Radio News: Swiss voters approve taxing streamers to help local TV, film industry

May 15, 2022 11:33 pm

On May 15, Swiss voters approved a four percent tax levy on international streaming services there, to be invested in local film production, with 58.42 percent of voters favoring the measure. Switzerland is the latest European country to support local TV and film production and boost locally-produced content by taxing the international streaming services, such as Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and others. "This result underlines the cultural importance of film-making in Switzerland," Swiss Interior Minister Alain Berset told a press conference on May 15. The international companies can buy locally-made shows, make programmes themselves in the country, or put the money into an investment fund. "We believe that good stories can come from anywhere, and we have already invested in content from Switzerland in the past," a Netflix spokesperson said. Portugal already passed a similar law, with streaming service providers paying one percent of their income to the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisuals. France and Italy also already make streaming services invest a proportion of their revenues in European content in local languages, while Denmark and Spain are considering similar proposals, Reuters reports.