Commercial reception

Reception is defined as commercial reception when radio or television programmes are received to entertain or inform customers and third parties. There are three categories depending on the number of receiver sets.

The revised Law on Radio and Television (LRTV) came into force on 1 April 2007. The law, as well as the ordinance, provided for a new category of fees, termed fees for commercial use. Accordingly, a business which distributes transmissions for its customers, causing them indirectly to bear the added value, will have to pay a fee for commercial use. By way of example, hotels will pay as a function of the number of sets made available to their customers.

In order to allow fees to be graduated, it was envisaged to split the comercial fee into three categories depending on the number of sets (less than 10 sets, between 11 and 50 and 51 or more) which the business makes available to its customers.

In accordance with the Federal Court ruling from 13 April 2015, the radio and television fees are not subject to value added tax (VAT).
 

Type of reception Radio CHF/month until March 2015 (VAT included) Television CHF/month until March 2015 (VAT included) Radio CHF/month from April 2015 (without VAT) Televison CHF/month from April 2015 (without VAT)
Reception, commercial I (1-10 sets) 18.65 32.40 18.20 31.60
Reception, commercial I (11-50 sets) 31.10 53.95 30.30 52.65
Reception, commercial I (51 sets or more) 42.90 74.50 41.85 72.65
Professional reception 18.65 32.40 18.20 31.60

 It is therefore the case that the same amount will be applied to professional reception and to commercial reception for a small customer base. However, the fee will increase for a company with more customers. By way of example, a hotel with 50 rooms (all equipped with receiver sets) will pay a higher amount than a small boarding house with few guests, who consume proportionally fewer programmes.

Leasing of holiday homes/dwellings and vehicles

This is to be understood as leasing for commercial purposes.

Commercial leasing of holiday homes and dwellings, as well as vehicles, which are equipped with reception equipment, is subject to registration by the company or the private lessor and is to be qualified as commercial reception. In this case it is irrelevant whether the lessees are already registered elsewhere in Switzerland.

Further information:

Commercial reception via the internet

According to the regulation which entered into force on 1 September 2008, a notification to Billag AG for commercial reception of radio programme services via the internet is required if:

  • the company has reception via ISDN or a broadband connection (e.g. ADSL, cable network)
  • corresponding software (e.g. Media Player, RealPlayer) enables reception.

If this is the case and there is no other radio equipment in the company, there is an obligation to register for reception of radio programme services.

According to the regulation which entered into force on 1 September 2008, registration with Billag AG for commercial reception of television programme services via the internet is required if:

  • the company has a broadband connection (e.g. ADSL, cable network)
  • corresponding software (e.g. Media Player, RealPlayer) enables reception
  • the company has concluded a charged-for subscription for the reception of television programme services or has registered with a provider which provides access to television programme services free of charge.

If this is the case and there is no other television equipment in the company, there is an obligation register for reception of television programme services.

Specialist staff
Last modification 27.05.2015

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