fits on the idea of equality of each and all European citizens, independently of their age, educational level, socio-economic conditions or place of residence should drive regulatory decisions. For this reason, BNE believes that DTT shall be considered as a key part of the European digital infrastructure and take into consideration its needs. Find more information on the attached file. BNE remains open and available to maintain a dialogue with the European Commission to further discuss and explore the value and contribution of Digital Terrestrial Television and its key role for building the future of Europe.
Read full responseMeeting with Roberto Viola (Director-General Communications Networks, Content and Technology)
30 Sept 2022 · EU digital agenda
Response to The Union Position for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023
26 Jul 2022
Response on the EUROPEAN COMMISSION Call for Evidence on the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 EU position from Broadcast Networks Europe (BNE)
Broadcast Networks Europe (BNE) welcomes the opportunity to share its views on the Call for Evidence on the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 EU position and wants to express its full availability to collaborate and discuss with the European Commission on all related issues.
The European Commission is calling for evidence for setting its common position regarding the WRC 23. As BNE, we are interested in AI1.5, the 470-694MHz band discussion, and whether there is any evidence that a modification of the current regulatory framework would provide, or not, value for European citizens.
Free to air television and radio; strong and trustworthy public service and commercial media; pluralism in news and information; quality content, live events; all those services are key to guarantee the European audiovisual sovereignty. In addition, they provide a massive economic, societal and cultural value for European citizens, alongside the sense of belonging to the EU. The exclusive access of the European Audiovisual industry to the 470-694MHz band allows the industry to deliver a broad and diverse range of European contents and to comply with public policy objectives such as universal coverage. Even in the countries where the penetration of terrestrial broadcasting is low, the local audiovisual industry benefits from the current use of the band as the content production industry (PMSE) relies on access to this spectrum. There is no substantiated evidence to assume that this will change in the foreseeable future.
It is evident that the European Audiovisual industry has an innovation agenda: the industry is investing in HD/UHD/UHD2/360º, hybrid solutions and new mobility solutions such as 5G Broadcast (an European standard that would provide broadcast access to smartphones and cars without using or asking for more spectrum). The European Audiovisual industry is also investing in and exploring the use of AR/VR, artificial intelligence and wireless TV sets to provide new and augmented services to European citizens. Without a strong European industry and access to adequate spectrum, the innovation agenda cannot be driven and led by Europe.
Hence, to maintain and develop its own audiovisual sovereignty, Europe needs to ensure spectrum access to its own industries which means respecting the European agreement, the UHF Decision, and Europe taking a NO CHANGE position on AI1.5 at WRC-23.
BNE and its members are of course engaged in all activities lead by the EC, CEPT and ITU relating to WRC-23 and BNE’s view is that there is no compelling evidence at present that a co-primary mobile allocation of the 470-694 MHz band (or parts of) would provide any reasonable and incremental value for Europeans either at WRC 23 or after. The EU Digital Decade programme, recently agreed at a political level, includes the goal of a fully connected continent, for which no additional spectrum is needed. Where coverage or capacity is an issue, the evidence is that additional sub 1GHz spectrum is not the solution, more investment in infrastructures, more sharing and more intelligent / efficient use of the current allocated bands would is the way forward.
Given the above evidence, BNE calls on the European Commission and the EU to preserve the current use of the 470-694MHz band by adopting an European Common Position of "No Change" at WRC-23 and onwards.
Read full responseMeeting with Andrus Ansip (Vice-President) and
24 Sept 2015 · Spectrum
Meeting with Kamila Kloc (Cabinet of Vice-President Andrus Ansip)
16 Apr 2015 · Sprectrum policies, 700MHz